How Much to Feed a Dog by Weight
Daily calories and grams of food for dogs from 2 kg to 60 kg, by activity level, using the veterinary RER formula, with a feeding chart and calculator.
Published by Calculator.uk.com · Updated 21 October 2026 · Our methodology
Quick answer
A typical neutered adult dog needs about 70 × weight(kg)0.75 × 1.6 calories a day. On a dry food with 375 kcal per 100 g, that is about 100 g a day for a 5 kg dog, 168 g for 10 kg, 282 g for 20 kg, 383 g for 30 kg and 562 g for 50 kg. Less active dogs need about 20% less and active dogs about 25% more. Use the chart and calculator below for your dog and your food.
Dog feeding calculator: grams per day
Enter your dog's ideal weight (not current weight, if they are over- or underweight), their life stage, and the calorie content from your food's label.
Enter your dog's details to see grams of food per day
Dog feeding chart by weight and activity level
Grams of dry food per day for adult dogs, assuming a complete dry food with 375 kcal per 100 g. If your food is more or less energy-dense, scale the amounts by 375 ÷ your food's kcal per 100 g, or use the calculator above.
| Dog weight | Low activity (×1.3) | Typical adult (×1.6) | Active (×2.0) | kcal/day (typical adult) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kg (4 lb) | 41 g | 50 g | 63 g | 188 |
| 5 kg (11 lb) | 81 g | 100 g | 125 g | 374 |
| 10 kg (22 lb) | 136 g | 168 g | 210 g | 630 |
| 15 kg (33 lb) | 185 g | 228 g | 285 g | 854 |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | 229 g | 282 g | 353 g | 1,059 |
| 25 kg (55 lb) | 271 g | 334 g | 417 g | 1,252 |
| 30 kg (66 lb) | 311 g | 383 g | 479 g | 1,436 |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | 386 g | 475 g | 594 g | 1,781 |
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 456 g | 562 g | 702 g | 2,106 |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 523 g | 644 g | 805 g | 2,415 |
Amounts are per day, before treats. Split them into two meals for adult dogs.
How the calculation works
Vets work out feeding amounts in calories first, then convert to the weight of a specific food. This is because foods differ so much in energy content. It takes three steps.
1. Resting energy requirement (RER)
RER is the energy a dog uses at rest: RER = 70 × body weight (kg)0.75. Raising weight to the power 0.75 reflects that small dogs burn more energy per kilogram than large dogs. On a calculator, cube the weight, then take the square root twice.
2. Multiply by a life-stage and activity factor
| Dog | Daily calories |
|---|---|
| Weight loss (feed for target weight) | 1.0 × RER |
| Inactive or prone to weight gain | 1.3 × RER |
| Typical neutered adult | 1.6 × RER |
| Typical intact (not neutered) adult | 1.8 × RER |
| Active or light working dog | 2.0 × RER |
| Puppy under 4 months | 3.0 × RER |
| Puppy 4 months to adult | 2.0 × RER |
Published ranges are 1.2–1.4 for inactive dogs and 2.0–5.0 for working dogs. Sled dogs and other heavy workers can need far more than 2.0.
3. Convert calories to grams of your food
Grams per day = daily kcal ÷ kcal per 100 g × 100. The energy content is printed on the bag or tin as kcal/100 g or kcal/kg (ME, metabolisable energy). Divide kcal/kg by 10 to get kcal/100 g.
Worked examples
20 kg neutered adult Labrador-cross on dry food
- RER = 70 × 200.75 = 70 × 9.457 = 662 kcal
- Daily energy = 662 × 1.6 = 1,059 kcal
- Food at 375 kcal/100 g: 1,059 ÷ 375 × 100 = 282 g a day, or 141 g per meal
The same dog on wet food
A wet food at 85 kcal/100 g needs 1,059 ÷ 85 × 100 = 1,246 g a day. That is about three 400 g tins, because wet food is around 75–80% water. When mixing wet and dry food, work out each portion's calories so the total still adds up to 1,059 kcal.
8 kg puppy, 3 months old
RER = 70 × 80.75 = 333 kcal. Under 4 months the factor is 3.0, so the puppy needs 999 kcal. On a puppy food at 400 kcal/100 g, that is about 250 g a day, split into 3–4 meals. Recalculate as the puppy grows.
Adjusting for your dog
- Check body condition, not just the scales. You should be able to feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of fat, and see a waist from above.
- Change in 10% steps. If your dog gains weight, cut the daily amount by about 10% and re-weigh after 2–4 weeks.
- Count treats and chews. Keep them under 10% of daily calories and reduce meals to match.
- Weigh food in grams. Measuring cups vary a lot with kibble size, so a kitchen scale is far more accurate.
- See a vet for pregnant or nursing dogs, dogs with medical conditions, or any sudden change in appetite or weight.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I feed my dog per day based on its weight?
Work out its daily calories, then convert them to grams of its food. Daily calories = 70 × (ideal weight in kg)^0.75 × an activity factor, which is about 1.6 for a typical neutered adult. A 20 kg neutered adult needs about 1,059 kcal a day, which is about 282 g of a dry food with 375 kcal per 100 g. On a typical dry food that works out at roughly 2–2.5% of body weight a day for small dogs and 1–1.5% for large dogs. Weigh your dog every few weeks and adjust.
How many grams of dry food should a 10 kg dog eat?
A 10 kg neutered adult with normal activity needs about 630 kcal a day, which is about 168 g of a dry food with 375 kcal per 100 g, split into two meals of roughly 84 g. A less active 10 kg dog needs about 136 g, and an active one about 210 g. Always check the calorie content on your food’s label, because foods vary from about 300 to over 450 kcal per 100 g.
How much should I feed a puppy?
Puppies need much more energy per kilogram than adults: about 3 × RER until 4 months old, then 2 × RER until they reach adult size. Base the calculation on the puppy’s current weight, recalculate every couple of weeks as it grows, and split the food into 3–4 meals a day for young puppies. Use a food formulated for growth, and for large breeds a large-breed puppy food, to control calcium and growth rate.
Why is my dog food bag’s feeding guide different from this chart?
Feeding guides on packaging are written for an average dog of each weight and often assume a fairly active, unneutered animal, so they can be generous. This chart uses the veterinary RER formula with a stated activity factor and a stated food energy density. Both are starting points. Your dog’s body condition over the following weeks is the real test.
What is the scientific source for these feeding amounts?
The resting energy requirement formula RER = 70 × body weight^0.75 and the life-stage multipliers (1.0 for weight loss, 1.2–1.4 for inactive dogs, 1.6 for neutered adults, 1.8 for intact adults, 2.0–5.0 for working dogs, 3.0 for puppies under 4 months and 2.0 from 4 months to adulthood) follow the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee guidelines. These derive from the National Research Council’s Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats (2006). Converting calories to grams uses the metabolisable energy declared on the food label.