Calculate how much to feed your puppy
Getting a new puppy is exciting (and a little overwhelming). Between the toilet training, the puppy-proof furniture checks, and working out why they're suddenly barking at the vacuum cleaner, there's one question that keeps popping up: Am I feeding them the right amount?
Here's the thing: every puppy food bag has a feeding guide, but they're not all created equal. That's because the amount your puppy needs depends on something called Metabolisable Energy (ME) – basically, how many calories are actually in each cup of food. A nutrient-dense puppy food might need less volume than a filler-heavy one to give your pup the same energy.
Most puppy food bags list the ME value (usually in kcal/kg or kcal/cup) somewhere on the back. It's not always obvious, but it's there – often hiding in the guaranteed analysis section or nutritional adequacy statement. If you can't find it, a quick Google of your brand usually does the trick.
Why does ME matter? Because feeding guidelines that ignore ME are basically guessing. Your Golden Retriever puppy on a high-calorie food needs a different portion than the same pup on a lower-calorie food. Get it wrong, and you risk overfeeding (hello, chubby puppy) or underfeeding (not ideal for those crucial growth stages).
The good news? Once you know your food's ME, working out the perfect portion for your puppy's age, breed, and activity level is dead simple. Pop that number into our calculator below, and we'll do the maths for you – right down to the gram.
Let's make sure they're getting exactly what they need to grow into the healthy, bouncy adult dog they're meant to be.
How the puppy feeding calculator works:
This calculator will help you determine the right daily portion for your puppy based on:
- Their current age and weight
- Expected adult weight (don't worry, we'll help estimate this)
- The Metabolisable Energy (ME) of their food
- Their activity level
Just grab your puppy food bag, find that ME number, and let's get started.
