Calculate daily food portions for dogs and cats based on weight, age, and activity level.
This calculator returns two linked numbers: a daily calorie need for the pet, in kcal, and the weight of a specific food, in grams, that delivers it. It follows the standard veterinary method: body weight sets a base energy requirement, an age and activity multiplier scales it, and the result is divided by the food's energy density (kcal per kg) to get the portion. The step most people get wrong is the food's energy density: two dry foods can differ by 30% in calories per kilogram, so the same pet can need 140 g of one food and 180 g of another. The output is a feeding target to verify against the pet's body condition, not a prescription.
A concrete input and expected output from the current implementation.
Input
Dog, 10 kg (22 lb), neutered adult, average activity, dry food rated 3,500 kcal/kg
Expected output
Resting energy need: about 394 kcal/day. Daily target: about 630 kcal/day. Portion of this food: about 180 g/day.
Resting energy requirement is 70 x 10^0.75 = about 394 kcal. The neutered-adult multiplier of 1.6 gives 394 x 1.6 = about 630 kcal, and 630 kcal divided by 3.5 kcal/g (the food's 3,500 kcal/kg) is 180 g.
Body weight in kilograms drives the base figure: resting energy requirement (RER) is 70 x kg^0.75. A life-stage multiplier turns that into maintenance energy requirement (MER): roughly 1.6 for a neutered adult, 1.8 for an intact adult, 2.0 to 3.0 for growing puppies and kittens, and about 1.0 for weight loss. Age and activity do not change the base formula; they only change the multiplier applied to it.
The daily calorie target is divided by the food's energy density to get grams per day. Dry foods typically range from about 3,000 to 4,200 kcal per kg, and wet food is far less energy-dense, so the calculator needs the number printed on the bag or can. If the energy density field is skipped or entered wrong, the gram figure is off even when the calorie figure is right.
No. Treat it as a starting point for a healthy adult pet, not a prescription. Weigh the portion, feed it for a couple of weeks, and check body condition (ribs easy to feel, visible waist). Adjust by 10 to 25% if the pet gains or loses weight unexpectedly, and always get a veterinarian's guidance for puppies, seniors, pregnant or lactating animals, and pets with medical conditions.
Because the calorie need did not change, but the weight of food that delivers those calories did. A cup of one kibble can differ in weight and calorie content from a cup of another, and canned food is mostly water. The calculator always converts from calories to grams using the food's energy density, which is why you should re-enter that number whenever the food changes.
The example and behavioral notes were checked against the browser implementation. Standards and primary references below define the relevant format, formula, or platform behavior.
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