Dog food portion calculator

Converts a dog's daily energy requirement into cups of the specific food in your kitchen — because the number on the bag's feeding chart is not the same thing.

Portion size

Enter a weight, then the kcal/cup from your bag.

Why the chart on the bag reads high

Manufacturer feeding charts are built around a broad average that has to cover intact, active dogs as well as neutered, mostly-sedentary ones. Since the majority of pet dogs are neutered and not especially active, the chart tends to overshoot for the typical household dog. Working from the dog's own calculated requirement and the food's own energy density avoids inheriting that bias.

Why cups do not transfer between foods

A cup is a measure of volume, and foods differ in how much energy they pack into it. Everyday dry dog foods commonly run somewhere between about 300 and 500 kcal per cup. Switching brands at the same number of cups can therefore change intake substantially in either direction without anything looking different in the bowl. This is the single most common cause of unexplained weight change after a food switch.

The figure you need is expressed as kcal ME/cup — metabolisable energy per cup. It is required information on the label but is usually set in small type near the feeding guide rather than on the front of the bag.

A cup means a measuring cup. Not a mug and not the scoop that came in the bag, which is often a different volume. If you want to remove the error entirely, weigh the food in grams instead: it is faster after the first week and it is the only method that stays accurate as the kibble settles.

Splitting across meals

Whether the daily ration is served in one, two or three meals does not change the total. Two is the usual compromise for adult dogs. Puppies under about four months are generally fed more often because their energy needs are high relative to stomach size.

Sources: Energy calculation: WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines