Puppy Feeding Calculator
How much to feed a puppy depends on what it weighs today and how old it is — a growing puppy needs far more per pound than an adult dog. The figure below uses the growth factors the Merck Veterinary Manual publishes, and it is the number to start from before you measure any food out.
Daily calories
885 kcal
per day — for a 15 lb puppy under 4 months.
How much to feed a puppy
Vets start from the resting energy requirement — 70 × (body weight in kg) raised to the power 0.75 — then multiply by a factor for the life stage. The Merck Veterinary Manual publishes 3 × for a puppy under four months and 2 × from four months on. That is calories a day, not cups: read the kilocalories per cup printed on your bag and divide, because that figure differs from one food to the next.
How often should a puppy be fed?
We don’t publish a number, because our source doesn’t. Merck’s nutrition section gives energy requirements for puppies and no meals-per-day figure at all. Rather than invent a rhythm and dress it as science, this page gives the daily total and leaves how to split it to a veterinarian who can see the puppy.
What a second source says
FEDIAF publishes the same idea drawn differently: instead of two steps, an equation in which the requirement falls continuously as a puppy approaches its adult weight — from about 3.2 × resting needs at a fifth of adult weight to about 1.7 × once it gets there. At four months, the age where Merck switches from 3 × to 2 ×, FEDIAF lands between those two factors for every size band it publishes. Two independent documents bracketing one another is about as much agreement as this subject offers, and we show both rather than picking a winner.
FEDIAF also states plainly that puppies should never be fed ad libitum, and that overfeeding has been shown to accelerate growth and can lead to skeletal problems, especially in large and giant breeds. That is a reason to weigh food rather than fill a bowl.
Common questions
How much should I feed my puppy?
Start from the resting energy requirement — 70 × (body weight in kg) raised to 0.75 — then multiply by the growth factor the Merck Veterinary Manual publishes: 3 × for a puppy under four months and 2 × from four months on. That gives calories a day, not cups: read the kilocalories per cup printed on your bag and divide.
How often should I feed a puppy?
We don't publish a number, because our source doesn't. The Merck Veterinary Manual's nutrition section gives energy requirements for puppies but no meals-per-day figure at all — for kittens it only notes they can alternatively be fed free choice. Rather than invent a rhythm, we give the daily total and leave how to split it to your veterinarian, who can see the puppy.
Why does the amount drop at four months?
Because growth slows. Merck steps the factor down from 3 × resting needs to 2 × at four months — a puppy of the same weight needs a third less once it is past that mark. The step is a simplification of something continuous, which is why a second source draws it differently.
Do other sources give the same answer?
They give the same shape, drawn differently, and the difference is worth seeing. FEDIAF publishes an equation instead of two steps: the requirement falls continuously as a puppy approaches its adult weight, from about 3.2 × resting needs at a fifth of adult weight to about 1.7 × once it gets there. At four months — the age Merck switches — FEDIAF lands between Merck's two factors for every size band. Two independent documents bracketing each other is about as much agreement as this subject offers.
Should a large-breed puppy eat differently?
FEDIAF states plainly that puppies should never be fed ad libitum, and that overfeeding has been shown to accelerate growth and can lead to skeletal problems, especially in large and giant breeds. That is a reason to weigh the food rather than fill the bowl — and a question for your veterinarian, who can pick a diet formulated for the size your puppy will reach.
This is a starting estimate. A puppy’s real needs move with breed, activity and the food itself, and overfeeding a large-breed puppy carries its own risks. Set the amount with a veterinarian rather than guessing from a bag.
Verified on . Based on Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food for Cats and Dogs (FEDIAF (European Pet Food Industry Federation), 2025 edition (growth curves Table VII-8a, growth energy VII-8b and VII-10)) and Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals — energy requirements of the dog and cat (Merck Veterinary Manual, “Energy” section, accessed 2026-07-23). See the method.