🍖 Pet Food Calorie Calculator
How much should you be feeding your pet? Enter their details below to get a daily calorie target based on their weight, age, and lifestyle — or switch to weight-loss mode if your dog or cat needs to slim down.
How This Calculator Works
This calculator uses your pet's Resting Energy Requirement (RER) as its foundation: RER = 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75. RER represents the calories your pet needs at complete rest just to maintain basic body functions. From there, a life-stage multiplier is applied to account for growth, activity, and reproductive status.
Spayed and neutered pets have roughly 20–30% lower calorie needs than intact animals of the same size and activity level — which is why that question is included. Overfeeding a neutered adult dog is one of the most common causes of gradual weight gain.
From Calories to Serving Size
Once you have your pet's daily calorie target, check your food packaging for the kcal/cup (dry food) or kcal/can (wet food) — usually listed near the guaranteed analysis. Divide the daily calorie target by the food's calorie density to get the daily serving in cups or cans.
For example: a dog needing 700 calories/day on a food with 350 kcal/cup needs 2 cups per day, split across meals. The feeding guides printed on bags are a starting point — individual metabolism means your pet may need 10–20% more or less than the estimate.
Adjusting Over Time
A calorie calculation gives you a starting point, not a permanent prescription. Weigh your pet monthly and adjust portions by 10% if they're gaining or losing unintended weight. The body condition check — ribs easily felt but not visible, visible waist from above — is more reliable than the scale alone for assessing whether feeding amounts are right.
RER vs. MER: What's the Difference?
RER (Resting Energy Requirement) is the baseline used above — calories needed at rest. MER (Maintenance Energy Requirement) is RER multiplied by a life-stage/activity factor, which is what this calculator actually outputs as your pet's daily target. Veterinary nutritionists sometimes use RER alone as a reference point when discussing weight loss plans, since a controlled calorie deficit for a dog needing to lose weight is often calculated as a percentage below RER rather than MER.
Two Ways Vets Calculate Weight-Loss Calories
Veterinary weight-management plans generally use one of two methods, and they can give noticeably different numbers:
| Method | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Target-weight RER (used by this calculator) | Calculate RER from the goal weight, not current weight, and use it directly as the daily target — no extra multiplier | Pets that are significantly overweight; produces a larger, more conservative deficit |
| Percentage reduction | Cut current maintenance calories by 10–20% and reassess every 2–4 weeks | Pets that are only mildly over their ideal weight, where the target-weight method would cut calories too aggressively |
Neither method replaces a vet visit — a pet who needs to lose more than about 10–15% of their body weight should ideally start a weight-loss plan under veterinary supervision, especially cats.
Why Isn't My Pet Losing Weight?
If you've been feeding the calculated amount for a few weeks with no change on the scale, work through these before assuming the plan isn't working:
- Uncounted treats or table scraps — these should stay under 10% of total daily calories, and it's easy to underestimate how much they add up.
- Someone else is also feeding the pet — common in multi-person households; agree on one feeding chart everyone follows.
- The current-weight number is stale — reweigh at the start of a plan and again every 2–4 weeks, on the same scale, for accurate tracking.
- A normal plateau — weight loss often isn't linear; give it 3–4 full weeks before adjusting the target.
- An underlying medical cause — conditions like hypothyroidism (more common in dogs) can slow weight loss even on a calorie-appropriate diet. If progress stalls for over a month, it's worth a vet check.
Learn more about feeding the right amount → How Much Should I Feed My Dog?
Have a senior pet? → Senior Dog Feeding Guide · Senior Cat Feeding Guide
Feeding raw instead? → Use the Raw Feeding Calculator
Losing weight to help arthritis? Screen for early joint pain signs first → Dog Arthritis Screening Tool
Switching food to investigate a suspected food allergy? → Elimination Diet Trial Planner
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a senior dog calorie calculator?
Yes — select your dog's age group above and this calculator adjusts for the lower activity and slower metabolism typical of senior dogs, which generally need 20–30% fewer calories than an active adult of the same weight.
How many calories should a 70 pound dog eat?
A 70 lb neutered adult dog at moderate activity typically needs roughly 1,750–2,100 calories per day (about 25–30 calories per pound). Active working dogs need more; senior or overweight dogs typically need less — enter your dog's exact details above for a personalized number.
How many calories does my dog need per day?
Daily calorie needs depend on your dog's weight, age, activity level, and whether they're spayed or neutered. A typical adult neutered dog needs roughly 25–30 calories per pound of body weight. Active dogs need more; senior or less active dogs need less.
How many calories does my cat need per day?
Most adult indoor cats need around 20–30 calories per pound of body weight per day. A 10 lb neutered adult cat typically needs 200–250 calories daily. Kittens need more per pound, and senior cats may need adjustments based on health status.
Should I follow the feeding guidelines on the pet food bag?
Pet food bag guidelines are a starting point but are typically calibrated for intact dogs at moderate activity. Most household pets are neutered and less active, so they often need 20–30% fewer calories than the bag suggests. Adjust based on your pet's body condition.
Is there a dog or cat weight loss calculator?
Yes — select "Lose weight" as the goal above and enter your pet's current and target weight. The calculator switches to the target-weight method used in veterinary weight-management plans: it calculates RER from the goal weight (not current weight) and uses that directly as the daily calorie target.
How fast should my dog lose weight safely?
Veterinary obesity guidelines generally recommend dogs lose roughly 3–5% of body weight per month. Faster loss increases the risk of muscle loss and rebound weight gain, and any dog on a weight-loss plan should be rechecked by a vet every 2–4 weeks.
How fast should my cat lose weight safely?
Cats should lose weight much more slowly than dogs — generally no more than about 1–2% of body weight per month. Rapid weight loss in cats can trigger hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease), a serious and potentially fatal condition, so cat weight-loss plans should always be supervised by a veterinarian.
Is this a pet calorie calculator for both dogs and cats?
Yes — this pet calorie calculator works for both dogs and cats. Select your pet's species, then enter weight, age, and activity level to get a daily calorie target, or switch to weight-loss mode for a goal-weight-based target.
Why isn't my pet losing weight even though I'm feeding less?
The most common causes are uncounted treats or table scraps (should stay under 10% of daily calories), another household member also feeding the pet, an outdated current-weight number, or a weight-loss plateau that needs the calorie target recalculated. Medical causes like hypothyroidism (more common in dogs) can also slow weight loss and are worth ruling out with a vet if progress stalls for more than 4 weeks.
Is this a pet nutrition calculator?
Yes — this is a pet nutrition calculator in the sense that matters most day to day: it works out how many calories your dog or cat needs based on weight, life stage, activity level and neuter status, then converts that into a daily portion. It does not analyze the nutrient profile of a specific food (protein, fat, or micronutrient balance) — for that, check the AAFCO statement on the bag and talk to your veterinarian, particularly for pets with a diagnosed condition.