{
  "id": "dog-calorie",
  "version": "da11bd777eff",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "Dog Calorie Calculator",
  "question": "How many dog calories per day?",
  "summary": "Estimates a dog’s daily calories from its weight and life stage: the resting energy requirement 70 × kg^0.75 times the Merck Veterinary Manual factor, with cups or cans of food.",
  "category": "biology",
  "subcategory": "animals",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/biology/dog-calorie-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/biology/dog-calorie-calculator.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "method": "RER = 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75 kcal a day; calories per day = RER × the life-stage factor (neutered adult 1.6, intact adult 1.8, inactive or obesity prone 1.4, puppy under 4 months 3.0, puppy 4 months to adult 2.0); cups or cans = calories ÷ the food’s calories per cup or can.",
  "assumptions": [
    "The factors are the Merck Veterinary Manual’s for healthy dogs. Dogs of the same weight can need 30% more or less, so the result is a starting point: weigh your dog every few weeks and adjust.",
    "Working, pregnant, nursing, sick and overweight dogs need a vet’s plan; this page has no factor for them.",
    "This page is for information only and is not veterinary advice."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "w": {
        "title": "Dog’s weight",
        "description": "Your dog’s body weight now (use the ideal weight your vet gives for a weight-loss plan).",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "mass",
        "minimum": 0.5,
        "maximum": 100
      },
      "stage": {
        "title": "Life stage",
        "description": "The life stage or activity, which sets the factor on the resting energy.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "neutered",
          "intact",
          "prone",
          "young",
          "older"
        ]
      },
      "food": {
        "title": "Food calories per cup or can",
        "description": "From the food label, in kcal per cup or per can. Leave empty to skip.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 1,
        "maximum": 3000
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "daily": {
      "label": "Calories per day",
      "description": "RER × the life-stage factor.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "rer": {
      "label": "Resting energy (RER)",
      "description": "70 × body weight in kg raised to the power 0.75.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "factor": {
      "label": "Life-stage factor",
      "description": "The Merck Veterinary Manual multiplier for this life stage.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "portions": {
      "label": "Cups or cans per day",
      "description": "Calories per day ÷ the food’s calories per cup or can.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "linear": {
      "label": "RER by the linear formula",
      "description": "30 × kg + 70, which Merck gives for dogs over 2 kg and under 45 kg; shown for comparison only.",
      "format": "number"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "w": 13.6077711,
      "stage": "neutered"
    },
    "outputs": {
      "daily": 793.5207160177645,
      "rer": 495.95044751110277,
      "factor": 1.6,
      "linear": 478.233133
    },
    "text": "A 30 lb dog needs about 794 calories a day at 1.6 × RER."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "w": 10,
        "stage": "neutered"
      },
      "expect": {
        "rer": 393.6389276332444,
        "daily": 629.8222842131911,
        "linear": 370
      },
      "source": "Merck Veterinary Manual, Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals (S. L. Sanderson, reviewed Nov 2023): RER = 70 × BW(kg)^0.75 or 30 × BW(kg) + 70 for > 2 kg and < 45 kg; dogs: intact 1.8, neutered 1.6, obesity prone 1.4 × RER; puppies under 4 months 3 × RER, over 4 months 2 × RER, https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-small-animals/nutritional-requirements-of-small-animals; Python 3: 70 * 10 ** 0.75 * 1.6"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "w": 13.6077711,
        "stage": "intact",
        "food": 350
      },
      "expect": {
        "rer": 495.95044751110277,
        "daily": 892.710805519985,
        "portions": 2.5506023014856716
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: 30 lb = 13.6077711 kg; 70 × 13.6077711^0.75 × 1.8; Merck Veterinary Manual, Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals (S. L. Sanderson, reviewed Nov 2023): RER = 70 × BW(kg)^0.75 or 30 × BW(kg) + 70 for > 2 kg and < 45 kg; dogs: intact 1.8, neutered 1.6, obesity prone 1.4 × RER; puppies under 4 months 3 × RER, over 4 months 2 × RER, https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-small-animals/nutritional-requirements-of-small-animals"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "w": 5,
        "stage": "young"
      },
      "expect": {
        "rer": 234.0591067417477,
        "daily": 702.1773202252432,
        "factor": 3
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: 70 × 5^0.75 × 3; Merck Veterinary Manual, Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals (S. L. Sanderson, reviewed Nov 2023): RER = 70 × BW(kg)^0.75 or 30 × BW(kg) + 70 for > 2 kg and < 45 kg; dogs: intact 1.8, neutered 1.6, obesity prone 1.4 × RER; puppies under 4 months 3 × RER, over 4 months 2 × RER, https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-small-animals/nutritional-requirements-of-small-animals"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "w": 50,
        "stage": "prone"
      },
      "expect": {
        "rer": 1316.2110825802379,
        "daily": 1842.6955156123329
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: 70 × 50^0.75 = 1,316.21; × 1.4 = 1,842.70; Merck Veterinary Manual, Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals (S. L. Sanderson, reviewed Nov 2023): RER = 70 × BW(kg)^0.75 or 30 × BW(kg) + 70 for > 2 kg and < 45 kg; dogs: intact 1.8, neutered 1.6, obesity prone 1.4 × RER; puppies under 4 months 3 × RER, over 4 months 2 × RER, https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-small-animals/nutritional-requirements-of-small-animals",
      "tolerance": 1e-12
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "Merck Veterinary Manual, Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals, by Sherry Lynn Sanderson (full review Nov 2023): RER = 70 × BW(kg)^0.75, or 30 × BW(kg) + 70 for animals over 2 kg and under 45 kg; daily maintenance energy for dogs: intact 1.8, neutered 1.6, obesity prone 1.4 × RER; puppies under 4 months 3 × RER, over 4 months 2 × RER. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-small-animals/nutritional-requirements-of-small-animals (retrieved 2026-10-02)",
    "National Research Council, Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats (2006), Chapter 3, Energy (the energy requirements these factors build on). https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10668/nutrient-requirements-of-dogs-and-cats (retrieved 2026-10-02)",
    "NIST Special Publication 811, Appendix B (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg exactly). https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811 (retrieved 2026-10-02)"
  ],
  "related": [
    "cat-calorie",
    "dog-weight",
    "puppy-weight",
    "dog-age"
  ],
  "changelog": []
}