A typical neutered adult dog needs about 1.5 times its resting energy requirement (RER), and RER is 70 x body weight in kg raised to the 0.75 power. In practice that means roughly 325 kcal a day for a 10 lb dog, 745 kcal for a 30 lb dog and 1,090 kcal for a 50 lb dog. The chart below covers 5 to 100 lb across every life stage.
Daily calorie chart by weight and life stage
All numbers are kcal per day, rounded, computed with the same formula and factors our dog food calculator uses.
| Weight | Neutered adult (x1.5) | Intact adult (x1.8) | Active or working (x2.0) | Senior (x1.3) | Puppy 4 to 12 months (x2.5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 lb | 194 | 233 | 259 | 168 | 323 |
| 10 lb | 326 | 392 | 435 | 283 | 544 |
| 15 lb | 442 | 531 | 590 | 383 | 737 |
| 20 lb | 549 | 659 | 732 | 476 | 915 |
| 30 lb | 744 | 893 | 992 | 645 | 1,240 |
| 40 lb | 923 | 1,108 | 1,231 | 800 | 1,538 |
| 50 lb | 1,091 | 1,309 | 1,455 | 946 | 1,819 |
| 60 lb | 1,251 | 1,501 | 1,668 | 1,084 | 2,085 |
| 70 lb | 1,404 | 1,685 | 1,873 | 1,217 | 2,341 |
| 80 lb | 1,552 | 1,863 | 2,070 | 1,345 | 2,587 |
| 100 lb | 1,835 | 2,202 | 2,447 | 1,591 | 3,059 |
For a puppy, use the weight it has today, not its expected adult weight. Puppies under 4 months use an even higher factor (x3.0); the puppy feeding calculator handles that split automatically.
The formula, step by step
Veterinary nutrition guidelines (the NRC's Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats and the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines) start from the energy a dog burns at rest, then multiply by a life stage factor.
- Convert pounds to kilograms: divide by 2.2046. A 30 lb dog weighs 13.6 kg.
- Raise kg to the 0.75 power: 13.6 to the 0.75 is about 7.09. Any phone calculator does this with the x^y key.
- Multiply by 70: 70 x 7.09 = 496 kcal. That is the RER, the energy for breathing, digestion and keeping warm while lying still.
- Multiply by the factor: 496 x 1.5 = 744 kcal a day for a neutered adult.
Why the 0.75 power instead of simple weight? Energy use scales with body surface and metabolism, not pounds. A 100 lb dog is 10 times heavier than a 10 lb dog but needs only about 5.6 times the calories. Feeding by plain weight overfeeds big dogs and underfeeds small ones.
Which factor fits your dog
- x1.5, neutered or spayed adult: the right starting point for most pet dogs, since most are neutered and get one or two walks a day.
- x1.8, intact adult: intact dogs burn noticeably more.
- x2.0, active or working: dogs that run, hike or work for hours daily. A dog that sprints in the yard for ten minutes is not in this group.
- x1.3, senior: older, slower dogs. Many seniors gain weight on their old adult portion.
- x1.0 to 1.2, weight loss: only on a vet's plan, calculated from the target weight, not the current one. See is my dog overweight for how to check first.
From calories to cups
The calorie target is only useful once it meets the label. US dry foods list kcal per cup, usually between 325 and 450. Divide the daily target by that number:
A 30 lb neutered dog needs 744 kcal. On a 375 kcal/cup food that is about 2 cups a day; on a 450 kcal/cup food it is about 1.65 cups. Same dog, a third of a cup different, which is why the bag's generic feeding chart is often off. The cups of dog food per day guide walks through more label examples.
Don't forget treats
The common veterinary rule is that treats stay under 10% of daily calories. For the 30 lb dog above that is about 75 kcal: two medium biscuits, or a few small training treats plus a spoon of peanut butter. Anything beyond that comes out of the meal portion.
A formula is a starting point
Two dogs of the same weight can differ by 20% or more in what they actually burn. Use the number for three to four weeks, weigh your dog every two weeks and adjust the portion by about 10% if the weight moves in the wrong direction. If weight changes fast without a diet change, call your vet: unexplained weight loss in particular is worth an exam.
Related reading: if your dog eats canned food, see how much wet food to feed a dog. Food is also the biggest line in what a dog costs per month, the senior factor applies from roughly the ages in our dog years chart, and treats should never include chocolate: see how much chocolate is toxic to dogs.
FAQ
How many calories should a 20 lb dog eat?
About 550 kcal a day if neutered, 660 if intact, and around 475 for a quiet senior.
How many calories does a dog burn on a walk?
Much less than people expect. A brisk 30 minute walk adds only a small slice to the daily total, which is why the life stage factor, not walks, drives the number.
Is the bag's feeding chart wrong?
Not wrong, but generic. It usually assumes an intact, fairly active adult, so many neutered pet dogs gain weight on it. Calculating from calories fixes that in two minutes with the dog food calculator.