Kcal

Kcal is an abbreviation for kilocalorie, or kilogram calorie.

The following formula can be used for calculating your dog's daily Kcal requirement:

MER¹ 132 x (body weight in kilograms)0.75

Using this formula provides an estimate of how many calories per day a dog needs.

Example

What is the daily energy requirements of a 10 lb dog?

1. Convert pounds to kilograms. ( 1 lbs 0.454 kg)

10 lbs x 0.454 4.54 kg

2. Determine the metabolic body weight. (kg0.75)

4.540 x .75 3.11

3. Multiply metabolic body weight by 132.

3.11 x 132 410.5 or 411 kcal

Therefore, a 10 pound dog requires 411 kcal per day.

Note:

The exact formula for obtaining the MER remains controversial but the above formula was used by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in their 1995 book. Another popular formula for calculating the MER by Burger (1995) is used by the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition:

MER 110 x (body weight in kilograms)0.75

Notice the difference in the results between the first formula and the Waltham formula. You will find the Waltham formula comes closer to most dog food maker's recommendations. The first formula appears to overfeed when compared to dog food maker's recommendations. Use whichever formula best suites you. In the long run, adjust your dog's feeding to maintain an optimum weight. If your dog is a pure breed, information on height and weight standards should exist.

Source: www.mycockerspaniel.com

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Footnotes

1. The maintenance energy requirement (MER) is the amount of energy used by a moderately active adult dog in a thermoneutral environment, that is, at the optimal ambient temperature. It represents the energy expended in obtaining and using food in an amount sufficient to maintain body weight, but not to support growth, pregnancy or lactation. It is important to remember that the calculated MER only represents an estimate of energy need.