# How MUCH do you feed your adult dog?



## Flynn Gentry-Taylor

I wonder how you determine how much to feed your dog? I have a dog who seems hungry all the time, even immediately after eating. I know she is gaining weight and have her on some grain free kibble 1/4 cup plus some green beans for filler... but she still seems hungry. Her treats are mostly romaine lettuce.. she is 5 years old and was with a breeder who told me she easily goes to fat. 
So how do you measure HOW much to give the dog a day, do you feed it all at one feeding or divide it up? 
Thanks.


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## Rita Nelson

Tucker stays between 17 & 18 lbs. We feed him 1/3 cup of California Natural Venison Grain Free twice a day. He also gets treats such as apples, carrots & green beans. If we feed him more than this he'll start to gain weight. We can feel his ribs easily and the vet says Tucker is at a good weight for his size. BTY, he's 2 1/2 yrs. old.


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## krandall

Kodi, also 2 1/2, and 16 1/2 lean pounds gets 1/4 c (measured in a measuring scoop) AM and PM. He also gets a fair amount of training treats, but I am pretty sure he gets more exercise than the average Hav too.

Normal dogs are ALWAYS hungry. Don't let her suck you in. We even have a "system" so we know whether someone has already fed him in the morning, because when the next person comes down, he'll go through the "starving puppy" act all over again!:biggrin1:


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## TilliesMom

Tillie is about 9 lbs and gets 2 tablespoons of homecooked meat/veggies and 1 tsp of sweet potato twice a day. and she will lick the bowl for a full 10 minutes after it is empty!! LOL she has been holding her weight steady for 6 months now, so I'm assumming she is getting the right amount for her size.


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## Carefulove

Bumi is about 15 lbs. He gets 3 chicken necks in the AM and about ½ - to ¾ cup of Beef mix in the afternoons. At about 8 PM he gets 1 or 2 pieces of chunky chicken breast treat or Turkey heart treats.


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## whimsy

Whimsy is 12 1/2 lbs and gets 1/3 cup dry kibble with 2 tablespoons of canned food mixed in twice per day. She only gets one small dog treat a day. She is at a good weight for her size. She's a little over a year and a half.


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## HavaneseSoon

Both the boys have been getting a good rounded 1/4 cup kibble and treats during the day. Dexter has stayed at 16 pounds and Jack has stayed at 12 pounds for about a year. I usually add just a little bit more food to Dexter's food.

Dexter loves to eat! He will beg for a treat after supper each night and I usually have to call him out of the kitchen to get his mind off the food. This is usually right after eating. 

Dexter and Jack have been clearing their food bowls out pretty regular. In the summer, they have both skipped some meals. 

I wonder if the cooler temperatures have anything to do with food intake...I am beginning to think yes.

Oh! There is a big difference in 12 pounds and 16 pounds! Dexter is heavy compared to Jack when I carry Dexter.


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## Cindi

Flynn,

A couple of years ago I put together a class (for people) on how to calculate exactly how many calories a day they needed to hold a desired weight. Just for the heck of it I researched how to do the same thing for dogs. I know I have the formula around here somewhere and I can give it to you if you'd like.

I keep Mojo at 16.5 pounds and to do it, he can have 324 calories a day. Right now I give him 1/4 cup kibble three times a day. Less on days with lots of training treats. The amount changes if I change the kind of food he's getting (it seems like a lot right now because it's high fiber).

Cindi


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## Becky Chittenden

I feed twice a day, about 1/3 the total in the morning and the rest in the late afternoon. Of course our get treats also, but we don't overdo the treats. I feed by handsful. My dogs are fed communially (several together). It seems like sometimes they miss meals and others eat everything. When they miss a meal, others usually eat it. I check the dogs and no one is fat and if they need to gain a bit of weight, add a little more. "Teenage boys and girls" seem to be the only ones that need to gain ever. My oldest is 8, so don't have any old dogs, but anticipate with time will have to cut back when they get less active.


