Free Dog Food Calculator
How much should your dog eat each day? Enter weight, life stage, and activity to get daily calories from the same RER and MER formula vets use, converted to cups or grams of your dog's food.
This free dog food calculator finds daily calories with the RER formula, 70 times weight in kilograms to the power of 0.75, multiplied by a life-stage and activity factor, then converts the result into cups or grams of your dog's food.
Printed on the bag as calories per cup or per kg.
- Daily calories: 0 kcal
- Resting energy (RER): 0 kcal
- Feeding factor (MER): 0
Split the daily amount into 2 meals for adults, 3 meals for puppies.
Feeding estimates only. Every dog is different. Check with your veterinarian before changing your dog's diet, especially for puppies, seniors, pregnant dogs, and dogs with health conditions.
Results are estimates for general information. See Terms of Use.
How much food a dog needs: RER and MER explained
Dog food bags print feeding ranges by weight, but those ranges are wide and assume an average dog. A more precise starting point is the two-step formula veterinarians use: resting energy requirement (RER), then maintenance energy requirement (MER).
RER is the calories a dog burns at rest. The formula is 70 times body weight in kilograms raised to the power of 0.75. The 0.75 exponent matters: larger dogs burn fewer calories per pound than small dogs, so a 40 kilogram dog does not need four times the food of a 10 kilogram dog. For a 10 kilogram dog, RER works out to about 393 calories per day.
MER adjusts RER for your dog's real life. Multiply RER by a factor for life stage and condition: roughly 3.0 for young puppies under four months, 2.0 for puppies from four to twelve months, 1.6 for a typical spayed or neutered adult, 1.8 for an intact adult, about 1.3 for seniors, and 1.0 for a weight-loss plan. Activity shifts the number further, since a couch dog burns less than a working or sport dog.
Once you have daily calories, divide by your food's energy density to get portions. A 630 calorie day with a 350 calorie-per-cup kibble is 1.8 cups, usually split into two meals. Puppies often do better on three meals a day, and seniors sometimes prefer two smaller ones.
Treats count too. Training rewards, dental chews, and table scraps should stay under 10 percent of daily calories, or the careful math quietly falls apart. Weigh your dog every few weeks and adjust portions if the ribs are getting hard to feel or too easy to see.
Dog food calculator questions
What is the RER formula for dogs?
RER, resting energy requirement, equals 70 times body weight in kilograms raised to the power of 0.75. For a 10 kilogram dog, that is about 393 calories per day. This calculator computes it for you from your dog's weight in pounds or kilograms.
What is MER in dog feeding?
MER, maintenance energy requirement, is RER multiplied by a factor for life stage and activity. Typical factors are 3.0 for young puppies, 2.0 for older puppies, 1.6 for spayed or neutered adults, 1.8 for intact adults, and about 1.3 for seniors.
How do I convert daily calories to cups of dog food?
Divide daily calories by your food's energy density, printed on the bag as calories per cup. A 630 calorie day with a 350 calorie-per-cup kibble is 1.8 cups per day, usually split into two meals.
Should treats count toward my dog's daily calories?
Yes. Treats, training rewards, and table scraps should stay under 10 percent of daily calories. Add them up, because they can quietly erase a careful feeding plan.