How many calories does my dog need?
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The formula vets use takes two inputs, and most overfeeding happens in the gap between the bowl and the treat jar.
Where the number comes from
Veterinary nutrition starts with resting energy requirement: 70 multiplied by body weight in kilograms, raised to the power of 0.75. That exponent is why a dog four times heavier does not need four times the food, only about three.
That resting figure is then multiplied by a factor for life stage and activity. A neutered adult sits around 1.6, an intact one nearer 1.8, and a puppy can reach 3.0 while growing.
The ten percent rule for treats
Treats should stay under a tenth of daily calories, and that includes the cheese used to hide a tablet and the crusts handed over at breakfast. It is the single most common reason a dog on a correctly measured diet still gains weight.
Measure food by weight rather than by cup. Kibble density varies enormously between brands, so the same cup can be a hundred calories apart from one bag to the next.
When to stop trusting the formula
This gives a starting point, not a prescription. Breed, coat, climate, health conditions and individual metabolism all shift it, sometimes by twenty percent.
Weigh your dog monthly and adjust by what the scale does, not by what the equation said. And for a dog that is already overweight, on medication, pregnant or under a year old, the plan should come from your vet rather than from a web page.
Stop doing this by hand
Kalixo counts human plates, not dog bowls. But the arithmetic that works on one works on the other.
Get Kalixo free on the App StoreQuestions people actually ask
How do I know if my dog is overweight?
You should feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of fat, and see a waist from above. Most owners underestimate this, which is why the majority of dogs in Western countries are now above their ideal weight.
How fast should a dog lose weight?
Between one and two percent of body weight a week, supervised by a vet. Faster loss risks serious problems, particularly in cats but in dogs too.
Do puppies really need three times the resting amount?
Under four months, yes. Growth is expensive. The factor drops steadily and reaches adult levels around twelve months, later for large breeds.
Should I feed by the bag's chart instead?
Feeding charts are conservative averages and typically overestimate for a neutered indoor dog. Use them as an upper bound and adjust from your dog's actual weight.