Puppy feeding chart: calories and cups by adult weight
A puppy that will weigh 20 kg (44 lb) needs about 1,280 kcal a day when it reaches 10 kg, half its adult weight: 3.2 cups of a 400 kcal/cup puppy food, or 320 g of a 4,000 kcal/kg one, split into three meals. Puppies are fed for the size they are growing into, so the chart is by expected adult weight and growth stage (NRC 2006), with cups for 350, 400 and 450 kcal per cup.
Calories a day by adult weight and growth stage
Each cell shows the calories and the puppy weight it applies to; the last column is an active adult of that size for comparison.
| Adult weight | At 25% | At 50% | At 75% | Active adult |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kg (11 lb) | 346 (at 1.3 kg) | 453 (at 2.5 kg) | 472 (at 3.8 kg) | 435 |
| 10 kg (22 lb) | 583 (at 2.5 kg) | 761 (at 5 kg) | 793 (at 7.5 kg) | 731 |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | 980 (at 5 kg) | 1,280 (at 10 kg) | 1,334 (at 15 kg) | 1,229 |
| 30 kg (66 lb) | 1,328 (at 7.5 kg) | 1,735 (at 15 kg) | 1,808 (at 22.5 kg) | 1,666 |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | 1,648 (at 10 kg) | 2,153 (at 20 kg) | 2,244 (at 30 kg) | 2,068 |
Cups per day on a 350 kcal/cup puppy food
| Adult weight | At 25% | At 50% | At 75% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kg (11 lb) | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| 10 kg (22 lb) | 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.3 |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | 2.8 | 3.7 | 3.8 |
| 30 kg (66 lb) | 3.8 | 5.0 | 5.2 |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | 4.7 | 6.2 | 6.4 |
Cups per day on a 400 kcal/cup puppy food
| Adult weight | At 25% | At 50% | At 75% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kg (11 lb) | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| 10 kg (22 lb) | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.0 |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | 2.4 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
| 30 kg (66 lb) | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | 4.1 | 5.4 | 5.6 |
Cups per day on a 450 kcal/cup puppy food
| Adult weight | At 25% | At 50% | At 75% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kg (11 lb) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 10 kg (22 lb) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | 2.2 | 2.8 | 3.0 |
| 30 kg (66 lb) | 3.0 | 3.9 | 4.0 |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | 3.7 | 4.8 | 5.0 |
Reading the numbers
Expected adult weight is the parents' weight or the breed standard; for a mixed breed use the vet's estimate at the first visits. The calories are averages: individual puppies vary by up to 30%, so weigh weekly and adjust by body condition, not by the bowl. Enter the current and adult weight in the dog food calculator with the kcal from your own bag for the exact grams and cups per meal.
Frequently asked questions
- How many cups should I feed my puppy?
- Daily calories divided by the kcal per cup printed on the bag. A puppy heading for 20 kg, at 10 kg today: 3.7 cups at 350 kcal/cup, 3.2 at 400, 2.8 at 450. Bags differ by a third, so the cup count on a generic chart is only right for one food.
- How many meals a day for a puppy?
- Four meals up to about 12 weeks, three from three to six months, two from six months on. Toy breeds under 2 kg keep more frequent meals longer because they run out of glucose quickly. The chart's daily amount is split across those meals.
- Why does a puppy eat more than an adult?
- Growth is expensive: at a quarter of adult weight a puppy for a 10 kg adult needs 583 kcal a day, already close to the 534 kcal of an inactive 10 kg adult. Needs per kilogram fall as the puppy approaches adult size, which the NRC equation captures through the ratio of current to adult weight.
- Large breed puppies: same chart?
- Same equation, larger numbers: a puppy heading for 40 kg needs 2,153 kcal a day at 20 kg. Large and giant breeds should grow slowly on a large-breed puppy food with controlled calcium; overfeeding speeds growth and raises the risk of joint problems. Keep them lean, ribs easy to feel.
- When do I switch to adult food?
- Small breeds around 9-12 months, medium 12 months, large 12-18 months, giant up to 24 months, when growth has stopped. Switch over a week and move to the adult tables in the dog food calculator; the amount usually drops noticeably.
More guides
- How many cups of dog food per day?
Cups of kibble a day by dog weight from the calories on your bag: tables for 300 to 450 kcal per cup, inactive and active adults, and meals.
- How much should I feed my dog? Grams and cups by weight
Daily calories and grams of dry food for dogs from 2 to 50 kg, inactive and active, on foods from 3,400 to 4,000 kcal/kg, with the WSAVA chart range.
- How many calories does a dog need per day?
Calories a day by weight and life stage from the NRC 2006 equations behind the WSAVA charts: adults 2 to 60 kg, puppies by adult size, weight loss.
- How much wet food to feed a dog per day? Cans by weight
Pouches and cans a day for dogs from 5 to 40 kg, wet only or mixed with kibble, for 100 kcal pouches, 250 and 400 kcal cans.
Sources
- NRC 2006, Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats — adult, puppy and kitten energy equations
- WSAVA, Calorie Needs for Healthy Adult Dogs (July 2020) — chart range for dogs
- WSAVA, Calorie Needs for Healthy Adult Cats (July 2020) — chart range for cats
- AAHA 2021 Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines — weight loss at the resting requirement of the target weight
Published 2026-09-17, last updated 2026-10-13. Figures are starting points from the published equations: individual animals vary by up to 30%, so adjust by body condition and ask your vet for puppies under 8 weeks, pregnancy, lactation or any illness.