How Much to Feed a 50 kg Dog (110.2 lb)

Quick answer A neutered adult dog of 50 kg (110.2 lb) needs about 2,106 kcal a day, which is about 585 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 50 kg (110.2 lb) dog

Resting energy for 50.0 kg is 1,316 kcal (70 × 50.0^0.75). 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	2,106	619	585	554
Intact adult	2,369	697	658	623
Inactive or prone to weight gain	1,843	542	512	485
Puppy under 4 months	3,949	1,161	1,097	1,039
Puppy 4 months to adult	2,632	774	731	693

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)	292 g each
Three meals a day	195 g each
Treat allowance (10% of calories)	211 kcal: 70 pieces of 3 kcal, or 5.5 of 38 kcal
Water (about 50 mL per kg)	2,500 mL (range 2,000 to 3,000); call the vet above 5,000 mL
Dry food as a share of body weight	1.2% a day
Calories per kilogram of body weight	42.1 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	52.65	70.20	87.75	105.30

How long a bag lasts

Bag size	2 kg	5 kg	10 kg	15 kg
Days at 585 g a day	3	9	17	26

A sample day for a 50 kg (110.2 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	263 g
During the day	Treats and training rewards (counted)	211 kcal
Evening	Meal	263 g
All day	Fresh water (about 2,500 mL)	Always available

Meals are smaller than the table above because the treat allowance of 211 kcal is taken out of the day's 2,106 kcal: 1,895 kcal of meals is 526 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 2,106 kcal.

Share of calories from wet food	Wet food	Dry food
25%	526 g	439 g
50%	1,053 g	292 g
75%	1,579 g	146 g

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

How 50 kg compares with nearby weights

Weight	kcal a day (neutered adult)	g of 3,600 kcal/kg food	kcal per kg of body weight
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 50 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	45.5 kg (100.2 lb)	1,225	340	5 to 10
7 of 9	41.7 kg (91.9 lb)	1,148	319	10 to 19
8 of 9	38.5 kg (84.8 lb)	1,081	300	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 50 kg (110.2 lb) is your dog's adult weight

Age charts group dogs by adult size. At 50 kg (110.2 lb) the size group is giant, which adds 7 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	31.0	48.6
5 years	45.0	56.8
8 years	66.0	64.3
10 years	80.0	67.8
12 years	94.0	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. The heaviest dogs on this page already show the effect: calories per kilogram fall as weight rises, from the smallest to the largest dog. At 50 kg (110.2 lb), the neutered figure is 42.1 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 50 kg (110.2 lb) dog eat a day?

A neutered adult of 50 kg (110.2 lb) needs about 2,106 kcal a day. On a 3,600 kcal/kg dry food that is about 585 g. Intact and inactive dogs need 2,369 and 1,843 kcal.

How many meals a day for a 50 kg dog?

Two meals of about 292 g, or three of about 195 g, using the same 3,600 kcal/kg food. Your vet may suggest a different pattern.

How many treats can a 50 kg dog have?

Treats should stay within about 10% of daily calories, which is 211 kcal: 70 pieces of 3 kcal or 5.5 pieces of 38 kcal. Subtract them from the meals.

My 50 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 41.7 kg (91.9 lb). A common weight-loss target is 1.0 times resting energy at the goal weight: about 1,148 kcal a day, or 319 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 50 kg dog drink?

About 2,500 mL a day (range 2,000 to 3,000 mL). Drinking more than about 5,000 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.