Feeding 500g Daily? That’s Not a Nutrition Plan, That’s a Guess
A question I often ask pet parents who reach out for advice on nutrition is: “Would you know your dog’s daily energy requirement?” And more often than not, the answer is no.
Every single time I ask this, I get a response that talks about food in grams, “I feed 200g of fresh food per meal,” or “the chart says 150g of kibble daily.”
But here’s the thing: Your dog doesn’t need a specific number of grams, your dog needs a specific amount of energy.
What shocks me even more is when parents come to me for meals custom made to diet charts formulated by a ‘canine nutritionist’, and even those rarely mention the dog’s actual energy needs. There’s no mention of RER (Resting Energy Requirement), MER (Maintenance Energy Requirement), or daily kcal needs. It’s almost always written as “xxx grams per day.”
And that, honestly, is a problem.
Why Grams Are Not Enough
Feeding based on grams assumes that all foods offer the same nutritional value per gram, but they don’t.
100 grams of one recipe might provide 180 kcal, while 100 grams of another might offer 320 kcal. Same goes for kibbles from different brands. Weight can be increased even by adding water to a cooked diet, or a simple tablespoon of cold-pressed coconut oil can add 120 calories to a meal.
If you’re feeding based on grams alone, you’re either underfeeding or overfeeding your dog, unintentionally, of course.
This doesn’t just apply to meals. It includes treats, chews, toppers, and supplements, most of which are energy-dense and can completely throw your dog’s balance off if not accounted for.
Your Dog Runs on Energy, Not Quantity
Every dog has a unique daily energy requirement based on their weight, breed, age, activity level, and even neutering status.
This requirement is calculated in two parts:
There’s a formula that vets and nutritionists use: RER (Resting Energy Requirement) = 70 × (dog’s weight in kg)^0.75
This gives you the number of kilocalories your dog needs just to stay alive at rest, no walks, no zoomies, just basic body functions.
Then, depending on their life stage and activity level, this number is multiplied by a factor to get their MER (Maintenance Energy Requirement), the actual energy they need to live their everyday life.
That’s it. A rough but reliable starting point. And from here, you can build a diet that’s actually aligned with what your dog’s body needs, not just what fills their bowl.
What Happens When You Ignore It?
You might be:
- Feeding the right food, but in the wrong quantity
- Relying on a generic feeding chart that doesn’t suit your dog
- Seeing unexplained weight gain or loss
- Missing out on spotting nutritional imbalances early on
Worse, you may feel like you're doing everything "by the book," and still not seeing your dog thrive, simply because the book doesn’t mention kcal.
Let’s Flip the Script
Instead of asking, “How many grams should I feed?”,
we should be asking, “How much energy does my dog need today?”
When that becomes your baseline, everything changes:
- You start reading food labels differently
- You become more mindful about treats Supplements and extras
- You stop feeding blindly and start feeding consciously
In Conclusion
So I ask again: Would you know your dog’s daily energy requirement?
If the answer is still no, that’s okay. It’s not your fault.
The system, the labels, and even many professionals still focus on grams, not energy.
But now you know better. And once you know, it’s hard to go back to feeding by weight alone.
Your dog doesn’t need more food. They need the right food, with the right energy, measured in kcal.
Let’s start there.
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Rachna, founder of Skylish, is a canine wellness guide grounded in science-based nutrition and fear-free dog care. She champions fresh feeding while supporting parents who choose commercial diets—always with the dog’s well-being at the core. Rachna also offers pro bono consultations, creating a safe, judgment-free space for pet parents to seek guidance and voice concerns.