Ideal Caloric Intake

[Guest Scarter55]

I was wondering if anyone knows of any good online guides or calculators to help determine what an appropriate caloric intake for Lady would be. I know that it varies quite a bit from dog to dog, but I have no idea where to start. I saw one comment here once that someone's 70 lbs hound needed 1,100 to maintain weight, but have read some credible sources that say more is needed.

 

Lady is about 65lbs and is quite active.

[Batmom]

Depending on what you mean by "quite active," you'd probably be looking at more like 1500 - 2500 per day. 1100 would be more on the order of a serious couch potato or easy keeping senior (or some combo of those two qualities).

 

Big variation because dogs differ . I've had dogs of @ the same activity level with a 20 lb weight difference maintain on @ the same amount of the same food.

 

 

 

 

ETA: Also consider that in my experience at least, some of the calorie counts for commercial food are ... suspect. Good starting point, but not necessarily accurate in how they provide energy to your particular dog. I've found this especially true of the higher-end, purportedly higher-calorie foods.

Edited June 17, 2013 by Batmom

[krissy]

Basal energy requirement (kcal/day) = (30 x BW in kg) + 70

 

Gives you a rough idea of kcal. A very active animal will need more and there are factors you can multiply by to figure that out.

[JJNg]

Honestly, I don't often worry about calculating number of calories. What other people and sources say don't matter as much as what your individual dog needs. I just pick a starting point, and then adjust based on how the dog's weight and body condition responds. I find that even with a calculated caloric requirement, it can vary a bit based on the type of food. When I switched to a food that was slightly lower in calories per cup, I was prepared to feed slightly more in volume to make up for the difference, but I found that all of my dogs required the same amount as the previous food. I suspect it's related to digestability and the dog's ability to utilize the calories.

 

For an active 65-lb female greyhound, I'd probably start around 1 and 1/2 cups twice daily. Watch her body condition, and adjust as needed. For most greyhounds, you should be able to see the last 2-3 ribs, and the tips of hip bones. If you are seeing more ribs, or more of the hips, feed more. If you lose sight of these markers, then feed a little less. With my dogs, I find I need to make minor adjustments periodically as their weight and caloric needs fluctuate due to changes in activity level, season, etc.