# Sticky  Feeding calculator since we have so many questions about how much to feed.



## jesuschick

Seems that very often we have posts asking how much to feed. Even though foods vary in calorie content, I see lots of members sharing how much they feed even if the food is different and the dogs weight, activity and age is different. 

I am attaching a simple feeding calculator that I hope will help. You just put in your pet's age and then choose activity level. It will tell you how many calories they need per day. Calories can then be fed based on the calorie content of the food you wish to feed. Obviously if you are trying to add or reduce weight, you will need to modify. Likewise, the amount will double for a puppy, pregnant or lactating mom.
Dog Food Calculator

If you are making a change in either direction, you will still want to watch after a few days to be certain that your dog is not becoming skinny or too chubby. 

This is at least a great way to begin.


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## jesuschick

Here is the specific calorie content for Ziwipeak since this gets asked as well:

ZiwiPeak's Dog Air-Dried Cuisine Calories

ZiwiPeak Dog Cuisine into calorie figures, based on per kg and per scoop (calculated at 4.2k/cal per gram or 119k/cal per oz.) 

ZiwiPeak's Scoop is 56.8grams/2oz's:
Venison Dog Cuisine 4200 kcal/kg / 239 Kcal/scoop
Venison & Fish Dog Cuisine 4150 kcal/kg / 236 Kcal/scoop
Lamb Dog Cuisine 4250 kcal/kg / 241 Kcal/scoop

So as an example, a typically active 4 pound dog would require 172 calories/day.
Then I could figure based on either 119 calories/oz. or 239 calories/scoop to get to that amount.


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## Brodysmom

This is a great post. This should be a sticky!!! This question gets asked ALLLLLL the time!


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## michele

Thank you for posting,will help a lot of people:daisy:


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## michele

Brodysmom said:


> This is a great post. This should be a sticky!!! This question gets asked ALLLLLL the time!


Done Tracy


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## I<3Charlie-chi

Hi, not been on here for ages but got a quick question about feeding ziwipeak if you can help me Karen? About a year ago I got Charlie weighed and was told by my vet to put him on a diet. I was told to feed him as if he weighed 5kg ( he's a big chihuahua!) I showed my vet the ziwipeak feeding guide and she worked out he should have 17g 2x per day. He now has lost weight and looks and feels much better although I've not weighed him lately I can tell by looking at him he doesn't really need to lose much more. I just did the calculator thing and I think I've been under feeding him  I'm a bit confused, please can you help me work out how much I should be feeding him daily? I'm in uk and not sure if the ziwipeak has same kcals here, I would of thought it would be. Thanks in advance xx


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## jesuschick

I am going to try my best with conversions so another lovely from the UK may have to correct me. 

So, you are to feed him as if he was 5kg which is 11 pounds here, correct? 

According to the calculator, he should have 368 calories a day. Unless he is super active and then he requires more. 

One scoop of ZP is about 239 calories. So, unless my conversion and math are wrong (could very well be), I think that he needs a scoop and a half per day divided between 2 feedings. 

One scoop is 58.8g. If I followed your vets guide, you'd be feeding him between 1/2 and 3/4 scoop all day. Is that what you have been feeding? Do you use their scoop or measure out by your own spoon or container?

I'd believe that he needs about 3/4 scoop 2x/day.


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## I<3Charlie-chi

Thanks for replying, I've been weighing his food out every meal on my electric scales. He has 17g per meal, that's what my vet suggested I feed him after looking at the feeding guide. I do use the feeding scoop provided but only to scoop it out then put it on the scales! Can you tell me how many grams he should be having per meal? I find it best to weigh it out rather than use my judgement with the scoop. Thank you for taking the time to reply xx


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## I<3Charlie-chi

Hi sorry I've just realised I said 5kg dog when I was supposed to say 4kg. Should I ignore the feeding guide on the packet?
The feeding guide says
3kg dog 0.5 scoops per day -28.4g
5kg dog 0.75 scoops per day - 42.6g

I've been feeding 34g per day split into 2 meals 

Thanks again for your help xx


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## Mel's chi's

Great post Karen...most helpful I'm sure! 
Let me just say, I am so glad I don't have to count calories,
But can look at their bodies to see if the portions need tweaking!
Just like I do for the human family! 
That being said, I do measure amount though.
These little pups can get over fed with just a 1/4 t. Over time!
So raw feeders beware too...use your calculator for weight amounts!
It is also a sticky here under Raw. 
This is such a thorough chat site! <3 & :cheers:


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## jesuschick

I feed the Venison variety. I just looked at a bag and it says:
3kg, .66 scoop/day
4kg, 1 scoop/day

I am using the feeding calculator from Dog Food Advisor to get close on calories and then fed according to their calories per scoop.

GREAT news! I just went to ZP's site and they have changed it and added a feeding calculator!

Here it is and I have put in your detail and it says 1.1 scoop/day, which is 63g.

Does that help?

Feed Calculator » ZiwiPeak


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## jesuschick

For everyone else, here is Ziwipeak's new feeding calculator:
Feed Calculator » ZiwiPeak


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## jan896

Okies... I need some help please.....I don't understand the bag calories verbage...

for Chico, who is very overweight... I have been feeding 2 patties per day(the bag says 3 per day)... so I want to see what I am supposed to be feeding him.... 

*from the Bag:*
Stella & Chewy's 
Duck Duck Goose Freeze-Dried dinner
Calorie Content: 4,155 kcal/kg (calculated); 55 kcal per patty


*CALCULATOR*
Step 1
Enter your dog's ideal weight: 6lbs.

