Blog Caloric Intake for Your Dog
It is possible that you have never even considered counting calories for your dog or even realized that you should be doing so. Not to worry. We are here to help and it can actually make a huge difference. However, these numbers are simply an estimate and may fluctuate by 20%. The recommended caloric intake for your dog will depend on your dog’s age, lifestyle, breed, health, and many other factors. When feeding your dog the recommended number of calories, continue to monitor their weight. This estimation of caloric consumption can only be pinpointed so much with all the varying factors.
How to measure calories for your dog
- Divide your dog’s body weight into pounds by 2.2. This converts it to kilograms(kg)
- The resting Energy Requirement (RER) is 30. RER(body weight in kg) + 70=kcal/day
- Maintenance Energy Requirement(MER) = appropriate multiplier x RER
List of Appropriate Multipliers
- Neutered pet 6
- Intact pet 8
- Weight loss 1
- Weight gain 7
- Light work 2
- Moderate work 3
- Heavy work 6
- Growth(less than 4 months old) 3
- Growth(more than 4 months old) 2
You can always use a calorie calculator. There are plenty of those circulating online. Just make sure that you are using one for dogs and not humans. The process is entirely different for humans. Human calculations are also more accurate and not as much of an estimate.
Calculation Examples
The caloric intake for a 25-pound dog that’s neutered will be as follows
- 25/2.2=11.37
- 30(11.37) + 70 = 411 kcal/day
- 6 x 411 = 657.6 round up 658kcal/day.
Keep in mind that this is just an estimate. Your dog’s suggested caloric intake can range anywhere from 526 to 790, which is the 20% guesstimate discussed earlier.
You can pull up calculators and tables and they will all give you a different answer within the 20% range. If you are going to start using this formula, just take into consideration this fluctuation.