Dog Food Calculator
How much should you feed your dog? Enter its weight and life stage to get the daily calories, cups, and per-meal portion it needs — a dog calorie and food portion calculator in pounds or kilograms.
Short answer
To size a dog’s daily food, start from its resting energy requirement — RER = 70 × (weight in kg)^0.75 — then multiply by a life-stage factor (about 1.6× for a neutered adult, 1.8× intact, 1.0× for weight loss, 2–3× for puppies and working dogs). Divide the daily calories by your food’s kcal per cup to get cups per day. A 20 kg (44 lb) neutered adult needs roughly 1,060 kcal, about 3 cups of a 350 kcal/cup food.
RER
70 × kg^0.75
resting need
Neutered adult
1.6 × RER
daily calories
Puppy
2–3 × RER
growing
Cups/day
kcal ÷ /cup
from the bag
Calories per cup is on your food’s bag (usually 300–500 kcal/cup). Adjust it for an accurate cups-per-day figure.
Your dog needs about 794 calories a day, roughly 2.3 cups.
Daily calories
794 kcal
Cups per day
2.3
Resting need (RER)
496 kcal
Per meal (×2)
1.1 cups
Each meal
1.1 cups (397 kcal) × 2 meals a day
Based on 350 kcal per cup — check your food’s label and adjust above.
Estimate only, from the RER = 70 × kg^0.75 formula with a life-stage factor. Confirm the right amount with your veterinarian and adjust to your dog’s body condition.
Consult your vet
These figures are planning estimates from the standard RER/MER formula and are not a substitute for veterinary advice. Your dog’s real needs depend on breed, body condition, health, and the specific food. Confirm the right amount with your veterinarian and adjust based on your dog’s body condition over time.
Raw & puppy feeding
Feeding calculators by food & brand
Dog food chart — calories & cups by weight
Daily calories and cups for a neutered adult dog on a 350 kcal/cup food. Puppies, intact, and working dogs need more; use the calculator above for your dog’s exact numbers.
| Weight (lb) | Weight (kg) | RER (kcal) | Daily calories | Cups/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 2.3 | 129 | 207 | 0.6 |
| 10 | 4.5 | 218 | 348 | 1 |
| 20 | 9.1 | 366 | 585 | 1.7 |
| 30 | 13.6 | 496 | 794 | 2.3 |
| 40 | 18.1 | 615 | 985 | 2.8 |
| 50 | 22.7 | 727 | 1,164 | 3.3 |
| 60 | 27.2 | 834 | 1,335 | 3.8 |
| 80 | 36.3 | 1,035 | 1,656 | 4.7 |
| 100 | 45.4 | 1,223 | 1,958 | 5.6 |
How we calculate this
Every number on this page comes from the standard veterinary energy equations — the same math your vet uses, not a kibble-brand chart:
- Resting Energy Requirement (RER). RER = 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75 — the calories a dog burns at rest. A 20 kg (44 lb) dog has an RER of about 662 kcal/day.
- Life-stage factor (MER). daily calories = RER × a life-stage factor: ~1.6 for a neutered adult, 1.8 intact, 2–3 for puppies, 0.8–1.0 for weight loss, up to 3–5 for hard-working dogs.
- Cups and grams. daily calories ÷ the food's energy density. Kibble averages ~350 kcal/cup but ranges 300–550 — check your bag's kcal/cup (it's on the label) and set it in the calculator.
- Raw and puppy modes. raw feeding uses 2–3% of body weight per day in food; puppies feed by expected adult weight and age-based factors, split across more meals.
Assumptions
- Healthy dogs — pregnancy, lactation, and medical conditions need a veterinary nutrition plan.
- Treats count: keep them under 10% of daily calories or reduce meals accordingly.
- Guidance, not veterinary advice — adjust to body-condition score and confirm with your vet.
Sources
Last reviewed: July 13, 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much food should I feed my dog per day?
Start from your dog's resting energy requirement — RER = 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75 — then multiply by a life-stage factor to get the daily calories: about 1.6× for a neutered adult, 1.8× for an intact adult, 1.0× for weight loss, and 2–3× for a growing puppy or a working dog. Divide the daily calories by your food's kcal per cup (shown on the bag) to get cups per day, then split that across meals.
How do I convert dog food calories to cups?
Cups per day = daily calories ÷ the food's calories per cup. Pet-food labels list a 'metabolizable energy' figure such as 350–450 kcal per cup. So a dog that needs 700 kcal a day on a 350 kcal/cup food eats 2 cups a day. The calculator lets you enter your exact kcal-per-cup so the cups are right for your bag.
How many calories does my dog need?
A dog calorie target is its maintenance energy requirement (MER): RER × a life-stage factor. For example a 20 kg (44 lb) neutered adult has an RER of about 662 kcal, so its MER is roughly 662 × 1.6 ≈ 1,060 kcal per day. Puppies, intact dogs, and working dogs need more; seniors and dogs on a diet need less.
How much should I feed a dog to lose weight?
For weight loss, feed to your dog's resting energy requirement at its target (ideal) weight, not its current weight — that is the 1.0× factor in the calculator. Reassess every few weeks and aim for gradual loss of about 1–2% of body weight per week. Ask your vet to confirm the target weight and rule out medical causes first.
How much should I feed a puppy?
Puppies eat far more per pound than adults because they are growing. Use about 3× RER under 4 months and about 2× RER from 4 months to adulthood, split across three or more small meals a day. See the puppy feeding calculator for a by-age breakdown.
Is this dog food calculator a substitute for a vet?
No. These are planning estimates from a widely used RER/MER formula; every dog is different. Body condition, breed, health conditions, and the specific food all matter. Use the result as a starting point and confirm the right amount with your veterinarian, then adjust based on your dog’s body condition over time.