Step 2
Describe your dog's activity level: Overweight


Your dog requires 149 calories/day

Step 3
???


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## jesuschick

Well, 3 would be correct according to the calories but if you think he is satisfied at 2, I'd go with what you know, see and think. Oh, and remember to consider/calculate treats, especially since I know you feed high quality, those would count in the calorie estimate daily.
I'd view recommendations as just guidelines since every dog is different.

Hope and Ruby are within an ounce or two of each other weight-wise with Ruby being the "heavier" (that made me giggle-she is 3.9-4.0lbs.) yet Hope looks more round and you would guess that she is heaver. She looks shaped more like Chico and Ruby is shaped like an Italian Greyhound/Whippet-all legs and a teeny waist!


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## jan896

but what does this mean from the bag??
4,155 kcal/kg (calculated); *55 kcal per patty*

what is kcal?? is that just another way of saying 'calories'


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## jesuschick

When I searched it, it read kilogram or kilo calorie. In terms of food, it read as if they were interchangeable. 

I have always counted kcal in ZP as calorie.


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## flippedstars

My feeding calculator goes like this...

Are you looking chunky? Feed you less...

Are you looking a wee bit thin? Feed you more.

Works like a charm


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## Jerry'sMom

flippedstars said:


> My feeding calculator goes like this...
> 
> Are you looking chunky? Feed you less...
> 
> Are you looking a wee bit thin? Feed you more.
> 
> Works like a charm


Definitely! 
If I fed Tabitha the "recommended amount" from the dog food calculator, 
she would be a round little Toad! :blob:


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## jesuschick

I agree but some of us have not been doing this type of feeding. I free fed kibble in a bowl. When it was empty, he got more. We also have many new here who who do not even know where to start. 

I'd never feed by kibble bag guidelines. Those are clearly there to encourage one to buy more bags of food they are so far off. 

That is why I like a calorie to weight calculator. Those of us new have to at least have a place to start.


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## I<3Charlie-chi

jesuschick said:


> I feed the Venison variety. I just looked at a bag and it says:
> 3kg, .66 scoop/day
> 4kg, 1 scoop/day
> 
> I am using the feeding calculator from Dog Food Advisor to get close on calories and then fed according to their calories per scoop.
> 
> GREAT news! I just went to ZP's site and they have changed it and added a feeding calculator!
> 
> Here it is and I have put in your detail and it says 1.1 scoop/day, which is 63g.
> 
> Does that help?
> 
> Feed Calculator » ZiwiPeak


Yes that helps! thank you x


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## Happyhome

Stella and chewys super beef is 70 calories for the small frozen patty so by that caculator I would feed my 6 pound dog more than 3 small frozen patties a day where the stella and chewy calculator says 2.5 a day for her. I am trying to figure this all out to see if I can afford to feed her Stella and Chewys.


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## miascloset

I've always fed my dogs Merrick kibble with added coconut oil.
1/2 cup is the recommended amount for a 4-6 lber but I give Mia 1/3 cup a day.
She's happy and is a perfect 4 lb weight.


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## Moonfall

You'll find that it does vary by the dog. I feel Alli a massive amount (I think about two cups a day!) of a high energy food and she's lean as they come. Our much larger dog eats the same of a lower cal food and still has to watch her weight.

Douglas eats .45 of a cup TOTAL per day, so less than 1/4 cup a serving. Very small amount and people not used to it tend to feel very bad for him like he is being fed too little, however he's a food hound and would very rapidly become fat without my monitoring his food intake carefully. It happened once where family watched him and overfed him and boy was he getting chubby fast. 

Make sure you count treats as food intake too- drop the meals if they get a ton of treats because they add up fast and can make a very fat dog!!


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## yamsville

This calculator makes the mistake of simplifying to calories/volume of food when there's nutritional requirements to account for. So it's not just a matter of scaling back food if you want your pet to lose weight


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## mom2marley

I have to say that if I fed either of my dogs by the dog food calculator they would definitely be overweight.


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## doginthedesert

yamsville said:


> This calculator makes the mistake of simplifying to calories/volume of food when there's nutritional requirements to account for. So it's not just a matter of scaling back food if you want your pet to lose weight


Calories and volume of food are not the same thing. The way to loose or maintain weight is absolutely by feeding the number of calories you need a day. For most dogs and most foods you don't need to worry too much about nutrient density- which is different than calories and what you are talking about.

In very extreme cases of dogs that are performance or working dogs or very low energy seniors the average dog owner might need to think about nutrient density. However mostly you need to feed a high quality food and with a chihuahua not very much of it!

A lot of the nutrient density stuff you are seeing these days is because the big pet food manufacturers are hard marketing at weight loss food. They are even telling people it is dangerous to feed non-perscription kibble if your dog is trying to loose weight. I was at a dog event last weekend where purina in particular was hitting this point hard. It is not that nutrient density doesn't matter- but with AAFCO approved kibbles the nutrient levels are so incredibly high that there is almost no way you could cause a nutrient deficiency in a healthy dog by limiting their calories to keep them a healthy weight.


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## boubou

Feeding Mickey our " little " rescue guy. He's chihuahua/terrier weighs about 14 lbs and is a bit chunky. I looked at the calculator and according to it, I should almost double his food intake. I have been feeding him only 1/4 cup (heaping) morning and again at night for him to loose the weight but it's not budging. He is healthy, happy but not doing a whole lot. He is fixed. We think he may be around 6 or 7 years old.
How can he not loose weight?


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## AngelicMisfit13

My newly raw fed puppy eats 6 ounces of meat a day and still comes back to the kitchen looking for more.


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