Calculating the calories your dog or cat needs to be fed
You’ll first need to have your pet examined by your veterinarian and an ideal weight calculated. Based on your pet’s degree of excess weight, you may choose a target weight higher than the ideal weight to start. General guidelines for safe weight loss in dogs are 3-5% body weight loss per month and about 0.5 pounds per month in cats (1-3% body weight). A basic formula for weight loss in pets is:
Ideal weight in pounds divided by 2.2 gives you weight in kilograms (kg)
Calculate the Resting Energy Requirements (RER) based on this ideal weight:
RER in kcal/day =
RER in kcal/day = (ideal or target weight in kg ^ 0.75) x 70
or (ideal or target weight in kg) to the 3⁄4 power) x 70
or30 x (body weight in kilograms) + 70
For weight loss in dogs and cats, feeding the RER calories for the step-weight loss target weight (or ideal weight in some cases) should be adequate. In cases that fail to respond to this number of calories, the total will need to be reduced by your veterinarian. We strongly advise pet owners not to reduce feeding below RER calories unless under direct supervision by their veterinary healthcare provider.
Approximate Daily Caloric Needs for Average Indoor Pets
Cats | |
10 lbs. | 180 to 200 calories |
Dogs | |
10 lbs. | 200 to 275 calories |
20 lbs. | 325 to 400 calories |
50 lbs. | 700 to 900 calories |
70 lbs. | 900 to 1050 calories |
90 lbs. | 1100 to 1350 calories |
Daily Caloric Needs for Active Humans
Male | 2500 Calories |
Female | 2000 Calories |
CALORIE CHART |
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Typical Total Daily Calories to achieve Weight Lossin Adult Spayed or Neutered Dogs |
Lightly Active Indoor Spayed or Neutered Dog Maintenance Diet (kcals per day) |
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Ideal or Target Weight |
RER to Feed for Weight Loss (kcals per day) |
80% RER |
70% RER (kcals per day) |
|
5 |
138 |
111 |
97 |
166 |
6 |
152 |
121 |
106 |
182 |
7 |
165 |
132 |
116 |
199 |
8 |
179 |
143 |
125 |
215 |
9 |
193 |
154 |
135 |
231 |
10 |
206 |
165 |
144 |
248 |
11 |
220 |
176 |
154 |
264 |
12 |
234 |
187 |
164 |
280 |
13 |
247 |
198 |
173 |
297 |
14 |
261 |
209 |
183 |
313 |
15 |
275 |
220 |
192 |
329 |
16 |
288 |
231 |
202 |
346 |
17 |
302 |
241 |
211 |
362 |
18 |
315 |
252 |
221 |
379 |
19 |
329 |
263 |
230 |
395 |
20 |
343 |
274 |
240 |
411 |
21 |
356 |
285 |
249 |
428 |
22 |
370 |
296 |
259 |
444 |
23 |
384 |
307 |
269 |
460 |
24 |
397 |
318 |
278 |
477 |
25 |
411 |
329 |
288 |
493 |
26 |
425 |
340 |
297 |
509 |
27 |
438 |
351 |
307 |
526 |
28 |
452 |
361 |
316 |
542 |
29 |
465 |
372 |
326 |
559 |
30 |
479 |
383 |
335 |
575 |
31 |
493 |
394 |
345 |
591 |
32 |
506 |
405 |
354 |
608 |
33 |
520 |
416 |
364 |
624 |
34 |
534 |
427 |
374 |
640 |
35 |
547 |
438 |
383 |
657 |
36 |
561 |
449 |
393 |
673 |
37 |
575 |
460 |
402 |
689 |
38 |
588 |
471 |
412 |
706 |
39 |
602 |
481 |
421 |
722 |
40 |
615 |
492 |
431 |
739 |
41 |
629 |
503 |
440 |
755 |
42 |
643 |
514 |
450 |
771 |
43 |
656 |
525 |
459 |
788 |
44 |
670 |
536 |
469 |
804 |
45 |
684 |
547 |
479 |
820 |
46 |
697 |
558 |
488 |
837 |
47 |
711 |
569 |
498 |
853 |
48 |
725 |
580 |
507 |
869 |
49 |
738 |
591 |
517 |
886 |
50 |
752 |
601 |
526 |
902 |
51 |
765 |
612 |
536 |
919 |
52 |
779 |
623 |
545 |
935 |
53 |
793 |
634 |
555 |
951 |
54 |
806 |
645 |
564 |
968 |
55 |
820 |
656 |
574 |
984 |
56 |
834 |
667 |
584 |
1000 |
57 |
847 |
678 |
593 |
1017 |
58 |
861 |
689 |
603 |
1033 |
59 |
875 |
700 |
612 |
1049 |
60 |
888 |
711 |
622 |
1066 |
62 |
915 |
732 |
641 |
1099 |
64 |
943 |
754 |
660 |
1131 |
66 |
970 |
776 |
679 |
1164 |
68 |
997 |
798 |
698 |
1197 |
70 |
1025 |
820 |
717 |
1229 |
72 |
1052 |
841 |
736 |
1262 |
74 |
1079 |
863 |
755 |
1295 |
76 |
1106 |
885 |
774 |
1328 |
78 |
1134 |
907 |
794 |
1360 |
80 |
1161 |
929 |
813 |
1393 |
85 |
1229 |
983 |
860 |
1475 |
90 |
1297 |
1038 |
908 |
1557 |
95 |
1365 |
1092 |
956 |
1639 |
100 |
1434 |
1147 |
1004 |
1720 |
105 |
1502 |
1201 |
1051 |
1802 |
110 |
1570 |
1256 |
1099 |
1884 |
115 |
1638 |
1311 |
1147 |
1966 |
120 |
1706 |
1365 |
1194 |
2048 |