1. What is the Homemade Dog Food Serving Size Calculator?

This calculator helps determine the appropriate daily serving size of homemade dog food based on your dog's caloric needs (MER) and the calorie content of your homemade food per serving. Proper portioning is essential for maintaining your dog's ideal weight and health.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the following simple formula:

Where:

• MER — Maintenance Energy Requirement (your dog's daily calorie needs)
• Homemade kcal per serving — Calorie content of one serving of your homemade dog food

Explanation: The calculation divides your dog's total daily calorie requirement by the calories in each serving of your homemade food to determine how many servings to feed per day.

3. Importance of Proper Serving Sizes

Details: Feeding the correct amount is crucial for:

• Maintaining ideal body weight
• Preventing obesity or malnutrition
• Ensuring proper nutrient intake
• Supporting overall health and longevity

4. Using the Calculator

Tips:

• Determine your dog's MER (consult your vet or use a dog calorie calculator)
• Calculate the calorie content of your homemade dog food recipe
• Enter both values to get your daily serving recommendation
• All values must be positive numbers

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How do I determine my dog's MER?
A: MER depends on weight, age, activity level, and health status. Your veterinarian can help calculate this, or you can use reputable online calculators.

Q2: How do I calculate calories in homemade dog food?
A: Add up the calories of all ingredients (using nutritional databases), then divide by the number of servings the recipe makes.

Q3: Should I feed this amount all at once?
A: Most dogs do better with 2-3 smaller meals per day rather than one large meal.

Q4: How often should I recalculate portions?
A: Recalculate whenever your dog's weight changes significantly or if you modify your recipe.

Q5: What if my dog is gaining or losing weight?
A: Adjust portions by 10% and monitor. Consult your vet if weight changes are unexpected.