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor

Cindi said:


> Flynn,
> 
> A couple of years ago I put together a class (for people) on how to calculate exactly how many calories a day they needed to hold a desired weight. Just for the heck of it I researched how to do the same thing for dogs. I know I have the formula around here somewhere and I can give it to you if you'd like.
> 
> I keep Mojo at 16.5 pounds and to do it, he can have 324 calories a day. Right now I give him 1/4 cup kibble three times a day. Less on days with lots of training treats. The amount changes if I change the kind of food he's getting (it seems like a lot right now because it's high fiber).
> 
> Cindi


Yes Cindi I would love to have it for ME and Mia...thank you so much. Oh, what brand of Kibble doyou feed?


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor

Well, it seems most are feeding between 1/4 and 1/3 cup of kibble. I am giving the 1/4 cup but adding about that 1/3 to 1/2 cup of green beans to that..there is a 1/3 tsp. of canned salmon in the AM. She gets romaine lettuce ribs and is constantly trying to rip the lid off the food container, in the kitchen, etc...I know she is overweight because I cannot feel her ribs and she has a bump of fat at the base of her tail when she stands on her back legs. 
We take two long walks a day and that averages about 3 miles total..she plays some with SW, also. I have her on TOTW right now. I appreciate all the comments and suggestions. I know Kodi is probably more active. Becky I feed her in her crate so I know exactly what she eats, yours do well to eat together. Linda, do you feed your boys separately? Bone structure might account for the difference in weight???
Whimsy is a good size so she must be getting just enough. Zury, my cats would carry off the dogs and food, if I fed raw, if I did not have the cats I might try it.. Tucker sounds about the same size as Mia, and I may just try the 1/3 cup and forget the green beans, if she doesn't open the cabinet doors...she is older than Tucker...
Thanks for the help!!


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## HavaneseSoon

Flynn Gentry-Taylor said:


> Well, it seems most are feeding between 1/4 and 1/3 cup of kibble. I am giving the 1/4 cup but adding about that 1/3 to 1/2 cup of green beans to that..there is a 1/3 tsp. of canned salmon in the AM. She gets romaine lettuce ribs and is constantly trying to rip the lid off the food container, in the kitchen, etc...I know she is overweight because I cannot feel her ribs and she has a bump of fat at the base of her tail when she stands on her back legs.
> We take two long walks a day and that averages about 3 miles total..she plays some with SW, also. I have her on TOTW right now. I appreciate all the comments and suggestions. I know Kodi is probably more active. Becky I feed her in her crate so I know exactly what she eats, yours do well to eat together. Linda, do you feed your boys separately? Bone structure might account for the difference in weight???
> Whimsy is a good size so she must be getting just enough. Zury, my cats would carry off the dogs and food, if I fed raw, if I did not have the cats I might try it.. Tucker sounds about the same size as Mia, and I may just try the 1/3 cup and forget the green beans, if she doesn't open the cabinet doors...she is older than Tucker...
> Thanks for the help!!


I feed at the same time, they both get their bowl. Jack will watch Dexter eat, then he will eat.

Today we got treats... a greenie, tiny biscuits from PetSmart, and a 1/2 curly tendon. They are still working on the tendon.

Yes, Dexter is bigger boned compared to Jack.


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## pjewel

Mine all get fed together. They each get close to 1/2 cup of Fromm's Four Star, twice a day. They also get "cookies," which vary, depending upon what I have in the house, when they come back in from the yard. Milo's weight is a little more than 10 llbs, Ruby about 9 and Bailey is over 13. 

They tend to regulate themselves. When they've had enough, they stop. I leave the bowls down all day, so they can go back to it at will. Bailey is the only one who will clop at his bowl if it's empty and he's hungry. That can happen any time of the day, but usually late in the afternoon. None of mine is putting on weight.


