Feeding
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is how much to feed your pet. The following charts make it simple to determine how many calories your dog or cat should get per day. All you need to do is find out what how many kcals are in your pet’s wet or dry food and factor that into their daily caloric requirement. The kcal amount should be found on the bag, can, or manufacturer website.
Here is an example:
Hills Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight Small Bites has a caloric content of 317 kcal/cup. According to the Dog Calorie Chart, a 15 lb, neutered/spayed adult dog gets 472 calories a day.
So, you take 472 and divide it by 317. That gives you about 1.5 cups PER DAY. If that dog eats twice a day, he will get 3/4 cup each time, for a total daily amount of 1.5 cups per day. If he eats three times a day, he will get 1/2 cup each time. You can divide the daily caloric intake into however many meals your dog eats.
Another example is as follows:
A 5.5 oz can of Hills Science Diet Savory Chicken Entree for adult cats over 7 years has 171 kcal/can. According to the Cat Calorie Chart, a 10 lb, neutered/spayed adult cat gets 262 calories a day.
So, you take 262 and divide it by 171. That gives you about 1.5 cans PER DAY. Similar to the dog example, if your cat eats twice a day, she will get 3/4 can each time, for a total daily amount of 1.5 cans per day. If she eats three times a day, she will get 1/2 can each time.
If you need assistance calculating your pet’s caloric needs, click here! I am happy to help at not charge!
**Charts courtesy of Animal Medical Center of Chicago. This was the first clinic I worked at and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM if you live on the Northside of Chicago! The doctors and staff are absolutely amazing!
