Dog Calorie Chart by Weight
Daily calorie needs for a neutered adult dog from 1 to 70 kg, with the resting requirement beside it. Multiply by 1.13 for an unneutered adult, by 0.63 for a dog on a diet, and by 1.88 for a working dog.
Source data and formula checked · How we check
Dog Calorie Chart by Weight reads daily calories straight off dog weight, for 27 values from 1 to 70. Every row is computed from the same formula the calculator uses, not measured or copied from another table, so a value between two rows can be worked out the same way. The formula is the one published by National Research Council.
| Dog weight (kg) | Daily calories | Resting energy requirement | Cups of that food a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 112 kcal/day | 70 kcal/day | 0.32 cups |
| 2 | 188 kcal/day | 117.73 kcal/day | 0.54 cups |
| 3 | 255 kcal/day | 159.57 kcal/day | 0.73 cups |
| 4 | 317 kcal/day | 197.99 kcal/day | 0.91 cups |
| 5 | 374 kcal/day | 234.06 kcal/day | 1.07 cups |
| 6 | 429 kcal/day | 268.36 kcal/day | 1.23 cups |
| 7 | 482 kcal/day | 301.25 kcal/day | 1.38 cups |
| 8 | 533 kcal/day | 332.98 kcal/day | 1.52 cups |
| 9 | 582 kcal/day | 363.73 kcal/day | 1.66 cups |
| 10 | 630 kcal/day | 393.64 kcal/day | 1.8 cups |
| 12 | 722 kcal/day | 451.32 kcal/day | 2.06 cups |
| 14 | 811 kcal/day | 506.63 kcal/day | 2.32 cups |
| 16 | 896 kcal/day | 560 kcal/day | 2.56 cups |
| 18 | 979 kcal/day | 611.72 kcal/day | 2.8 cups |
| 20 | 1,059 kcal/day | 662.02 kcal/day | 3.03 cups |
| 22 | 1,138 kcal/day | 711.07 kcal/day | 3.25 cups |
| 25 | 1,252 kcal/day | 782.62 kcal/day | 3.58 cups |
| 28 | 1,363 kcal/day | 852.05 kcal/day | 3.9 cups |
| 30 | 1,436 kcal/day | 897.3 kcal/day | 4.1 cups |
| 35 | 1,612 kcal/day | 1,007.28 kcal/day | 4.6 cups |
| 40 | 1,781 kcal/day | 1,113.38 kcal/day | 5.09 cups |
| 45 | 1,946 kcal/day | 1,216.21 kcal/day | 5.56 cups |
| 50 | 2,106 kcal/day | 1,316.21 kcal/day | 6.02 cups |
| 55 | 2,262 kcal/day | 1,413.74 kcal/day | 6.46 cups |
| 60 | 2,415 kcal/day | 1,509.08 kcal/day | 6.9 cups |
| 65 | 2,564 kcal/day | 1,602.44 kcal/day | 7.33 cups |
| 70 | 2,710 kcal/day | 1,694.03 kcal/day | 7.74 cups |
Questions people actually ask
- How do I read the Dog Calorie Chart by Weight?
- Find your dog weight in the first column and read across. At 1 kg the daily calories is 112 kcal/day; at 70 kg it is 2,710 kcal/day. The table runs from 1 kg to 70 kg in 27 rows.
- Can I read between two rows?
- Not by splitting the difference. The daily calories does not change by the same amount from row to row, so the midpoint of two rows is not the answer for the midpoint of two dog weight values. Put the exact figure into the calculator instead — it uses the same formula that produced every row here.
- What if my dog weight is outside the table?
- The chart covers 1 kg to 70 kg, which is the range people actually look up. Anything above or below goes into the calculator, which takes any figure and shows each step of the working rather than only the result. Open the dog calorie calculator.
- Where do these numbers come from?
- Every row is computed at build time from the formula published by National Research Council, by the same code behind the calculator — not transcribed from another table, which is how a rounding error in one chart ends up in twenty.
Need a different number?
The chart covers the common values. For anything between the rows, the dog calorie calculator takes any figure and shows the working.
Source: National Research Council — Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats (2006), energy requirement equations, WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines — calculating daily energy requirement and the 10% treat rule, AAFCO — pet food labelling and calorie content statements