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## heatherk

pjewel said:


> Mine all get fed together. They each get close to 1/2 cup of Fromm's Four Star, twice a day. They also get "cookies," which vary, depending upon what I have in the house, when they come back in from the yard. Milo's weight is a little more than 10 llbs, Ruby about 9 and Bailey is over 13.
> 
> They tend to regulate themselves. When they've had enough, they stop. I leave the bowls down all day, so they can go back to it at will. Bailey is the only one who will clop at his bowl if it's empty and he's hungry. That can happen any time of the day, but usually late in the afternoon. None of mine is putting on weight.


I leave Cey's bowl out all day too. I am currently transitioning him from puppy Orijin to Canidae grain-free pure elements all-stages kibble... he seems a bit more interested in eating now that he is getting some new kibble in his bowl lol and is eating closer to 1/2 - 3/4 cup a day instead of the mere 1/4-1/2 cup he used to eat! Only difference that I notice so far is more poop lol, but no tummy upsets/butt baths and he is not putting on weight (I actually would like him to gain a quarter to half a pound or so; he has big bones but is still a bit skinny under all of his hair... and no it's not parasites, I've checked... he just isn't a big eater...)


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## steveoly

I hope I am not over-feeding! Digs gets 1 cup of Orijen Regional Red per day. I fill it in the morning and leave the bowl down all day. eep:

With walking and playing he's a pretty active Hav. I certainly don't _think _he's overweight. :redface:


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## Cindi

Flynn Gentry-Taylor said:


> Yes Cindi I would love to have it for ME and Mia...thank you so much. Oh, what brand of Kibble doyou feed?


Flynn,

1.	Convert Mia's desired weight from pounds to kilograms. I want to keep Mojo at 16.5, so: 16.5 pounds X .454 = 7.48 kilograms
2.	Plug the desired kilograms into this formula: (30 X 7.48) + 70 = 294 calories to meet basal metabolic functions. 
3.	Now you factor in your dog's activity level. I used "light" (but not couch potato) which is a 1.1. So take the calories you got in step 2 and multiply it by the 1.1. 294 X 1.1 = 324. That's what he can have on an average day. If we walk a lot or work on a lot of physical training, he can have a little more. If I get lazy and he doesn't get a daily walk, he gets a little less.

This formula is one of several I've found. It has worked for Mojo (he holds the desired weight and never appears to be hungry). I use it in conjunction with how he "feels" under my hands. But it won't work for all dogs. Age, environment (temps under 50 F and over 86 F), breed, health of the dog, pregnancy, lactation, and activity duration and intensity will all come into play. I've seen activity factors that range from 1.1 to 1.95 (check out Small Dogs Paradise if you want a nice breakdown on those).

Dog food bags will give you the calorie count per cup (at least those that I have used do). But they seem to really, really overestimate how many calories a day the average, nonworking dog needs.

I'll PM you how to calculate for people. It's more complicated, but I'll put together a worksheet that you can just plug numbers into!

Cindi


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor

HavaneseSoon said:


> I feed at the same time, they both get their bowl. Jack will watch Dexter eat, then he will eat.
> 
> Today we got treats... a greenie, tiny biscuits from PetSmart, and a 1/2 curly tendon. They are still working on the tendon.
> 
> Yes, Dexter is bigger boned compared to Jack.


What is the curly tendon? Is there a brand, I looked at PetSmart today but did not see them, the sales people couldn't help me..Is it all edible??


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## Metchosin

Someone once told me to make a fist and feel my knuckles: If you compare that with the feel of your dog's ribs, that's too thin.
Turn your palm over and feel the pads of your hands where the fingers join the hands: Coompare that with the feel of your dog's rib are. That's too fat.
Now, turn your hand back over and leave your hand open. Feel your knuckles. That's just right.

I don't know if that's accurate, but it seems to make sense to me.


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor

Metchosin said:


> Someone once told me to make a fist and feel my knuckles: If you compare that with the feel of your dog's ribs, that's too thin.
> Turn your palm over and feel the pads of your hands where the fingers join the hands: Coompare that with the feel of your dog's rib are. That's too fat.
> Now, turn your hand back over and leave your hand open. Feel your knuckles. That's just right.
> 
> I don't know if that's accurate, but it seems to make sense to me.


