This calorie calculator for adult dogs will configure both your dog’s Resting Energy Requirements and their Metabolizable Energy Requirements for maintenance reflected in kcals.
Step One: Enter your adult dog’s weight to establish their minimum caloric intake amount per day which is also called their Resting Energy Requirements (RER). Visit the caloric feeding guide here to learn about resting energy requirements for dogs.
Step Two: Select a number + activity level description from the table below that best describes your dog. This number is used in the calculation that is going to configure your dog’s Metabolizable Energy Requirements for maintenance (MER).
A dog’s metabolizable energy requirements are the number of kCals they need to take in to maintain their weight through their current life stage & normal activity level. Calories are not a linear function of body weight.
Requirements Relative to Metabolizable Energy (ME)
The allometric formulas used for this calculator are the NRC (2006) Daily Metabolizable Energy Requirements for Adult Dogs at Maintenance. *You can learn about the method on the caloric feeding guide here.
You do need to know your dog’s weight in kilograms to use this calorie calculator, so you can use the lbs. to kg converter below to find your dog’s weight in kilograms.
Once you have determined your adult dog’s daily kcal needs / MER you can find out your adult dog’s maintenance nutrient needs, by visiting the nutrient calculator here.
This calculator does not account for spay/neuter. I am updating it to allow for an option to reduce calories for fixed dogs.