Most treat packets have a calorie figure, but it is not always the one you need. Some give kcal per kilogram, some per 100 g, a few per treat and many give none on the front. To count treats inside the day’s allowance, you need calories per treat, and that takes one multiplication. This guide shows the conversion, gives a table for treats from 1 to 10 g at three common energy levels, applies it to a dog and a cat and explains how to weigh treats so that the answer is based on what is really in the bowl. For counting treats from scratch and for the 10% idea, see our guides to dog treat calories and how many treats a dog can have. The Pet Treat Energy Converter does the sum.
The formula
kcal per treat = kcal per kg × weight of one treat (g) ÷ 1,000
If the label gives kcal per 100 g, first multiply by 10 to get kcal per kg, or use
kcal per treat = kcal per 100 g × weight of one treat (g) ÷ 100
For a treat that weighs 5 g and a label of 3,500 kcal/kg (350 kcal per 100 g): 3,500 × 5 ÷ 1,000 = 17.5 kcal.
A table of calories per treat
| Treat weight | At 3,000 kcal/kg | At 3,500 kcal/kg | At 4,000 kcal/kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 g | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| 2 g | 6.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 |
| 3 g | 9.0 | 10.5 | 12.0 |
| 5 g | 15.0 | 17.5 | 20.0 |
| 10 g | 30.0 | 35.0 | 40.0 |
A 10 g treat at 3,500 kcal/kg is 35 kcal; for a small dog that can be a tenth of the day’s energy in a single bite. The same treat is a trivial amount for a large dog.
How many treats fit the allowance
Treats are usually kept to about 10% of the daily energy. That is a common practice guideline, not an NRC requirement, and your vet may set a lower figure for a pet that needs to lose weight.
A neutered 20 kg dog. Daily energy is 1.6 × 70 × 20^0.75 = 1,059 kcal. Ten percent is 106 kcal.
| Treat (3,500 kcal/kg) | Calories each | Treats in 106 kcal |
|---|---|---|
| 2 g | 7.0 | 15 |
| 5 g | 17.5 | 6 |
| 10 g | 35.0 | 3 |
A neutered 4 kg cat. Daily energy is 1.2 × 70 × 4^0.75 = 238 kcal, and an inactive cat at 1.0 × RER is 198 kcal. Ten percent of 198 kcal is 19.8 kcal.
| Treat (4,000 kcal/kg) | Calories each | Treats in 19.8 kcal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 g | 4.0 | 4 |
| 2 g | 8.0 | 2 |
| 3 g | 12.0 | 1 |
The division is rounded down, because going over the allowance matters more than falling slightly short. The cat has an allowance of only about four small treats a day, which is why high-calorie treats and generous hands add up fast. See how many treats a cat can have.
Weigh a sample, not one treat
Treats vary in size, and the label weight is often an average or only an indication. To find the true weight per treat:
- Take 20 treats from the packet.
- Weigh them together on a kitchen scale.
- Divide by 20.
If 20 treats weigh 96 g, each is 4.8 g, and at 3,500 kcal/kg that is 16.8 kcal. A chew or a biscuit that you break into pieces is easier: weigh the whole item, calculate its calories and divide by the number of pieces. This takes a minute once per packet and removes the guesswork from every later count.
When the label has no calories
Not all treats list calories. If the packet has a guaranteed analysis, estimate the energy with the modified Atwater factors (3.5 kcal/g protein, 8.5 for fat, 3.5 for carbohydrate by difference); see how to calculate calories in dog food from the label. For example, a treat with protein 20%, fat 8%, fibre 3%, moisture 12% and ash 6% has carbohydrate (NFE) of 100 − 20 − 8 − 3 − 12 − 6 = 51%, so energy per 100 g = 20 × 3.5 + 8 × 8.5 + 51 × 3.5 = 70 + 68 + 178.5 = 316.5 kcal, or 3,165 kcal/kg. It is an estimate, so keep a margin. If you can, ask the maker; many reply with a figure.
Treat calories come out of the meal
Treat calories are part of the day, not extra. If a dog has 106 kcal of treats, the meals are cut by 106 kcal.
| kcal | Grams of a 3.6 kcal/g food | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily need | 1,059 | 294 |
| Treats (10%) | 106 | |
| Meal energy | 953 | 265 |
So the meal is 265 g, not 294 g. If you give the full meal and the treats, the dog eats 10% over its need each day. Over a month that is about 3,220 kcal, an amount that can show up on the scale. The Dog Treat Calculator and the Cat Treat Calculator work out the allowance and the number of treats.
Training sessions
A training session can use many small rewards. The count matters more than the type. If a session uses 30 rewards, each must be tiny. At 106 kcal for the day, 30 rewards are 3.5 kcal each, about 1 g of a 3,500 kcal/kg treat. Cut treats small, or use part of the meal as the reward. See training treats without weight gain for ideas.
