Understanding canine caloric needs: calculating calories for dogs

 

Hello, pet lovers! 

Dogs may be many things - loyal, cuddlers, affectionate - but calorie counters? Not a chance. That’s on us - the pet parents! Consuming the right number of calories can improve their overall health, weight, mood, and energy levels. This way, you are reducing the chances of obesity, malnutrition, and other health issues. 

Calories are considered fuel that powers the dog’s body, but the recommended amount of this fuel depends on many factors. The primary factors include age, breed, activity levels, and health status. But more on that later! 

Stay with us to understand canine caloric needs! 

Jump To:

• How to calculate your dog’s caloric needs?
• How many calories does your dog need based on size?
• How many calories does my dog need to lose weight?
• How many calories should I feed my dog?
• How to monitor and adjust a dog’s caloric intake?
• Additional considerations for special cases

How to calculate your dog’s caloric needs?

 

Everything regarding the dog’s caloric needs depends on their resting energy requirements (RER). It is the amount of energy needed for essential physiological functions like respiration, digestion, and cardiac and brain activity while the dog is at rest in a thermoneutral environment. Think of it this way: have you ever been so hungry that you couldn’t think straight? Then, after just one bite of food, you felt like a new person. Remember the Snickers slogan: "You’re not you when you’re hungry"? The same applies to dogs! So, even when the dog is resting, its body is constantly using energy for essential functions (breathing, digestion, cardiac, and brain activity). Even at rest, the body needs energy to function properly, and the same applies to dogs! 

Back in high school, you might have thought, “I’ll never need math in real life, I have a smartphone with a calculator.” But if you have a dog, a little math can come in handy—especially when figuring out how many calories your pup needs. For example, calculating your dog's Resting Energy Requirement (RER) uses this formula:

 

RER = 70 × (Body weight in kg)^0.75

 

Using this formula will give you the number of kilocalories (kcal) your dog needs per day to maintain basic bodily functions at rest. 

You should also be able to calculate the metabolizable or maintenance energy requirement (MER) in dogs. It is calculated based on Resting Energy Requirement (RER), which is the energy a dog needs at complete rest to sustain vital functions like breathing and circulation. 

 

MER = RER X life stage factor

 

If you want to adjust this according to the life stage factor of your dog, you need first to determine which life stage factor you want to calculate. Here are the most common nutritional assessment factors:

• Neutered: 1.4-1.6

• Intact: 1.6-1.8

• Inactive or prone to obesity: 1.0-1.2

• Highly active dogs:

  • Light: 1.6–2.0;

  • Moderate: 2.0–5.0;

  • Heavy: 5.0–11.0

• Weight loss: 1.0

• Gestation: 3.0 (for last 21 days)

• Lactation (based on the number of offspring and weeks of lactation): 3.0 to ≥ 6.0

• Growth:
  • <4 Months: 3.0
  • ≥4 Months: 2.0

 

After determining your pet’s MER, you can calculate their caloric intake per meal. Simply divide the MER by the number of meals they eat each day. For example, if your pet eats twice a day, divide the MER by 2 to find the calories per meal.

 

Let’s put it in more simple words using an example of a Labrador Retriever:

 

• Let’s say you have a Labrador Retriever weighing 70lbs, which is around 31.5kg

• First, you need to use the RER formula 

• RER=70 × (Body weight in kilograms)0.75  or RER=70×(31.5)0.75 ≈ 938kcal/day

• Let’s assume this Labrador is a neutered adult, so we use the 1.6 multiplier

• MER=RER×1.6

• MER=938×1.6=1500.8≈1501 kcal/day

• This means that the daily calories for a neutered Labrador are around 1501 kcal/day.

• If this Labrador eats twice a day, you can calculate the calories per meal with this formula MER/2 which is 1501/2, so the final result would be around 750.5 kcal per meal. 

• This way, you can make calculations for each life stage factor that we previously described and in the end just divide the results by the number of meals per day. 

 

Disclaimer: Always consult veterinary professionals to ensure the calculated intake is suitable for your pet’s individual needs, age, and health status. You can also always use an online dog calorie calculator.

 

How many calories does your dog need based on size?

The dog’s metabolism can impact their caloric needs. Younger, more active dogs or those with higher metabolic rates will burn more energy, and require more calories. Adult dogs, with slower metabolisms, will need fewer calories to keep a healthy weight. You must know this to adjust their diet based on activity level and age.

But you shouldn’t only rely on this, healthy weight also depends on the breed and dog’s size. But more on that later!

The K factor is a multiplier applied to RER to determine a pet's total daily energy based on breed size and metabolism. Smaller dogs burn more energy per kg, while larger breeds require fewer calories per kg for a healthy body weight.

 

How many calories does my dog need to lose weight?

To cut off your dog’s “pleasure” of eating, you must first determine if there is a need to do it. So, first, you need to check your dog’s Body Condition Score (BCS). BCS is a hands-on method that is represented with a scale from 1 to 9, with 1 meaning your dog is extremely underweight, 4 or 5 being ideal, and 9 meaning your dog is severely obese. 

 

Read more: To find out what is a healthy body condition, check out our complete guide to weight loss in dogs. 

