How to calculate how much to feed a dog

Every owner wants a healthy dog. Owners spend significant time picking a dog food and sometimes lots of money buying it. However, overfeeding a dog any type of food can lead to obesity. With obesity comes a myriad of health issues such as arthritis, diabetes, liver problems and general lack of stamina. Keep dogs in optimum health by calculating a food dose and sticking with it. Different dogs have different feeding requirements, but by calculating an individual dog's calorie requirements owners can be sure not to overfeed or underfeed their dog.

Things You'll Need

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Instructions

    • 1

      The calculation requires the dog's optimal body weight. An optimal body weight is the perfect weight for a dog's size. This number can be acquired by asking the veterinarian or doing some research into the dog's breed. Convert the optimal body weight from pounds to kilograms by dividing it by 2.2. The resulting number is the dog's optima, or ideal, body weight in kilograms.

    • 2

      Calculate the dog's resting energy requirement by taking the number attained in Step 1 and multiply it by 30. Add 70 to that number. This equation looks like this: (body weight in kgs)30 + 70. The resulting number is the dog's resting energy requirement in calories. The resting energy requirement is the amount of energy the dog uses doing absolutely nothing but laying still. It is the amount of energy the dog's body requires just for metabolic reactions such as digesting and breathing.

    • 3

      Multiply the dog's resting energy requirement by 1.6 for a neutered adult, 1.8 for an intact adult, or 1.4 for an obese prone adult. An adult dog is a dog that is one year of age or older. Consult with a veterinarian for factors for working or reproducing dogs or puppies. The number that results from the multiplication is the dog's daily energy requirement in calories. This is the number of calories the dog needs each day to maintain it's optimal body weight.

    • 4

      Research the amount of calories found in one cup of the food the dog is currently consuming. Caloric information can be found on some pet food labels, on the manufacturer's website, or by calling the customer service line of the company that makes the food.

    • 5
      Pet food companies use a standard, dry weight measuring cup to calculate total calories found in one cup of food.

      Divide the dog's daily energy requirement in calories by the number of calories in one cup of dog food to calculate the number of cups of food the dog should eat each day.