A worked example
Hana has a 4 kg inactive cat that needs 198 kcal a day. She buys treats listed as 410 kcal per 100 g, and 20 treats weigh 31 g.
| Step | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| kcal per kg | 410 × 10 | 4,100 |
| Weight per treat | 31 ÷ 20 | 1.55 g |
| kcal per treat | 4,100 × 1.55 ÷ 1,000 | 6.4 |
| Allowance (10%) | 198 × 0.10 | 19.8 kcal |
| Treats a day | 19.8 ÷ 6.4 | 3.1, so 3 |
| Meal after treats | 198 − 19 | 179 kcal |
| Dry food at 3.8 kcal/g | 179 ÷ 3.8 | 47 g |
Hana gives three treats a day and feeds 47 g of the main food instead of 52 g. She writes the figures on the treat packet with a marker so everyone in the house gives the same amount.
A whole day’s treats, counted
Most households give more than one kind. List them with their calories and add up.
| Treat | Weight | kcal/kg | kcal each | Number a day | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biscuit | 5 g | 3,500 | 17.5 | 3 | 52.5 |
| Dental chew (half) | 10 g | 3,200 | 32.0 | 1 | 32.0 |
| Training bits | 1 g | 3,000 | 3.0 | 10 | 30.0 |
| Total | 114.5 |
The total is 114.5 kcal, which is 8.5 kcal (8%) over the 106 kcal allowance for the 20 kg dog. To fit, drop three training bits (9 kcal) or swap one biscuit for a smaller one. The daily meal is then reduced by the treat total, as in the table above. Doing this once for the household’s usual treats gives you a card to keep with the food: “three biscuits, one half chew, seven bits”, and everybody can follow it.
Chews and long-lasting treats
A chew that lasts days is eaten in portions, and the calories are those of the part eaten. Weigh the chew before and after to find the share eaten. If a 60 g chew at 3,200 kcal/kg (192 kcal) is eaten over three days, that is 64 kcal a day, which is 60% of the 106 kcal allowance for the 20 kg dog.
Common mistakes
- Using kcal per 100 g as if it were kcal per kg.
- Taking the label’s treat weight without checking.
- Forgetting to reduce the meal.
- Counting a whole chew as one treat when it is many.
- Ignoring treats from the table.
- Using dog treat values for a cat.
- Rounding up the number of treats.
Quick summary
- kcal per treat = kcal per kg × treat grams ÷ 1,000.
- A 5 g treat at 3,500 kcal/kg is 17.5 kcal; six fit a 20 kg dog’s 106 kcal allowance.
- A 2 g treat at 4,000 kcal/kg is 8 kcal; two fit a 4 kg cat’s 19.8 kcal.
- Weigh a sample of 20 treats to get the true weight.
- Subtract treat calories from the meal.
- Use the Pet Treat Energy Converter.
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out calories per treat?
Multiply kcal per kg by the weight of one treat in grams and divide by 1,000.
What if the label gives kcal per 100 g?
Multiply by 10 to get kcal per kg, or multiply by the treat's grams ÷ 100.
How many treats can my pet have?
Treats are usually kept to no more than about 10% of the daily energy. Divide that allowance by the calories in one treat.
Do I need to weigh treats?
Weigh a handful once and divide to get an average weight per treat. Break larger treats into pieces of known size.
What about treats that have no calorie figure?
Estimate from the guaranteed analysis, or ask the maker. See the guide to dog treat calories.
Do treat calories reduce the meal?
Yes. They are part of the daily total, so subtract them from the meal amount.
Sources
- NRC (2006) Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, National Academies Press
- AAHA (2014) Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats (treats and extras as part of the daily energy)
- Treat allowance of about 10% of daily energy: common practice guideline, not an NRC requirement
Related calculators
- Pet Treat Energy ConverterTurn kcal per 100 g and the weight of one treat into the calories in each treat.
- Dog Treat Calorie CalculatorCheck how many treats your dog can have a day without unbalancing its diet — the 10% rule.
- Cat Treat Calorie CalculatorCheck how many treats your cat can have a day without unbalancing its diet: the 10% rule.
Keep reading
- Dog Treat Calories: Reading Labels and CountingHow to find the calories in dog treats: kcal per treat or per 100 g, weighing a treat, worked label examples, a counting log and how treats fit into the daily total.
- How Many Treats Can a Dog Have a Day?How many treats a dog can have a day: the 10% rule, a chart of treat counts by weight and treat size, counting chews and training rewards and what to cut at meals.
- How Many Treats Can a Cat Have a Day?How many treats a cat can have a day under the 10% rule: allowance in kcal by cat weight, pieces per day at common calories, and rewards that are not food.
- A Treat Budget for Dog Training SessionsHow to plan treats for training: a 106 kcal allowance split over 60 rewards is 1.8 kcal each, about 0.5 g of a 3,500 kcal/kg treat. Meal-as-reward and a session log.