Sounds reasonable to me...Thanks for the explanation!!!


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## krandall

Metchosin said:


> Someone once told me to make a fist and feel my knuckles: If you compare that with the feel of your dog's ribs, that's too thin.
> Turn your palm over and feel the pads of your hands where the fingers join the hands: Coompare that with the feel of your dog's rib are. That's too fat.
> Now, turn your hand back over and leave your hand open. Feel your knuckles. That's just right.
> 
> I don't know if that's accurate, but it seems to make sense to me.


Cool! That feels very close to "right"! I probably have boney-er than the average person due to my RA, but it's not TOO far from what Kodi's ribs feel like, and the vet calls him "healthy-lean"


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## Miss Paige

I must be under feeding. I give Paige & Rom 3 medallions each in the AM & two in the PM-T gets 1 oz kibble & 1 oz green beans AM & 1 1/2 oz kibble & 1 oz green bean in the PM-they do get snacks so I guess they are not hurting.

Pat


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## Luciledodd

Rosie eats like a hound. I don't give her veggies except those few bites on my plate. Yeah I let her lick the plate--saves on dishwashing. She gets a berry bowl full of kibble every day in the morning I fill it up. She will stand there and eat if she if real hungry as long as I am in the kitchen with her. Then she will eat bites all through the day bringing the bites into the room where we are. So now I have her two bowls, one in the kitchen and one upstairs, so she can eat with us. Every meal I give her bites of my food if I am eating something suitable. Sometimes it is just the crust from the bread and I do make her wait until I am done. Last night we had shrimp and baked potato. I didn't give her anything so she went to her food bowl and ate. All of her treats are meat or carrots. I rather DH always cooks Rosie an extra pork chop or steak. Then we cut into bite size pieces and give it to her throughout the day or when we are eating something that she can't. Yesterday we had pimento cheese sandwiches and Rosie had steak. She weighs 9.5 pounds.


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## Kathie

Abby gets a level 1/4 cup twice a day and she gets a treat when McGee does business outside! Abby is 4 and weighs about 8 lbs.

McGee gets a heaping 1/4 twice a day plus his treats for going potty outside. He is 8 1/2 mos. and weighs between 10 & 11 lbs. He is a chowhound but Abby is not and skips food once in a while. McGee gobbles his immediately! He used to bang his bowl around after he finished but we put it up - now we can leave it down and he doesn't bang it so I guess he's getting enough! We give him little bites of apple when we eat one but Abby doesn't like it so she just ignores it. BTW, we feed Abby up on the window seat that McGee can't jump on so he can't steal her food. They are both on TOTW Roasted Bison. They both seem to like it better than BB.


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## DaisyMazy

Daisy is two and a half. She is not the best eater in the world and is more interested in what I am eating then her kibbles. I give her 1/4 cup in the am and 1/4 in pm. Sometimes she will skip a meal and just eat the next morning. The 1/4 is not overflowing and sometimes I sprinkle shredded cheese in there or about 1 tablespoon of last nights meat leftovers. She does not get that much excercise during the day. Short walk in the am and about 1/2 walk after work.


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## Luciledodd

I sometimes feel that I need to explain myself, especially to the young dog owners. I grew up in a time before dog food and the first was canned. Dogs lived off of the table scraps. All plates were raked into one and that was given to the dog. So I feed Rosie a good quality kibble, but let her have tablescraps also. As long as she eats her kibble and her BM is firm. Mostly she gets meat scraps with the fat trimmed off and some veggies. In other words people food won't kill them and is probably a lot better for them than the dog food manufacturers want to admit. So of our forum members cook a special food for their dogs. I just do it another way.