 

Then, using a calculator or the formula we shared previously, determine the amount of calories that your pet needs to consume. While doing this process, you must scale your dog weekly to check if this process has some effect. Your goal should be 1-2% weight loss per week for safe and gradual results. 

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) states that weight loss in both dogs and humans is primarily achieved by diet (60-70%), and physical activity contributes 30-40%. There is no ideal diet, don’t expect us to recommend diets like the Mediterranean, Paleo, or Keto. Dogs are simple, and they only need balanced meals. 

Try to add more proteins, less fats, and carbohydrates, and the results will come. All of this sounds too simple, but you need to be very careful. High-protein and low-fat diets help with weight loss but they need to be balanced. Many commercial foods provide exactly this. If you want to be on the safe side, consult with your vet to decide whether you made the right choice that can lead to a healthy body weight. 

Of course, you also need to be careful about the meal frequency. Also, don’t forget about the physical activity. Dogs need their daily walks, interactive games, and some low-impact activities. 

During the weight loss process, senior dogs require extra attention, and there are many things that you can do to help them. 

 

Read more: If you have a senior dog that is a bit chubby, then read our guide on weight loss for senior dogs.

How many calories should I feed my dog?

 

 

Sadly, there is no universal solution to this important question. Many factors affect this decision. Here are the crucial factors: 

●       Age: Adult and senior dogs need fewer calories than puppies. They are usually less active than puppies and have slower metabolism. On the other side, puppies have rapid growth and the highest calorie requirement they need is until they reach 4 months.

●       Breed: This is very logical! You cannot compare the calorie requirements of a Pintsch and a Rottweiler. Here also comes the body type of the dog, whether it is a high-muscular or low-muscular dog. In conclusion, big dogs need to eat calorie-rich meals, but of course, balanced meals.

●       Activity levels: If you take your dog to a vet, one of the main questions is if your dog is being active. This serves us to determine whether the dog is affected by some health condition, but also to choose their diet plan. For example, we have two Pintsches; one of them is highly active, while the other one is a “couch potato.” Of course, the active Pintsch should consume more calories. 

 

The most important thing for pet owners is to regularly monitor the dog’s weight and body condition. This way, you will easily decide if you need to adjust their portion size. 

 

How to monitor and adjust a dog’s caloric intake?

First of all, get a kitchen scale to ensure precision. Once you get the recommendations from your vet, ensure accurate portion sizes. And always read the food label when you buy new food. Many pet food brands provide calorie information per serving.

Kibble guidelines 

Different types of food require different recommendations. Commercially bought dry food or kibble often has specific feeding guidelines, but your final decision on the amount should be based on your vet’s advice if you are aiming for weight loss in your pet. Once you've found the right quantity, consider marking the level on the measuring scoop or plastic container used to pour the kibble. This can help you easily measure portions in the future without always needing to weigh them.

Raw food guidelines

For raw diets, I want to share my personal opinion. As someone who studied veterinary medicine, I was able to get to know all the potential risks of eating raw food (talking about meat specifically). Although there is a recent trend to feed dogs with raw meat and animal by-products, I am not very supportive of this. Just to show you why, studies say that Salmonella, Listeria, Shiga toxigenic E. coli, & parasites like Toxoplasma gondii, and Brucella suis are common risks when sticking to raw diets. 

 

But, we are also here to give advice, no matter our personal opinions. So, if you decide on raw food, you’ll need to measure portions based on the type of food you’re feeding—be it raw meat, bones, vegetables, or any combination. Raw food often requires careful attention to portion sizes, as it’s easy to overestimate.

 

Note: We encourage you to consult with your vet before you give your dog raw food.

Fresh food guidelines

On the other side, prepped fresh food or meals designed for dogs are becoming more popular and are often recommended for specific health needs. These meals usually come with detailed serving instructions based on your dog’s body weight and nutritional needs.

 

You also need to check if your dog is being overfed or underfed. We understand that this can be hard to determine, but if your dog is overweight, you will notice weight gain and lethargy. On the other side, if your dog is underfed, the chances of nutritional deficiencies are high and you will notice weight loss, visible ribs, and low energy. 

Regularly weigh your dog and observe changes in their energy levels and behavior. If your dog seems lethargic or overly active (when it's not normal), it could indicate there is no balance in the caloric intake. 

 

Note: Consult with a veterinarian to get personalized advice and implement the best weight loss program for your dog!

 

Additional considerations for special cases

When determining the caloric needs, take into consideration the factors we previously mentioned, such as age, breed, sex, neutered status, and activity levels. Some dogs also need special considerations like dogs that suffer from chronic health issues. To decide what’s best for them, we advise you to consult with a veterinarian. 

 

And make sure not to forget about the treats! Although one treat seems harmless, it also contributes to weight gain in dogs. 

Read more: Find more about healthy low-calorie treats for dogs for weight loss

 

To sum up

If dogs could count calories, they’d probably use the ‘eat first, do math never’ approach. But that’s where we come in! Before starting your dog’s weight loss journey, it’s important to understand their individual caloric needs to get to the target weight. Remember that veterinary supervision can always be helpful!

 

Have you ever tracked the calories your dog consumes? Did you notice any changes in their weight? We’d love to hear about your experience—share in the comments below!