Puppy feeding chart and calculator
Enter your puppy's age and weight to get a daily calorie target and the amount of food in cups. Below the calculator you will find a puppy feeding chart by age and size, and another by current weight.
Range 1.6 to 2.0 cups
- Daily calories
- 748 kcal
- Per meal
- 0.59 cups
- Resting needs
- 249 kcal
- Life stage factor
- 3.0
Puppy feeding chart by age and size
Cups of food a day, split into three meals, at the food energy entered above. Weights come from the growth curves of the puppy size calculator, using the average adult weight of each group in the study: small 17 lb, medium 35 lb, large 62 lb, giant 123 lb.
| Puppy age | Small | Medium | Large | Giant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 months | 0.8 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.7 |
| 3 months | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 3.8 |
| 4 months | 1.0 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 3.5 |
| 5 months | 1.2 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 4.4 |
| 6 months | 1.4 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 5.2 |
| 8 months | 1.5 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 6.2 |
| 10 months | 1.5 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 6.6 |
| 12 months | 1.6 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 6.7 |
Puppy feeding chart by current weight
| Puppy weight (lb) | Under 4 months (cups) | 4 months and older (cups) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| 10 | 1.6 | 1.0 |
| 15 | 2.1 | 1.4 |
| 20 | 2.6 | 1.7 |
| 30 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
| 40 | 4.4 | 2.9 |
| 50 | 5.2 | 3.5 |
| 60 | 6.0 | 4.0 |
How the estimate works
Puppies need far more energy per pound than adult dogs because they are growing. The standard veterinary guideline multiplies resting energy by 3.0 for puppies under 4 months and by 2.0 from 4 months until adulthood. The amount of food is daily calories divided by the kcal in one cup. The range shown is 10 percent either side.
The factor changes at 4 months, so the chart steps down at that age. Real puppies taper off gradually, so if your puppy is close to 4 months, feed by body condition and adjust in small steps.
Questions
How many times a day should I feed a puppy?
Young puppies usually eat three or four small meals a day. Many move to two meals a day at around six months, but follow your vet's advice for your puppy.
Should I follow the bag or this calculator?
The bag is a good starting point for that specific food, since it knows the calories. This calculator gives a calorie target from weight and age, which you can compare with the bag. If they differ a lot, start with the lower amount and watch your puppy's body condition.
Is it different for large breed puppies?
Yes. Large and giant breed puppies are usually fed to grow at a steady, controlled rate, since overfeeding can push growth too fast. Ask your vet for a plan and a food made for large breed puppies.
How do I know if I am feeding the right amount?
You should feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat and see a waist from above. Weigh your puppy every week or two and adjust the amount in small steps.
When do I switch to adult food?
It depends on the breed. Small dogs often switch around 10 to 12 months and large breeds later. Ask your vet, and switch gradually over about a week.
How big will my puppy get?
Try the puppy size calculator. For adult dogs see how much to feed a dog.
Sources
- Hill's Pet Nutrition, Estimated Energy Requirements for Dogs and Cats (resting energy requirement and life stage multipliers for puppies).
- Hawthorne A.J. et al., "Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds", Journal of Nutrition, 2004 (growth curves used for the chart by age and size).
Last reviewed 2026-10-26. This page is general information and not veterinary advice.