Dog Feeding Chart by Weight
- Calories shown for every weight
- Cups, grams & cans in one table
- Adjusts for food density
A 30-pound, neutered adult dog needs about 794 kcal a day. That is just under 2 cups of a 400-kcal-per-cup kibble, but it rises to 2.3 cups if the food is 350 kcal per cup, and it drops to about 1.6 cups at 500 kcal per cup. Most charts give you a single cup number. This one shows the calorie target first, then converts it to whichever food you actually feed.
Use the table below for a quick look-up, or enter your dog's details into the calculator to get the exact grams, cups or cans for the specific brand you use.
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Dog feeding chart by weight
Look up your dog's weight and life stage in the table below. The numbers are daily totals. The cup column assumes a standard 400 kcal-per-cup dry kibble — if your food is different, use the calculator above.
| Weight | Puppy <4 mo |
Puppy 4–12 mo |
Adult neutered |
Adult active |
Senior low activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 lb / 2.3 kg | 388 kcal 1.0 cup | 259 kcal 0.6 cup | 207 kcal 0.5 cup | 233 kcal 0.6 cup | 181 kcal 0.5 cup |
| 10 lb / 4.5 kg | 653 kcal 1.6 cups | 435 kcal 1.1 cups | 348 kcal 0.9 cup | 392 kcal 1.0 cup | 305 kcal 0.8 cup |
| 15 lb / 6.8 kg | 885 kcal 2.2 cups | 590 kcal 1.5 cups | 472 kcal 1.2 cups | 531 kcal 1.3 cups | 413 kcal 1.0 cup |
| 30 lb / 13.6 kg | 1,488 kcal 3.7 cups | 992 kcal 2.5 cups | 794 kcal 2.0 cups | 893 kcal 2.2 cups | 694 kcal 1.7 cups |
| 50 lb / 22.7 kg | 2,182 kcal 5.5 cups | 1,455 kcal 3.6 cups | 1,164 kcal 2.9 cups | 1,309 kcal 3.3 cups | 1,018 kcal 2.5 cups |
| 80 lb / 36.3 kg | 3,105 kcal 7.8 cups | 2,070 kcal 5.2 cups | 1,656 kcal 4.1 cups | 1,863 kcal 4.7 cups | 1,449 kcal 3.6 cups |
| 100 lb / 45.4 kg | 3,670 kcal 9.2 cups | 2,447 kcal 6.1 cups | 1,958 kcal 4.9 cups | 2,202 kcal 5.5 cups | 1,713 kcal 4.3 cups |
Dog food serving size
The serving size on a dog food bag is a starting point, not a rule. It rarely accounts for neuter status, activity level or body condition, and it assumes you are feeding only that brand. The most reliable way to set a serving size is to work backwards from a calorie target: weigh your dog, pick the right life-stage multiplier, then divide by the calorie density of the food you are holding. A detailed guide to serving sizes by weight and food type is covered on the dog food serving size page.
Dog food portion size
A "portion" can mean cups, grams, ounces or cans — and they do not translate directly. One cup of a dense kibble can hold 500 kcal, while one cup of a light, high-fibre kibble might hold only 280 kcal. Switching brands without recalculating the portion changes daily calories by 30 to 80 percent. For a deeper look at portion sizes, gram-versus-cup accuracy and the cost of guessing, see the dog food serving size guide.
Homemade dog food serving size
Homemade food is usually less calorie-dense than commercial dry kibble because it contains more water and less fat. A typical balanced homemade recipe delivers about 120 to 150 kcal per 100 g, compared with 350 to 450 kcal per 100 g for dry kibble. That means a 30-pound neutered dog needs about 550 to 660 g of homemade food per day to hit 794 kcal — roughly three to four times the weight of dry kibble for the same calories.
Because homemade recipes vary widely in ingredients, the only safe way to set the serving size is to calculate the calories in your specific recipe (using a tool or a nutrition database) and then divide the daily target by that density. Never use a commercial kibble cup measure for homemade food.
Freshpet serving size
Refrigerated fresh foods like Freshpet rolls are intermediate in density between dry kibble and homemade meals. A typical Freshpet roll delivers about 120 to 140 kcal per 100 g, and a 30-pound neutered adult needs roughly 570 to 660 g per day to meet a 794-kcal target. Freshpet's own feeding guide lists slice counts by weight, but those slices assume a specific roll size and product line. If you switch between the roll, the bagged bites or the patties, the gram-to-calorie ratio changes.
Use the calculator above, select "Fresh / refrigerated" and enter the kcal per 100 g from your specific Freshpet label. The tool converts your dog's daily target into grams, so you are not guessing by the slice.
Why the same cup holds different calories
A measuring cup is a volume measure, not a calorie measure. The amount of energy packed into that volume depends on moisture, fat and fibre. Dry kibble is dense because it is dehydrated and high in fat. Wet food is mostly water. Fresh food sits in the middle. Homemade food is usually the least dense because of high water and vegetable content.
Count treats in the daily total
Training treats, dental chews and table scraps all carry calories. A common rule is to keep treats under 10 percent of the daily total. For a 30-pound neutered dog on 794 kcal, that leaves 79 kcal for treats — about two small biscuit-style treats or one medium dental chew. If you do not subtract treat calories from the main meal, the daily total drifts upward by 10 to 20 percent, which is enough to cause gradual weight gain.
The calculator above shows the daily target for main meals only. Keep a mental 10 percent buffer for everything else, or weigh and log treats the same way you log meals.
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Energy Requirements of Dogs and Cats. Resting energy requirement formula (RER = 70 × body weight0.75) and maintenance multipliers by life stage.
- World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). Body Condition Score — Canine. Guidelines for assessing body condition and adjusting calorie targets.
- Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Official Publication. Calorie density labelling requirements for pet foods (kcal per cup, can or kg).
- Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. Pet Obesity Prevention. Calorie guidelines for weight management and the 10 percent treat rule.