How Much to Feed a 40 kg Dog (88.2 lb)

Quick answer A neutered adult dog of 40 kg (88.2 lb) needs about 1,781 kcal a day, which is about 495 g of a 3,600 kcal/kg dry food. Weigh your dog monthly and adjust by about 10% if the trend is wrong.

Daily calories and grams for a 40 kg (88.2 lb) dog

Resting energy for 40.0 kg is 1,113 kcal (70 × 40.0^0.75). Multiply by the factor for the life stage to get the day's energy, then divide by the food's kcal per gram.

Life stage	kcal a day	g at 3,400 kcal/kg	g at 3,600 kcal/kg	g at 3,800 kcal/kg
Neutered adult	1,781	524	495	469
Intact adult	2,004	589	557	527
Inactive or prone to weight gain	1,559	458	433	410
Puppy under 4 months	3,340	982	928	879
Puppy 4 months to adult	2,227	655	619	586

These are averages from the Merck/WSAVA energy factors. Your dog may need 10 to 20% more or less. Check the energy on your own food's label and use the calculator below.

Meals, treats, water and cost

Two meals a day (neutered adult)	247 g each
Three meals a day	165 g each
Treat allowance (10% of calories)	178 kcal: 59 pieces of 3 kcal, or 4.7 of 38 kcal
Water (about 50 mL per kg)	2,000 mL (range 1,600 to 2,400); call the vet above 4,000 mL
Dry food as a share of body weight	1.2% a day
Calories per kilogram of body weight	44.5 kcal per kg

Monthly food cost at example prices

Cost = grams a day × 30 ÷ 1,000 × price per kg. The prices are examples; use your own.

Price per kg	3.00	4.00	5.00	6.00
Dry food, 3,600 kcal/kg	44.54	59.38	74.23	89.07

How long a bag lasts

Bag size	2 kg	5 kg	10 kg	15 kg
Days at 495 g a day	4	10	20	30

A sample day for a 40 kg (88.2 lb) dog

One way to lay out a neutered adult's day on a 3,600 kcal/kg dry food, with treats counted inside the total.

Time	What	Amount
Morning	Meal	223 g
During the day	Treats and training rewards (counted)	178 kcal
Evening	Meal	223 g
All day	Fresh water (about 2,000 mL)	Always available

Meals are smaller than the table above because the treat allowance of 178 kcal is taken out of the day's 1,781 kcal: 1,603 kcal of meals is 445 g.

If you feed wet and dry together

Split the calories, not the grams. This uses a wet food of 1,000 kcal/kg and a dry food of 3,600 kcal/kg for a neutered adult needing 1,781 kcal.

Share of calories from wet food	Wet food	Dry food
25%	445 g	371 g
50%	891 g	247 g
75%	1,336 g	124 g

Do not add wet food on top of the full dry amount: that doubles the calories it replaces.

How 40 kg compares with nearby weights

Weight	kcal a day (neutered adult)	g of 3,600 kcal/kg food	kcal per kg of body weight
28 kg (61.7 lb)	1,363	379	48.7
30 kg (66.1 lb)	1,436	399	47.9
35 kg (77.2 lb)	1,612	448	46.0
40 kg (88.2 lb)	1,781	495	44.5
45 kg (99.2 lb)	1,946	541	43.2
50 kg (110.2 lb)	2,106	585	42.1

If your 40 kg dog is overweight

Using the rule that each body-condition point above 5 (of 9) is about 10% over ideal weight, here is what a weight-loss plan could look like. The calorie target is 1.0 times resting energy at the goal weight, and the pace is 1 to 2% of body weight a week (AAHA 2014). Your vet should confirm the goal and the plan.

Body condition	Goal weight	kcal a day	g of 3,600 kcal/kg food	Weeks at 2% to 1% a week
6 of 9	36.4 kg (80.2 lb)	1,037	288	5 to 10
7 of 9	33.3 kg (73.5 lb)	971	270	10 to 19
8 of 9	30.8 kg (67.8 lb)	915	254	13 to 27

Not sure of your dog's score? The Dog Body Condition Score tool shows how to check, and the Dog Weight Loss Calculator works from your own goal weight.

Age and life stage if 40 kg (88.2 lb) is your dog's adult weight

Age charts group dogs by adult size. At 40 kg (88.2 lb) the size group is large, which adds 6 human years for each dog year after the second.

Dog's age	Human years (size chart)	Human years (epigenetic formula)
1 year	15.0	31.0
3 years	30.0	48.6
5 years	42.0	56.8
8 years	60.0	64.3
10 years	72.0	67.8
12 years	84.0	70.8

Why a dog twice as heavy does not eat twice as much

Energy needs rise with body weight to the power 0.75, not in a straight line. Moving from 40 kg to 45 kg is a 13% weight increase but only about 9% more calories. At 40 kg (88.2 lb), the neutered figure is 44.5 kcal per kg of body weight.

What changes your dog's number

Neutering and activity. The table shows a 10 to 30% spread between stages.
The food. A richer food means fewer grams for the same calories.
Treats. They count within the daily total.
Weight trend. Weigh monthly, score body condition and adjust by about 10%.
Health. A pet on a veterinary diet or with a health condition should follow the vet's plan.

Frequently asked questions

How much should a 40 kg (88.2 lb) dog eat a day?

A neutered adult of 40 kg (88.2 lb) needs about 1,781 kcal a day. On a 3,600 kcal/kg dry food that is about 495 g. Intact and inactive dogs need 2,004 and 1,559 kcal.

How many meals a day for a 40 kg dog?

Two meals of about 247 g, or three of about 165 g, using the same 3,600 kcal/kg food. Your vet may suggest a different pattern.

How many treats can a 40 kg dog have?

Treats should stay within about 10% of daily calories, which is 178 kcal: 59 pieces of 3 kcal or 4.7 pieces of 38 kcal. Subtract them from the meals.

My 40 kg dog is overweight. How many calories should it eat to lose weight?

If your dog is at body condition 7 of 9 (about 20% over ideal), a goal weight is about 33.3 kg (73.5 lb). A common weight-loss target is 1.0 times resting energy at the goal weight: about 971 kcal a day, or 270 g of a 3,600 kcal/kg food. At 1 to 2% of body weight a week that takes about 10 to 19 weeks. Your vet should confirm the goal and the plan.

How much water should a 40 kg dog drink?

About 2,000 mL a day (range 1,600 to 2,400 mL). Drinking more than about 4,000 mL a day is a reason to call your vet.

Other weights

Related guides

How we calculate: RER = 70 × kg^0.75, times the life-stage factor, as set out on Formulas & sources. This page is general information, not veterinary advice; ask your vet about your dog.