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## krandall

Luciledodd said:


> I sometimes feel that I need to explain myself, especially to the young dog owners. I grew up in a time before dog food and the first was canned. Dogs lived off of the table scraps. All plates were raked into one and that was given to the dog. So I feed Rosie a good quality kibble, but let her have tablescraps also. As long as she eats her kibble and her BM is firm. Mostly she gets meat scraps with the fat trimmed off and some veggies. In other words people food won't kill them and is probably a lot better for them than the dog food manufacturers want to admit. So of our forum members cook a special food for their dogs. I just do it another way.


Absolutely, Lucile! Dogs have evolved right beside humans for EONS before "dog food" was invented. As long as the fat is removed and there's not too much salt in the food (and of course in times long past, fat and salt were precious commodities!) there is no reason dogs can't eat "table scraps". (we call them "left-overs" here, and I feed them to my kids and DH too!:biggrin1 Like you, we don't feed Kodi "people food while WE are at the table eating, but he definitely gets left-overs from time to time, and USUALLY gets to "pre-wash dishes. (unless there is something on them that will get stuck in his ears and moustache and dragged around the house!:biggrin1

I think it's rather funny that some people are scandalized by the idea of dogs eating "table scraps", and others, like Tammy, feed nothing BUT"people food" to their dogs!ound:


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## heatherk

krandall said:


> Absolutely, Lucile! Dogs have evolved right beside humans for EONS before "dog food" was invented. As long as the fat is removed and there's not too much salt in the food (and of course in times long past, fat and salt were precious commodities!) there is no reason dogs can't eat "table scraps". (we call them "left-overs" here, and I feed them to my kids and DH too!:biggrin1 Like you, we don't feed Kodi "people food while WE are at the table eating, but he definitely gets left-overs from time to time, and USUALLY gets to "pre-wash dishes. (unless there is something on them that will get stuck in his ears and moustache and dragged around the house!:biggrin1
> 
> I think it's rather funny that some people are scandalized by the idea of dogs eating "table scraps", and others, like Tammy, feed nothing BUT"people food" to their dogs!ound:


Cey's favorite, highest-quality treats are people food - scraps of meat, or cheese cubes or such. We never feed him people food while we are eating, mainly because I was 100% determined not to raise a dog that would be a 'beggar' , but, he gets people-food treats after baths, during particularly long grooming sessions, etc. I myself would be too worried about getting his nutritional needs right to feed him people food as a regular staple in his diet but I for one see nothing wrong with it, as long as like you said, care is taken to reduce the amount of salt, fat, preservatives, etc!


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## Luciledodd

I promise this is my last post on this topic. I think I have probably told this before to some of you. The way to get rid of unwanted company or to discourage those that drop in at meal times is to let the dog lick the plate declare it clean, then put it in the cabinet. The company won't come back. Just try to remember where in the cabinet you placed it.


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## krandall

heatherk said:


> Cey's favorite, highest-quality treats are people food - scraps of meat, or cheese cubes or such. We never feed him people food while we are eating, mainly because I was 100% determined not to raise a dog that would be a 'beggar' , but, he gets people-food treats after baths, during particularly long grooming sessions, etc. I myself would be too worried about getting his nutritional needs right to feed him people food as a regular staple in his diet but I for one see nothing wrong with it, as long as like you said, care is taken to reduce the amount of salt, fat, preservatives, etc!


Actually, it's hard to get it wrong if the "people food" you are adding is protein. Many to most commercial dog foods don't have enough.


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## heatherk

krandall said:


> Actually, it's hard to get it wrong if the "people food" you are adding is protein. Many to most commercial dog foods don't have enough.


That's why I was feeding Cey Orijin puppy formula (40% crude protein/20% crude fat, grain-free) and now that I am transitioning him to all-stages kibble, I chose a 34% crude protein, 18% crude fat, also grain-free brand (Canidae Pure Elements)... all the people-food treats he gets are pretty much pure protein as well, and, I might start giving him eggs once in a while . Because Ceylon doesn't have any allergies I also chose kibble whose protein comes from a variety of sources.

