Dog Weight Loss Calculator

By Manuel Villanueva, 2002, Updated 09/23/20

⚠ In the long run, adjust your dog's feeding to maintain an optimum weight. A dog is considered obese when its body weight exceeds 20% of the ideal for its age, sex and breed. For example, see weight standards for American and English cocker spaniels below. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association has illustrations of obese dogs and those with ideal weights their site.

American Cocker Spaniel

Height 13.5–15.5 in (34-39 cm)

Weight 20–30 lbs (9–13.6 kg)

English Cocker Spaniel

Height 15–17 in (38-43 cm)

Weight 26–34 lbs (11.8–15.4 kg)

Example

My dog is overweight and weighs 30 pounds. Ideally, he should weigh 22 pounds. By how many calories should I limit his diet to reach a goal of 22 pounds?

  1. Convert the desired weight into kilograms.
    • 1 pound = 0.454 kilograms
    • 22 lbs × 0.454 = 9.99 kg
  2. Calculate the estimated caloric requirements for the desired weight. This value is also known as the maintenance energy requirement (MER).
    • MER = 132 × (weight in kg)0.75
    • MER = 132 × (9.99)0.75 = 742 kcal
  3. Determine the number of calories to feed for weight loss–That's 60–70% of MER. Multiply the result in step 2 by 0.6 then again using 0.7.
    • 742 × 0.60 = 445 kcal/day
    • 742 × 0.70 = 519 kcal/day
  4. Once the desired weight has been reached, gradually increase the number of calories to the result in step 2.

How long will it take for my dog to lose weight on this diet?

  1. Determine the daily caloric deficit. Subtract the results in step 3 from step 2.
    • 742 − 445 = 297 kcal
    • 742 − 519 = 223 kcal
  2. Divide 3,500 by the daily deficits in step 5 to determine the number of days to lose 1 pound.
    • 3,500 ÷ 297 = 11.8 days
    • 3,500 ÷ 223 = 15.7 days

Therefore, on a 445 kcal/day diet, my pet should lose 1 pound per 11.8 days. On a 519 kcal/day diet, my pet should lose 1 pound per 15.7 days.

References

  • Siegal, M. (Ed.). (1995). UC Davis book of dogs : The complete medical reference guide for dogs and puppies. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
  • Kriss, R. (2017, November 06). Cocker Spaniel Dog Breed Information. Retrieved September 23, 2020, from https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/cocker-spaniel/
  • Kriss, R. (2017, November 06). English Cocker Spaniel Dog Breed Information. Retrieved September 23, 2020, from https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/english-cocker-spaniel/