AAHA’s guidelines for vets estimate a dog’s daily calories from its weight and life stage, and the calories on the food’s label turn that into cups. A 10 kg (22 lb) spayed or neutered adult needs about 550 to 630 calories a day.
Your dog
On the bag or can, under Calorie Content
Daily calories, AAHA’s factors
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How the estimate works
AAHA’s 2021 nutrition guidelines start from the energy a dog needs at rest, 70 x its weight in kilograms to the power 0.75, and multiply it by a factor for its life stage. Because of the power, a dog three times as heavy needs about 2.3 times the calories.
| Your dog | Factor x resting energy |
|---|---|
| Puppy under 4 months | 3.0 |
| Puppy, 4 months and over | 2.0 |
| Adult, spayed or neutered | 1.4 to 1.6 |
| Adult, not spayed or neutered | 1.6 to 1.8 |
| Less active, or gains weight easily | 1.0 to 1.2 |
| Working dog, light work | 1.6 to 2.0 |
| Weight loss, pregnancy, nursing, moderate or heavy work | Set by your vet |
AAHA calls these general guidelines for estimating calories, and says dogs that are sedentary or kept indoors may need less.
Where the sources differ
AAHA gives each factor as a range, so the answer is a range too. For treats, WSAVA allows about 10% of daily calories and the ASPCA 5%, so keep them to 5%.
Reading the label
Look on the bag or can for the heading Calorie Content. AAFCO’s model rules, which states adopt, give calories there per kilogram and per cup, can or treat, and a kilocalorie on a pet food label is the same as a food calorie. Canned food has fewer calories per kilogram than dry food, because of the water in it.
Foods labeled complete and balanced also carry feeding directions by your dog’s weight, a good starting point too. Measure each meal with a cup, the same one every time.
Watching your dog’s weight
Your vet can show you how to score your dog’s body condition on WSAVA’s 9 point scale, where a score above 5 is overweight and below 4 underweight. If the score drifts, change the amount a little and check again in 2 weeks.
For a growing puppy, see what a new puppy needs. Foods to keep away from are on what dogs can and can’t eat.