If you want to give your dog the best chance of enjoying a long and healthy life, one of the best things you can do for them is to control what they eat and how much they consume each day.
Feeding them natural ingredients from a supplier like Open Farm, for instance, would be a great idea for promoting a healthy profile. Another thing you can do would be to take care in the amount of calories your dog gets every day.
As with humans, dogs need a certain amount of calories to stay fit and healthy, but too many will often have a detrimental impact over time. Here are some pointers on how to calculate your dog’s caloric needs.
Every dog is individual
The first thing to say is that it is not really possible to put a precise number on how many calories would be best for your dog on a daily basis.
There are so many variables to take into account. Your dog’s metabolic rate can vary by as much as 20% compared to the average for their breed and general profile.
Their current body weight, how active they are, and their general wellbeing can all be influential factors when trying to determine the right amount of daily calories needed.
However, you can come up with a reasonable estimate with a bit of guidance. You can then monitor your dog’s weight and body condition and make adjustments to their caloric intake accordingly.
Talk to your vet
Your chosen veterinarian will be able to provide some useful input on this topic, especially if your dog has existing health problems or already has special dietary needs.
There is a calculation they use to make a reasonably accurate estimation of the number of calories your dog should be limited to each day. Here is how your vet will often determine a dog’s caloric requirements for optimum energy and health.
In general terms, you can divide the dog’s current body weight in pounds by 2.2. This will convert the figure to kilograms.
The math gets a bit more complicated after that. Your vet will also take into account your dog’s Resting Energy Requirement (RER) and Maintenance Energy Requirement (MER).
These calculations are also influenced by factors such as whether your dog is intact, what level of work they do each day. On average, the bottom line is that you are probably going to come up with a figure that is somewhere between 860 and 1290 kcal per day for a typical dog.
As you can see, that is a very rough guide. The lower number may even fall below the amount they need to maintain a good level of health and stay a good weight.
You know your dog better than anyone. You also know how active they are and what their eating habits are. If you feed them natural ingredients and monitor their weight over a period of time you will soon arrive at a daily caloric number that is right for your dog.
