How Much to Feed a 55 lb Dog (24.9 kg)

Quick answer A neutered adult dog of 55 lb (24.9 kg) needs about 1,250 kcal a day, which is about 347 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 55 lb (24.9 kg) dog

Resting energy for 24.9 kg is 781 kcal (70 × 24.9^0.75). 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	1,250	368	347	329
Intact adult	1,407	414	391	370
Inactive or prone to weight gain	1,094	322	304	288
Puppy under 4 months	2,344	689	651	617
Puppy 4 months to adult	1,563	460	434	411

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)	174 g each
Three meals a day	116 g each
Treat allowance (10% of calories)	125 kcal: 42 pieces of 3 kcal, or 3.3 of 38 kcal
Water (about 50 mL per kg)	1,247 mL (range 998 to 1,497); call the vet above 2,495 mL
Dry food as a share of body weight	1.4% a day
Calories per kilogram of body weight	50.1 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	31.26	41.67	52.09	62.51

How long a bag lasts

Bag size	2 kg	5 kg	10 kg	15 kg
Days at 347 g a day	6	14	29	43

A sample day for a 55 lb (24.9 kg) 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	156 g
During the day	Treats and training rewards (counted)	125 kcal
Evening	Meal	156 g
All day	Fresh water (about 1,247 mL)	Always available

Meals are smaller than the table above because the treat allowance of 125 kcal is taken out of the day's 1,250 kcal: 1,125 kcal of meals is 313 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 1,250 kcal.

Share of calories from wet food	Wet food	Dry food
25%	313 g	260 g
50%	625 g	174 g
75%	938 g	87 g

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

How 55 lb compares with nearby weights

Weight	kcal a day (neutered adult)	g of 3,600 kcal/kg food	kcal per kg of body weight
40 lb (18.1 kg)	985	274	54.3
45 lb (20.4 kg)	1,076	299	52.7
50 lb (22.7 kg)	1,164	323	51.3
55 lb (24.9 kg)	1,250	347	50.1
60 lb (27.2 kg)	1,335	371	49.0
65 lb (29.5 kg)	1,417	394	48.1
70 lb (31.8 kg)	1,498	416	47.2

If your 55 lb 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	22.7 kg (50.0 lb)	727	202	5 to 10
7 of 9	20.8 kg (45.8 lb)	682	189	10 to 19
8 of 9	19.2 kg (42.3 lb)	642	178	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 55 lb (24.9 kg) is your dog's adult weight

Age charts group dogs by adult size. At 55 lb (24.9 kg) 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 55 lb to 60 lb is a 9% weight increase but only about 7% more calories. At 55 lb (24.9 kg), the neutered figure is 50.1 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 55 lb (24.9 kg) dog eat a day?

A neutered adult of 55 lb (24.9 kg) needs about 1,250 kcal a day. On a 3,600 kcal/kg dry food that is about 347 g. Intact and inactive dogs need 1,407 and 1,094 kcal.

How many meals a day for a 55 lb dog?

Two meals of about 174 g, or three of about 116 g, using the same 3,600 kcal/kg food. Your vet may suggest a different pattern.

How many treats can a 55 lb dog have?

Treats should stay within about 10% of daily calories, which is 125 kcal: 42 pieces of 3 kcal or 3.3 pieces of 38 kcal. Subtract them from the meals.

My 55 lb 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 20.8 kg (45.8 lb). A common weight-loss target is 1.0 times resting energy at the goal weight: about 682 kcal a day, or 189 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 55 lb dog drink?

About 1,247 mL a day (range 998 to 1,497 mL). Drinking more than about 2,495 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.