How To Calculate How Much
Food To Feed Your Pet
The amount of food to feed a pet (energy) is determined by using equations to predict their daily (or also known
as maintenance) energy requirements and the results are expressed in kcal per day. Energy requirements will also
vary depending on the sex, breed and lifestyle of your pet.
First you will need to work with your Banfield
veterinarian to determine what your pet’s daily
energy requirements are and then write it on the
line (A) below.
(A) ______________________________ kcal per day
Once you and your veterinarian have determined the
average amount of energy needed each day (kcal per
day) for your pet, you need to determine the kcal per
cup of food that you are currently feeding.
Your Banfield veterinarian can provide you with the
kcal per cup of quality foods that are recommended
by Banfield. If you feed a different food, the same
information can usually be found on the food
packaging or on the manufacture’s website. Once
you determine the kcal per cup of food, write it on
the line (B) below.
The amount of food fed per day can then be divided into
several meals.
Manufacturers will often provide feeding guidelines
on their packaging and/or product guides and web
sites. Regardless of whether you determine the
amount to feed by using the equations or by referring
to the information provided by the manufacturer, it is
important to remember that these are guidelines and
act only as a good place to start. The guidelines are
developed on the needs of the average pet. The true
needs of the individual pet can vary by as much as 25
percent depending on their breed, body composition,
environment and activity level. Therefore the most
precise way to determine how much to feed an individual
is to use the guidelines as a start and then adjust the
amount fed every couple of weeks to maintain the pet in
ideal body condition.
(B) __________________________ kcal per cup of food
Now that you have information on both line A and
B, you can determine how many cups of food you
should be feeding your pet each day.
To calculate the number of cups per day to feed =
kcal per day (line A)
kcal per cup of food (line B)
For additional information, please contact your Banfield medical team.