Free tool
Enter your puppy's age, weight and food, and get a daily portion in grams. This is the same veterinary energy formula the Vivlo app uses. It is general guidance, not veterinary advice, and the feeding guide on your bag and your own vet always come first.
Today's guide
No magic, and nothing invented. The calculator uses the standard veterinary energy method, the same one your vet's practice uses, and the same maths inside the Vivlo app.
A dog's resting energy requirement follows RER = 70 × kg0.75, the established metabolic-scaling law for body size.
Puppies need far more than resting energy. Under 4 months the guide is 3 times RER, easing through 2.5 and 2 as your puppy approaches their breed's own maturity age. Large and giant breeds get a slightly lower growth-phase amount, because slow, steady growth protects their developing joints. Once fully grown it settles to about 1.6 for an intact adult, or 1.4 once neutered, because neutering lowers how much energy a dog burns.
Daily calories divided by your food's energy density (kcal per 100g, printed on the bag) gives grams per day, rounded to the nearest 5.
The full sources, including the National Research Council's nutrient requirements and the metabolic-scaling work behind the formula, are on our references page.
A calculator knows three numbers about your puppy. It can't feel their ribs, see their waist, or notice that they've had a big week of growing. Two honest limits to keep in mind:
Body condition beats the scale. The hands-on rib-and-waist check your vet uses tells you more than any formula. It follows the 9-point WSAVA body condition score. If your puppy is carrying a little extra, feed toward the lower end and trim treats first.
The right amount changes as they grow. This number is right for today. In a few weeks your puppy will be heavier, and possibly in a different growth stage, so the portion moves. That's normal, not a mistake. If you're not sure whether that new weight itself is normal, the puppy weight chart guide covers what to expect by size and how to check.
It depends on their weight. As a guide, an 8 week old puppy weighing 2kg needs about 350 kcal a day, which is roughly 95g of typical dry puppy food split across 3 meals. A bigger 4kg puppy of the same age needs about 594 kcal, roughly 160g. Enter your own puppy's details above for a number that fits them.
Three meals a day until about 6 months old, then two. Very young puppies with tiny stomachs often do better with the same daily amount split into 4 smaller meals. What matters is the daily total, not how you split it.
Both are guides. The bag knows the food, and this calculator knows your puppy's age, weight and breed. Start here, cross-check the bag, and let your puppy's body condition settle the difference over time. If the two disagree by a lot, ask your vet.
Around their breed's maturity age: roughly 10 to 12 months for small breeds, and up to 18 to 24 months for large and giant breeds. Energy needs fall as growth slows, which is why the calculator's portion drops through the growth stages. More on how Vivlo handles this on our FAQ page.
The app recalculates portions from every weigh-in, warns you before growth changes the amount, tracks treats against the 10% rule, and tells you when the bag will run out. The core is free, with an optional Premium subscription.