You can also estimate how much you need to feed your dog by checking the calories on the pet food label and figuring how many
calories your dog requires per day.
But there is a connection between how many
calories a dog requires and reproductive status.
Not exact matches
However, a
dog's caloric needs are based on age, development, health and lifestyle, and every
dog has a «resting energy requirement,» (RER) which is basically the amount of
calories their bodies
require to just maintain bodily functions.
A less active Cavalier will need about 400
calories to stay fueled and energized throughout the day — while a moderately active
dog will
require a bit more — somewhere closer to 500.
Science Diet claims that this food is intended for
dogs between 1 and 6 years of age; and that weigh up to 25 pounds when fully grown and who
require fewer
calories —
dogs that are less active, spay / neutered, or otherwise prone to weight gain.
A general rule is a small breed
dog requires about 40
calories per pound of body weight and a large breed
dog might need about 22.5
calories per pound of body weight.
Table scraps are high in
calories and do not offer vitamins or minerals which a
dog requires.
This is more than the amount of
calories per pound
required by larger
dog breeds because small
dogs have a higher metabolism.
Studies show that
dogs exposed to low temperatures
require two to three times more
calories.
Remember that there are a few exceptions to the figure above, for example, older
dogs or
dogs that have been spayed or neutered (of any age)
require fewer
calories to maintain a target weight.
For this reason, their body
required dog food that is more packed with
calories per ounce.
They definitely are not magical foods, and they certainly don't have the disease - fighting powers of our favorite fruits and vegetables, but they may be helpful for physically active
dogs who
require more
calories and protein than they would get in a serving of
dog food.
Just like an athlete
requires more
calories, a working
dog does as well.
For example, if a
dog requires 1,500 kcal per day and the
calorie content of the pet food is 500 kcal per can or pack, that
dog will
require 3 cans or packs of that pet food (1,500 / 500) per day.
There are several ways to calculate how many
calories your
dog or cat
requires to lose weight.
Written by Nancy Dimitrova, Veterinary Technician There are several ways to calculate how many
calories your
dog or cat
requires to lose weight.
A less - active Puggle will
require about 540
calories on a daily basis to stay energized and healthy, while a moderately - active
dog of this breed will
require a bit more — somewhere around 660
calories.
In this context, it is relevant to state that puppies
require the supply of higher
calories, compared with the adult
dogs.
The average
dog requires about 30
calories per pound of bodyweight — small breeds need more due to their fast metabolisms and large breeds need less.
Older, less active
dogs require fewer
calories to remain healthy.
Keep in mind that most growing puppies
require at least twice as many
calories as an adult
dog of their same breed, according to the National Research Council of the National Academies.
Full grown German Shepherds
require between 2,000 and 2,250
calories per day, while older
dogs begin to dwindle down in their caloric intake,
requiring between 1,200 and 1,400
calories as their energy levels decrease.
Your puppy grows 20 times faster than an adult
dog and
requires double the
calories per pound of body weight as the same breed adult
dog.
Nursing mother
dogs require food that has more animal proteins, fats and
calories than their regular diet to produce milk to feed their pups.
A small
dog requires 40
calories per pound of body weight, whereas a larger breed
dog requires far less.
The average 40 - pound
dog requires about 500
calories per day, although small
dogs eat more for their weight than large
dogs do, and puppies need about 20 percent more
calories than adults.
According to Dr. Jennifer Coates, small - breed
dogs require foods that are
calorie dense to meet the needs of their higher metabolic rate.
Senior
dogs, moving a bit slower than their middle - aged cousins, generally
require fewer
calories but may suffer from health issues that
require a change in food.
In addition to providing plenty of fresh water to your
dog or cat, your pet also
requires an appropriate amount of daily
calories in the form of protein, fats, (and perhaps carbohydrates) to provide for their energy requirements (neither too much nor too little).
On average, English Setters, will
require more
calories than other
dogs.
Remember, neutered
dogs and cats
require about 25 - 30 % less
calories than they did when un-neutered, to stay trim.
Recent evidence indicates that
dogs maintained in households
require fewer
calories per day than
dogs kept in kennels, but considerable variability exists.
Dog foods are
required to provide
calorie information today though this is a recent change and not all companies have complied yet.
If you choose to feed a higher
calorie food, you will find that you must feed very small amounts in order to achieve the reduced number of
calories required for your
dog to lose weight.
For example, puppies
require a higher
calorie diet to provide the energy needed to grow, while a senior
dog only needs a diet to maintain its ideal weight.
Generally speaking,
dogs require about 30
calories per pound of bodyweight.
Unlike humans, this shouldn't be a
dog's number one source of
calories, but it does give them a ready source of energy and a little starch is basically
required when it comes to making and baking kibble.
Sick or injured
dogs can
require double this amount of
calories.
A study by
dog food manufacturer Purina suggests that for every 10 degrees drop in temperature your
dog requires 7.5 % more
calories than it otherwise would.
Larger
dogs require less, with
calorie needs not dissimilar to those of humans of equivalent weight and activity.
Due to their massive structure, male Newfoundland
dogs can easily get to 60 - 70 pounds and
require a large number of
calories per day.
Adult Boxer
dogs require 1,100 to 2,400
calories of good quality
dog food per day depending on age and activity, with an averagely active adult
dog somewhere midrange.
Also keep in mind the
calorie requirement of the
dog and select the food that can provide with the
required calories.
Obese
dogs require reduced caloric intake, either through feeding a
calorie - restricted diet or by feeding a reduced quantity of the normal diet.
Here is a useful tool for working out how many
calories your dachshund needs per day and also how many cups of
dog food
required.
Conversely, underweight
dogs may
require calorie - rich diets such as pediatric or convalescent diets.
Dogs with heart disease may require lower - calorie senior dog foods to help keep weight down as well as lower - sodium formulations, while diabetic dogs will need specially formulated, lower fat, higher fiber diabetic dog foods that delay absorption of food and keep blood sugar levels const
Dogs with heart disease may
require lower -
calorie senior
dog foods to help keep weight down as well as lower - sodium formulations, while diabetic
dogs will need specially formulated, lower fat, higher fiber diabetic dog foods that delay absorption of food and keep blood sugar levels const
dogs will need specially formulated, lower fat, higher fiber diabetic
dog foods that delay absorption of food and keep blood sugar levels constant.
Senior and geriatric
dogs usually
require a lower
calorie diet to compensate for their declining metabolic rates and exercise routines in order to prevent obesity, which is a major problem in senior
dogs.
An overweight beagle diet would
require the
dog to take about 35 - 40
calories per pound of body weight though.
Because of this slowed metabolism and reduced activity and exercise, older
dogs require fewer
calories.