My daughter is very athletic and I make sure she eats plenty of protein as well - - we are a very carnivorous household


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## TilliesMom

ha ha ha ha Lucille... that is AWESOME (having the dog lick the plates clean in front of guests!!!)
oh and yes, Tillie does eat all 'human' food ... just made and balanced specially for her... my husband is totally correct when he says Tillie is the healthiest, best fed creature in our household!! LOL maybe because she doesn't COMPLAIN or REFUSE what I give her like my kids do!  Homecooking isn't for everyone.. heck I never in a BILLION years would think I would be doing it. But, we do what we have to to keep those we love healthy!!


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## Becky Chittenden

Love the plate thing, Lucile. I feed my dogs kibble and a spoonful of canned dog food. My husband puts his plate down for the dogs to lick if we don't have something spicy. In the summer, if I'm snapping green beans, the dogs beg and I give them some of the snaps. For bait in the ring, or training, I usually use meat. Oliver loves bacon and Tyson's roast chicken. I have some pieces of cut up steak to use for training tomorrow.


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## morriscsps

krandall said:


> Cool! That feels very close to "right"! I probably have boney-er than the average person due to my RA, but it's not TOO far from what Kodi's ribs feel like, and the vet calls him "healthy-lean"


Well, I finally dragged Jack in for his annual check-up. The doc pronounced him "healthy-lean", too! She was pleased with his weight of 17 lbs.  and doesn't want him to weigh anymore than that. We have to keep him skinny because he has his wonky leg. Any extra weight would be bad for it.

Jack eats a lot more than most but he is on the big-boned side of the spectrum. I feed him 1/2 cup of TOTW AM and PM.

I would say that the description of using your knuckles as a guide is spot-on.


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## HavaneseSoon

The other morning Jack did not feel like eating, so Dexter finished off Jack's bowl. Dexter did not eat that night. Jack ate his normal amount of food, but when he found out that Dexter was not going to eat his food....Jack started on Dexter's. Jack did not get much because he soon stopped eating.

Both of the boys are back to their usual eating habits..


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## HavaneseSoon

Oh! The curly tendons are found at PetSmart, they can eat them. They do smell at times. We saw the tendons in half and are given when Dexter needs more food. The tendons are there... I think most people call them flossies. They are expensive...cost a little under $5.00 a piece, which is why we cut them in half.


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor

HavaneseSoon said:


> Oh! The curly tendons are found at PetSmart, they can eat them. They do smell at times. We saw the tendons in half and are given when Dexter needs more food. The tendons are there... I think most people call them flossies. They are expensive...cost a little under $5.00 a piece, which is why we cut them in half.


Thanks, I will try again!!!


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor

Luciledodd said:


> Rosie eats like a hound. I don't give her veggies except those few bites on my plate. Yeah I let her lick the plate--saves on dishwashing. She gets a berry bowl full of kibble every day in the morning I fill it up. She will stand there and eat if she if real hungry as long as I am in the kitchen with her. Then she will eat bites all through the day bringing the bites into the room where we are. So now I have her two bowls, one in the kitchen and one upstairs, so she can eat with us. Every meal I give her bites of my food if I am eating something suitable. Sometimes it is just the crust from the bread and I do make her wait until I am done. Last night we had shrimp and baked potato. I didn't give her anything so she went to her food bowl and ate. All of her treats are meat or carrots. I rather DH always cooks Rosie an extra pork chop or steak. Then we cut into bite size pieces and give it to her throughout the day or when we are eating something that she can't. Yesterday we had pimento cheese sandwiches and Rosie had steak. She weighs 9.5 pounds.


Oh me, if I did that mine would be fat as little pigs, they will not stop eating..SW was good until LM came along, now he eats everything!..and now I have one cat who wants everything the dogs get..When I am giving them a treat, I make them sit for it, and the cat gets right in the middle and sits, waiting for her treat too...


