Dog weight loss: how much food, how fast
Enter current weight, target weight and your food. We calculate carefully: slow and safe beats fast.
Start with
Start with
152 g per day
- Never less than
- 87 g per day
- Safe pace (1–2%)
- 4.2 oz–8.3 oz per week
- To target weight
- about 6–12 weeks
- Treats up to
- 57 kcal
Look for “Calorie Content”, e.g. “3,750 kcal/kg, 375 kcal/cup”.
Weigh every 2 weeks. If your pet loses more slowly, feed 10% less, but never below the floor. If it loses more than 2% per week, feed 10% more.
A starting point – the scale has the final say. If your dog is ill, talk to your vet.
Questions
How fast can a dog lose weight?
A common goal is about 1–2% of body weight per week. For a 26 lb dog that’s about 4–8 oz per week.
My dog eats little but doesn’t lose weight. What now?
Count every treat and chew – together no more than 10% of daily calories. Weigh the food instead of using a scoop. If nothing changes, talk to your vet.
How do I find the target weight?
Ask your vet. They can judge your dog’s body condition.
Why no plan for severe overweight?
If the target weight is 20% or more below the current weight, the dog counts as obese. Then your vet should guide the plan.
Related
- Is my dog overweight?The scale alone doesn’t tell you much: a 65-lb dog can be lean or round. Your dog’s shape tells you more. You can check ribs, waist and belly in a minute.
- How to weigh your pet at homeYou don’t need a pet scale. A bathroom scale, a carrier or a baby scale works too, as long as you weigh the same way every time.
- How many treats per day?Treats, chews and table scraps all count. Together they should make up at most 10% of daily calories; the rest comes from the main food.
All calculators
- Dog food calculatorDaily amount for your dog – from weight and your food.
- Cat food calculatorDaily amount for your cat, wet food included.
- Cat weight loss: slow and safeSlow, safe weight loss – with a floor.
- Mixing wet and dry food for catsFeeding wet and dry: the amount of each food.
- Convert a pet food labelConvert a label: dry matter, carbohydrates, calories.