What are Calories And Why is It Important?
Ever wondered how much food your dog actually needs? This is important to know whether your dog eats kibble or a fresh food diet.
Making sure your dog gets the right amount of calories is key to avoiding overfeeding or underfeeding.
So, what do calories mean?
To put it simply, calories are the energy content in food. They’re the fuel that powers your dog’s life, coming from the fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
And why are they important?
Well, if your dog is consuming too many calories, they could become overweight or even obese.
On the contrary, when they don’t get enough calories, they will start losing weight because their body goes into starvation mode, meaning ‘burning’ fat and muscle to supply enough energy.
This is where the Dog Calorie Calculator comes into play.
It quickly calculates the calories your dog needs per day. With this information, you can ensure your dog gets the right amount of food to stay healthy and happy.
No more guesswork!
But remember: while this is helpful, it’s always a good idea to consult with your vet when in doubt. Every dog is unique, and their needs may change over time.
How to Use the Dog Calorie Calculator?
Now, how to use the calculator?
Easy! Just fill in what your dog’s ideal weight is, its sex, level of activity, breed size, and if it is neutered/spayed.
Voilà! You will have the daily caloric needs of your dog.
But that is not all. Now comes the important part: comparing this to what you are already feeding them.
Add up the total calories from all food items you feed your dog in a day. This includes those extra special treats and chews.
This gives you a clear picture of whether the current diet is meeting their needs.
If the amount of calories they get from their food comes near to the one from the calculator, then great! If it is way off, then some adjustments may be needed in their diet.
How to Calculate Your Dog’s Caloric Needs?
If you’re a math nerd who loves crunching numbers, you might be interested in calculating on your own.
Here’s how you can do it using some simple formulas:
- Step 1: Calculate Your Dog’s Metabolic Weight (MW)
Get your dog’s weight in Kg.
Raise the weight (kg) to the power of 0.75
Eg, My Shih Tzu Billy is 6.2kg, then his MW will be 6.2^0.75 = 3.929 - Step 2: Calculate the Caloric Needs
Take the MW and multiply it by a multiplier between 90 – 130.
The multiplier depends on your dog’s life stage and activity level.
Eg, Billy is an active adult intact male. I choose a larger multiplier of around 115. That means: 3.929 X 115 = 451 kcal / day
Remember, these calculations are just a starting point. Other factors such as your dog’s health conditions can also affect their caloric needs.
Always consult with your vet before making any significant changes to your dog’s diet.