Dog Calorie Calculator
Free, science-based daily feeding calculator using the WSAVA/AAHA Resting Energy Requirement formula. Works for toy, small, medium, large and giant breeds. No sign-up, no tracking.
By Paws & Pounds Research Team — reviewed against WSAVA/AAHA guidelines. Last updated .
Quick answer
A healthy, neutered, moderately active adult dog needs about 30 kcal per pound (65 kcal/kg) of ideal body weight per day. For weight loss, feed 1.0 × RER (70 × kg^0.75). Split into 2 daily meals and cap weekly weight loss at 3% of body weight.
Your dog's details
Results update instantly. Nothing is sent to a server — all math happens in your browser.
Use your vet's target or the breed's healthy midpoint. Enter the same value as current weight for a maintenance plan.
Neutered dogs typically need ~20% fewer calories than intact.
Found on the kibble bag's guaranteed-analysis panel. Provide this to see the daily portion in grams.
Daily feeding plan
Safe weight-loss calorie target.
- Main meals (90%)
- 605 kcal
- Treats max (10%)
- 67 kcal
- RER
- 672 kcal
- DER (maintenance)
- 941 kcal
- Safe pace
- Target max 0.61 kg change per week (~3% of body weight). Estimated 4 weeks to reach the goal.
Estimate only. Individual metabolism varies. Consult your veterinarian before changing your dog's diet — especially for puppies, pregnant or nursing females, or dogs with diabetes, Cushing's, hypothyroidism, or orthopedic conditions.
How the calculation works
The calculator uses the two-step formula used by veterinary nutritionists:
- RER (Resting Energy Requirement) = 70 × body-weight-in-kg^0.75. Scales non-linearly with weight — a 5 kg dog needs more kcal/kg than a 40 kg dog.
- DER (Daily Energy Requirement) = RER × activity factor. Typical factors:
- 1.0 — weight loss
- 1.2 — neutered, low activity (default)
- 1.4 — neutered, moderate activity
- 1.6 — intact + very active / working
- 1.2 × 1.2 — supervised gradual weight gain
The daily target is split 90% main food / 10% treats. Enter the food's kcal per 100 g (on the bag's guaranteed-analysis panel) to see the exact gram portion.
Weight-loss pace: capped at 3% of body weight per week. Faster loss risks muscle wasting and nutritional deficiencies, and almost always leads to weight regain.
Frequently asked questions
- How many calories does my dog need per day?
- A healthy, neutered adult dog at moderate activity needs roughly 30 kcal per pound of ideal body weight per day (about 65 kcal per kg). A 40 lb (18 kg) dog therefore needs ≈ 1,200 kcal/day at maintenance. The calculator refines this using the RER formula (70 × kg^0.75) plus species-specific neuter and activity multipliers.
- What formula does this calculator use?
- Resting Energy Requirement (RER) = 70 × body-weight-in-kg^0.75. The Daily Energy Requirement (DER) multiplies RER by: 1.0 for weight loss, 1.2 for a neutered low-activity dog, 1.4 for a neutered moderately active dog, or 1.6 for an intact, very active working dog. Factors come from the WSAVA Global Nutrition Toolkit and AAHA Weight Management Guidelines.
- How much should I feed my dog to lose weight?
- Feed roughly 1.0 × RER kcal per day and aim for no more than 3% of body weight lost per week. For a 60 lb (27 kg) dog, weight-loss RER ≈ 830 kcal/day. Weigh kibble on a kitchen scale — volume measurements (cups) can be off by 30% or more depending on kibble density — and recheck weight every 2 weeks.
- Are calorie needs the same for small and large breed dogs?
- No. Smaller dogs have a higher calorie need per pound than larger dogs because of surface-area-to-mass ratio. The RER formula (70 × kg^0.75) handles this automatically: a 5 kg dog needs ~235 kcal/kg, while a 40 kg dog needs ~50 kcal/kg at maintenance. Giant breeds also often have slower metabolisms; lean toward the 'low activity' setting unless your dog is genuinely a working breed.
- Can I use this calculator for puppies?
- No. Growing puppies need 2–3× RER depending on age and breed, and the wrong amount can cause developmental orthopedic disease in large-breed pups. Use your veterinarian's life-stage feeding plan for puppies under 12 months (18 months for giant breeds).
- Why does my dog need fewer calories after being spayed?
- Spaying lowers metabolic rate and increases appetite, reducing daily calorie needs by roughly 20–25%. Failing to adjust portions after the procedure is the single biggest cause of post-spay weight gain. Recalculate 4–6 weeks after surgery.
- What's the difference between RER and DER?
- RER (Resting Energy Requirement) is the calories a dog burns at rest. DER (Daily Energy Requirement) multiplies RER by an activity/life-stage factor — it's the actual daily calorie target. For a sedentary neutered adult, DER ≈ 1.2 × RER. For an intact sporting dog, DER can exceed 2× RER.
- Do I need a vet visit or a smart scale to use this?
- No. Weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding your dog (for dogs < 60 lb), or walk your dog onto a bathroom scale for larger breeds. Combine with a visual Body Condition Score assessment and you have enough information for a reliable feeding plan at home.
Track your dog's progress automatically
The Paws & Pounds app saves every weigh-in, auto-adjusts the calorie target as your dog approaches the goal, lets the whole household log walks and meals together, and charts the trend to share with your vet.
Sources & further reading
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Toolkit — Energy calculation & body condition scoring — World Small Animal Veterinary Association, 2021
- 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats — American Animal Hospital Association, 2014
- Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats — National Research Council (NRC), 2006
- Purina Body Condition System for Dogs (validated 9-point BCS chart) — Purina Institute, 2021