HOME

Dog Caloric Requirements

An animal's energy needs are based on its body weight and body surface area because that more accurately accounts for heat loss. Energy requirements per pound of body weight is greater for small-size animals than large-breed dogs. Digestible energy is the percent of a food's total energy available after digestion and absorption. An animal does not use all of digestible energy; what it uses is metabolizable energy. Animals regulate their food intake by eating to satisfy metabolizable energy requirements. An adult dog's energy requirements can be calculated by finding its normal body weight and using the table below. The daily needs are for a dog living in a temperate climate and with moderate physical activity. The recommendations here may provide more calories than some pets need to maintain normal weight. An animal's age influences its caloric needs. Adult dogs below 2 years of age need 10 to 20 percent more calories than dogs between 3 and 7 years of age. Dogs older than 7 years need about 20 percent less energy than dogs between 3 and 7 years of age. Less food should be fed as an animal ages. Caloric requirements also show some breed differences. Based on requirements per pound of body weight the Newfoundland has lower energy requirements than 6 other breeds of different sizes from Dachshunds to Great Danes. Their requirements are about 17 percent less. Active dogs require more energy. Some very active dogs cannot maintain their normal weight until additional energy is given by feeding a high fat diet.

Determination of an Adult Dog's Caloric Needs: The daily caloric requirements for an individual animal depends on conditions such as maintenance, growth, pregnancy, or lactation. Other determining factors include the animal's activity and temperament, environmental temperature and the diet's digestibility.  Calculations of the caloric needs are based on an adult animal's body weight as follows:

Body weight0.75  X 132 = Kilocalories needed or Body weight0.75  X 125 = Kilocalories needed


Daily Caloric Requirements for Adult Dogs

 

lb.

 

kCal

 

lb.

 

kCal

 

lb.

 

kCal

 

lb.

 

kCal

 

lb.

 

kCal

 

lb.

 

kCal

 

1

 

70

 

31

 

908

 

61

 

1508

 

91

 

2035

 

121

 

2520

 

151

 

2976

 

2

 

115

 

32

 

929

 

62

 

1526

 

92

 

2052

 

122

 

2536

 

152

 

2990

 

3

 

157

 

33

 

951

 

63

 

1545

 

93

 

2069

 

123

 

2551

 

153

 

3005

 

4

 

195

 

34

 

973

 

64

 

1563

 

94

 

2085

 

124

 

2567

 

154

 

3020

 

5

 

231

 

35

 

994

 

65

 

1581

 

95

 

2102

 

125

 

2582

 

155

 

3034

 

6

 

265

 

36

 

1015

 

66

 

1599

 

96

 

2119

 

126

 

2598

 

156

 

3049

 

7

 

297

 

37

 

1036

 

67

 

1618

 

97

 

2135

 

127

 

2613

 

157

 

3064

 

8

 

329

 

38

 

1057

 

68

 

1636

 

98

 

2151

 

128

 

2629

 

158

 

3078

 

9

 

359

 

39

 

1078

 

69

 

1654

 

99

 

2168

 

129

 

2644

 

159

 

3093

 

10

 

389

 

40

 

1099

 

70

 

1672

 

100

 

2184

 

130

 

2660

 

160

 

3108

 

11

 

417

 

41

 

1119

 

71

 

1690

 

101

 

2201

 

131

 

2675

 

161

 

3122

 

12

 

445

 

42

 

1140

 

72

 

1707

 

102

 

2217

 

132

 

2690

 

162

 

3137

 

13

 

473

 

43

 

1160

 

73

 

1725

 

103

 

2233

 

133

 

2705

 

163

 

3151

 

14

 

500

 

44

 

1180

 

74

 

1743

 

104

 

2249

 

134

 

2721

 

164

 

3166

 

15

 

526

 

45

 

1200

 

75

 

1760

 

105

 

2266

 

135

 

2736

 

165

 

3180

 

16

 

553

 

46

 

1220

 

76

 

1778

 

106

 

2283

 

136

 

2751

 

166

 

3195

 

17

 

578

 

47

 

1240

 

77

 

1796

 

107

 

2298

 

137

 

2766

 

167

 

3209

 

18

 

604

 

48

 

1260

 

78

 

1813

 

108

 

2314

 

138

 

2781

 

168

 

3223

 

19

 

629

 

49

 

1279

 

79

 

1831

 

109

 

2330

 

139

 

2796

 

169

 

3238

 

20

 

653

 

50

 

1299

 

80

 

1848

 

110

 

2346

 

140

 

2811

 

170

 

3252

 

21

 

677

 

51

 

1318

 

81

 

1865

 

111

 

2362

 

141

 

2826

 

171

 

3267

 

22

 

702

 

52

 

1338

 

82

 

1882

 

112

 

2378

 

142

 

2842

 

172

 

3281

 

23

 

725

 

53

 

1357

 

83

 

1899

 

113

 

2394

 

143

 

2857

 

173

 

3295

 

24

 

749

 

54

 

1376

 

84

 

1916

 

114

 

2410

 

144

 

2872

 

174

 

3309

 

25

 

772

 

55

 

1395

 

85

 

1934

 

115

 

2426

 

145

 

2887

 

175

 

3324

 

26

 

795

 

56

 

1414

 

86

 

1951

 

116

 

2442

 

146

 

2902

 

176

 

3338

 

27

 

818

 

57

 

1433

 

87

 

1968

 

117

 

2457

 

147

 

2916

 

177

 

3352

 

28

 

841

 

58

 

1452

 

88

 

1985

 

118

 

2473

 

148

 

2931

 

178

 

3366

 

29

 

863

 

59

 

1471

 

89

 

2002

 

119

 

2489

 

149

 

2946

 

179

 

3381

 

30

 

886

 

60

 

1489

 

90

 

2019

 

120

 

2504

 

150

 

2961

 

180

 

3395

 

For each pound greater than 180 pounds add 4 kilocalories per pound of additional weight. The values in this table are for dogs living in a temperate climate and with a moderate amount of physical activity. Calculations were made with formula: kcalories/day = 125 X body weight0.75