Calculate a dog's resting and maintenance energy needs.
Resting energy requirement is seventy times the metabolic body weight, the weight raised to the 0.75 power. Multiplying by a life-stage factor converts it into the maintenance energy a dog needs each day. Calorie needs scale with metabolic body weight rather than plain weight, so this formula gives a far more accurate feeding target than a flat per-kilogram rule.
Dog Calorie Needs (RER/MER)
RER = 70 x weight^0.75; MER = RER x life-stage factor
RER = 70 x weight^0.75; MER = RER x life-stage factor Resting energy requirement is seventy times the metabolic body weight, the weight raised to the 0.75 power. Multiplying by a life-stage factor converts it into the maintenance energy a dog needs each day.
Calorie needs scale with metabolic body weight rather than plain weight, so this formula gives a far more accurate feeding target than a flat per-kilogram rule.
This calculator takes 2 inputs: Weight, Life stage. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.