How Much Food Does a Dog Need, and How Expensive is it?

With this table you can sort out how much food your dog needs at which body weight. It also tells you the monthly costs.

Please note that the costs may vary depending on age, weight and energy need.

Dog food Photo: Chalabala/stock.adobe.com

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It's not just the body weight that matters

How much food a dog needs depends on many things, for example:

• What size is the dog?

A small dog needs less food than a big dog. So of course, feeding a small dog costs less than feeding a big dog.

• How Old Is the Dog?

We differentiate between puppies, adult dogs and senior dogs. Puppies need special puppy food because they’re still growing and they need it to develop properly. Adult dogs should be fed as much as they need to maintain a normal weight. A senior dog won’t be moving around as much, so will need less food. If they are fed too much, they will get overweight fast.

• How Active Is the Dog?

If a dog spends all day tearing around the garden, it will need more fuel in the evening than a dog that has spent all day dozing on the couch. That’s why active dogs should be fed a little more, and other dogs a little less.

Table: Daily Food Needs

Weight	Food per day
11 lb (5 kg)	3-3.3 oz (85-94 g)
22 lb (10 kg)	4.7-5.2 oz (135-150 g)
44 lb (20 kg)	7.5-8.2 oz (215-235 g)
66 lb (30 kg)	9.8-11 oz (280-310 g)
88 lb (40 kg)	12-13.2 oz (340-375 g)
99 lb (45 kg)	12.8-14 oz (365-400 g)
110 lb (50 kg)	13.7-15 oz (390-430 g)
132 lb (60 kg)	14.6-16 oz (415-455 g)
154 lb (70 kg)	15.3-17 oz (435-480 g)
> 154 lb (70 kg)	16-17.6 oz (455-500 g)

(Valid: November 2023)

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Table: Monthly Dog Food Costs

Weight	Cheap food	Expensive food
11 lbs (5 kg)	$3	$17
22 lbs (10 kg)	$4.50	$27
44 lbs (20 kg)	$7	$43
66 lbs (30 kg)	$10	$57
88 lbs (40 kg)	$111	$69
99 lbs (45 kg)	$12	$73
110 lbs (50 kg)	$13	$79
132 lbs (60 kg)	$14	$83
154 lbs (70 kg)	$15	$77
> 154 lbs (70 kg)	$16	$92

(Valid: November 2023)

Beagle treat Photo: Alexandr/stock.adobe.com

Is Expensive Food Better?

Not always. Cheap supermarkets offer cheap food that can be really good. By the way: treats aren’t included in our calculations. But if a dog is overweight, it shouldn’t get too many of these anyway. You can give an underweight dog a few more treats.