How Much to Feed a Senior Dog — Portion Guide

Getting Portions Right for Your Aging Dog

One of the most common questions senior dog owners have is also one of the most important: how much should I actually be feeding? Too much and your dog gains weight that stresses their joints and organs. Too little and they lose muscle mass and energy. Finding the right amount requires understanding a few key concepts and being willing to adjust as your dog's needs evolve.

The feeding guidelines printed on dog food bags are a starting point, not a prescription. They are based on average dogs and cannot account for your individual senior's metabolism, activity level, health conditions, or body composition. This guide will help you move beyond those generic recommendations and dial in the right amount for your specific dog.

Understanding Calorie Needs

The foundation of portion control is understanding how many calories your senior dog needs each day. This is determined by their Resting Energy Requirement (RER) multiplied by a factor that accounts for activity level and life stage.

Basic Calorie Calculation

A simplified approach that works for most owners:

• Inactive/low activity senior: Approximately 25-30 calories per pound of ideal body weight per day
• Moderately active senior: Approximately 30-35 calories per pound of ideal body weight per day
• Very active senior (uncommon): Approximately 35-40 calories per pound of ideal body weight per day

Note the emphasis on "ideal body weight." If your dog currently weighs 50 pounds but should weigh 40, base the calculation on 40 pounds. This is a common mistake: feeding for the current weight rather than the target weight perpetuates the excess weight.

Calorie Examples by Size

Here are rough daily calorie ranges for moderately active senior dogs at a healthy weight. These are starting estimates, not rigid rules:

• Small breeds (10-20 lbs): 300-600 calories per day
• Medium breeds (20-50 lbs): 600-1,200 calories per day
• Large breeds (50-90 lbs): 1,200-1,800 calories per day
• Giant breeds (90+ lbs): 1,800-2,500+ calories per day

Small breeds tend to need more calories per pound because their metabolisms are faster. Large and giant breeds need fewer calories per pound but more total calories because of their size. Your veterinarian can provide a more precise daily calorie target using your dog's body condition score and specific health profile.

Translating Calories into Actual Food

Once you know your dog's daily calorie target, the next step is figuring out how much food that translates to. This requires checking the calorie content of your specific dog food.

Finding Calorie Information

Look for the calorie content statement on the food packaging. It is usually listed as "kcal per cup" for dry food and "kcal per can" for wet food. For example, if your dog needs 800 calories per day and the kibble provides 350 kcal per cup, your dog needs approximately 2.3 cups of food per day, divided into two meals.

The Measuring Problem

Here is something many owners do not realize: measuring cups are not very accurate for dog food. Different kibble shapes and sizes settle differently in a cup, which means the actual amount can vary by 10-20% from scoop to scoop. Over time, this inconsistency adds up.

Measuring food by weight (grams) using a kitchen scale is significantly more accurate. If the food provides 350 kcal per cup and a cup weighs about 120 grams, then you know that 120 grams equals 350 kcal. Weighing takes the guesswork out of portions entirely.

Meal Frequency for Senior Dogs

How often you feed matters alongside how much you feed. Here are the common approaches and when each makes sense:

Two Meals Per Day

This is the standard recommendation for most senior dogs. Splitting the daily portion into morning and evening meals supports stable blood sugar, provides consistent energy, and gives your dog two events to look forward to each day. Space meals roughly 10-12 hours apart.

Three Meals Per Day

Some senior dogs do better with three smaller meals. This can be helpful for dogs with digestive sensitivity who experience discomfort after larger meals, dogs who tend to vomit bile on an empty stomach (bilious vomiting syndrome), dogs with diabetes who need more consistent blood sugar regulation, and underweight dogs you are trying to get more calories into.

Avoid Free Feeding

Leaving food available all day makes it nearly impossible to monitor how much your dog is eating. This is particularly important for senior dogs, because a sudden decrease in appetite can be an early warning sign of illness. With measured meals at set times, you will notice immediately if your dog is not eating their usual amount.

Accounting for Treats and Extras

One of the biggest blind spots in portion control is the calories that come from outside the food bowl. Every treat, dental chew, pill pocket, training reward, and table scrap adds calories that can quietly push your dog over their daily target.

The 10% Rule

Keep treats and extras to 10% or less of your dog's total daily calorie intake. For a dog eating 1,000 calories per day, that means no more than 100 calories from non-meal sources. Here is what some common treats contain:

• A single medium-sized dental chew: 50-100 calories
• A tablespoon of peanut butter: about 95 calories
• A small handful of commercial dog biscuits: 30-70 calories
• A baby carrot: about 4 calories
• A blueberry: about 1 calorie

When treats add up, reduce the next meal portion accordingly. This simple habit prevents the slow weight gain that happens when "just a few treats" becomes a daily addition on top of full meals.

Slow Feeders and Portion Bowls

If your senior dog tends to eat too quickly, a slow feeder bowl can help. Fast eating leads to poor digestion, increased gas, and can contribute to bloat in susceptible breeds. Slow feeders have ridges, channels, or obstacles that force your dog to eat more slowly, extending mealtime from seconds to several minutes.

Adjusting Portions Over Time

Your senior dog's calorie needs are not static. They will change as activity levels shift, health conditions develop or are treated, seasons change, and the aging process continues. Build regular monitoring into your routine:

Monthly Body Condition Check

Run your hands over your dog's ribs and look at their profile from above and the side. Compare what you see and feel against the body condition score chart your vet can provide. This takes less than a minute and tells you whether portions are on track.

Regular Weigh-Ins

Weigh your dog every two to four weeks. A consistent scale (even a bathroom scale where you weigh yourself holding the dog, then subtract your weight) works for tracking trends. Gradual weight gain or loss is easier to correct than dramatic changes caught late.

When to Adjust

• If your dog is gradually gaining: reduce daily food by 10% and reassess in two weeks.
• If your dog is gradually losing (unintentionally): increase by 10% and reassess. If loss continues, see your vet.
• After starting new medication: some medications affect appetite and metabolism. Monitor weight more closely during the first month.
• Seasonal changes: dogs are often less active in extreme heat and cold. Slight adjustments may be needed.

Working with Your Veterinarian

Your vet is the best resource for determining an accurate daily calorie target for your senior dog. At your dog's regular check-ups, discuss current food, portion sizes, treat habits, and any weight trends. Your vet can calculate a precise calorie recommendation based on your dog's body condition score, lean mass, and health status.

If your dog needs to lose or gain weight, ask your vet to create a specific plan with target weights and a timeline for achieving them. Having concrete goals makes the process more manageable and gives you clear metrics to track progress.

Portion control is one of those areas where a small amount of attention yields significant long-term benefits. The few minutes it takes to measure food accurately, track treats, and monitor body condition can meaningfully improve your senior dog's comfort, mobility, and longevity. It is one of the most impactful everyday things you can do for your aging companion.