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## krandall

Flynn Gentry-Taylor said:


> Oh me, if I did that mine would be fat as little pigs, they will not stop eating..SW was good until LM came along, now he eats everything!..and now I have one cat who wants everything the dogs get..When I am giving them a treat, I make them sit for it, and the cat gets right in the middle and sits, waiting for her treat too...


Too cute!!! We need a PICTURE of that!!!


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor

krandall said:


> Too cute!!! We need a PICTURE of that!!!


Wish I had someone here to take photos, I will try to get it...it is Sequoia my cat who resents them being next to me on the couch. She gets right in the middle of anything I am trying to do with the dogs.


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## Trixie

This is all good info to know. Thanks for sharing all 
My Trixie is about 17 lbs .... and not really a food motivated gal. I have to literally "make" her eat sometimes. I don't feed her commercial dog food, I home-make her food every couple of weeks and freeze it into 3 day portions. I used a variety of vegetables, fruits, quinoa & protein sources (including organ meats), & rotate the protein sources regularly. And always feed her a base of pureed roasted pumpkin with a smattering of ginger, for her digestion. She gets quite a bit of exercise, ... long walks / hikes / runs (about an hour or more each time) ... and playing with dog friends. We also practice agility jumps when we feel like it. I give her about a 1/2 of cup of food around 1 or 2 pm .... and the same amount around 7 or 8 pm. Can't get her to eat earlier. Sometimes she only wants to eat once a day. She's not a normal dog, in that she'll only eat when she is actually hungry. Even with treats. If she is not hungry,...she's just hoard the treat and hide it somewhere. And even though she doesn't want to eat twice a day, I try to make her, ... or even 3 times a day (smaller portions, though), 'cause it's better for her digestion and in not allowing gas & acids to build up in her stomach. I don't do very many treats at all unless we are training, or practicing our training. She only rarely eats kibble.... it's left out for her all of the time,... but she's not interested in it,.. and even when she is... lol,... she eats it one piece at a time,.. chewing each piece thoroughly,.. and only eats a very small amount. For that she's got Orijen, red meat formula. I like that one. (no grain, to my understanding.) I found that cooking the dog's food was not only fresher and better for the dog, but it's actually cheaper, (than the commercial foods that I was buying.) Well anyway,.. that's what we do. (for now, at least.)
I also give her a probiotic enzyme, vitamins, omegas & greens powdered supplement ... and ground eggshells for calcium. She seems healthy. She's two years old.


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## vhall

Cindi said:


> Flynn,
> 
> 1. Convert Mia's desired weight from pounds to kilograms. I want to keep Mojo at 16.5, so: 16.5 pounds X .454 = 7.48 kilograms
> 2. Plug the desired kilograms into this formula: (30 X 7.48) + 70 = 294 calories to meet basal metabolic functions.
> 3. Now you factor in your dog's activity level. I used "light" (but not couch potato) which is a 1.1. So take the calories you got in step 2 and multiply it by the 1.1. 294 X 1.1 = 324. That's what he can have on an average day. If we walk a lot or work on a lot of physical training, he can have a little more. If I get lazy and he doesn't get a daily walk, he gets a little less.
> 
> This formula is one of several I've found. It has worked for Mojo (he holds the desired weight and never appears to be hungry). I use it in conjunction with how he "feels" under my hands. But it won't work for all dogs. Age, environment (temps under 50 F and over 86 F), breed, health of the dog, pregnancy, lactation, and activity duration and intensity will all come into play. I've seen activity factors that range from 1.1 to 1.95 (check out Small Dogs Paradise if you want a nice breakdown on those).
> 
> Dog food bags will give you the calorie count per cup (at least those that I have used do). But they seem to really, really overestimate how many calories a day the average, nonworking dog needs.
> 
> I'll PM you how to calculate for people. It's more complicated, but I'll put together a worksheet that you can just plug numbers into!
> 
> Cindi


I would greatly appreciate having the formula you have developed for people! Thank you!


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