Every little snack adds up! Not only does this lead to a chubby appearance, but obesity also carries many serious health complications for your dog. This often happens when dog owners fail to consider the treats or food scraps that they are offering their dog in between meals. One of the most common reasons for weight gain in dogs is simply eating too much. It’s estimated that approximately 25-30% of dogs are obese, with that number rising to 40-45% after 5 years of age. This includes selecting the right dog food, determining how much he should be fed with each meal, and incorporating any treats and snacks.Ī surprisingly high number of dogs meet the threshold for being considered overweight (10-20% above their ideal weight) or obese (more than 20% above their ideal weight). By understanding the calories that your dog will need to maintain a healthy weight, you can make smart choices in terms of what you are feeding your dog. Of course, there are other factors that factor into this, but your dog’s diet is a major consideration. Just like with people, the calories that your dog eats daily will have a direct impact on his weight and, therefore, his health and well-being. Why Pay Attention to Your Dog’s Caloric Intake? If you really want to make sure that your dog is getting the calories he needs, consider using a dog food calculator to find out. What many dog owners do not realize, however, is that their dog’s calorie needs might differ greatly from those of another dog. You will find the calorie content on the dog food label, typically included in the guaranteed analysis.Īll dogs require a careful balance of nutrients in order to sustain healthy biological function. Remember, different dog foods have different calorie content so you will still need to do some calculations of your own to determine exactly how much food your dog needs to meet his daily calorie needs. For example, the Dog Food Advisor dog food calculator allows you to input your dog’s ideal body weight and activity level in order to determine how much your dog should eat per day to achieve that ideal weight. Some dog food calculators do more than just provide your dog’s total daily calorie needs. Related: How Many Times A Day Should I Feed My Dog? Here is a breakdown of the factors affecting your dog’s RER and the number most dog food calculators use to determine total daily calorie needs:Īltered (neutered or spayed) adult dog = RER x 1.6 Some dog food calculators will also give you the option to calculate your dog’s total energy needs by multiplying his RER by a certain factor based on his age and activity level. To use this kind of calculator, all you have to do is input your dog’s weight and it will calculate his Resting Energy Requirement. If you want to calculate your dog’s total daily energy requirements, the easiest thing to do is to use an online dog food calculator. Related: What Does “Human Grade” Mean When it Comes to Dog Food? To determine how many total calories your dog actually needs you must multiply his RER by an activity factor which varies depending on your dog’s age and activity level. Remember, however, that this number is a minimum – it only accounts for the calories needed to support basic physiologic functions. The RER of a 22-pound dog is about 400 calories per day. Next, you would multiply that number to the ¾ power and then multiply the total by 70. RER = 70 x (dog’s body weight in kg)^0.75įor example, if your dog weighs 22 pounds you would first convert that number to kilograms and get a body weight of 10kg. To give you an idea what your dog’s RER might look like, consider the following formula: This number varies from one dog to another based on the age, sex, weight, and activity level. This minimum number of calories for dogs is called the “Resting Energy Requirement” or RER. In the same way that the human body has a minimum daily calorie requirement (called the basal metabolic rate, or MBR), your dog also has a minimum number of calories he needs to support his metabolism. To help you figure out how many calories your dog should be getting on a daily basis, consider using a dog food calculator.Īs you may already know, all living things require calories as a unit of energy to support life.
Your dog’s body burns calories all day long just to support important biological processes like respiration, digestion, and growth – if your dog doesn’t get the calories he needs, he could experience serious nutritional deficiencies and stunted growth. Like humans, dogs require a certain number of calories on a daily basis in order to support their healthy metabolism. Did you know that you can calculate the amount of calories your dog eats per meal? Regulate your dog’s caloric intake carefully with help from a dog food calculator.
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