How much food and protein should my 75lb semi-active dog eat?

According to the National Research Council (NRC) on Nutrient Requirements for Dogs and Cats, the daily protein requirement for an adult dog is 23 g of crude protein. This can be confusing because most pet food labels list protein as a % basis. You can calculate whether your dog is receiving at least 23 g of crude protein per day based on how much food you feed him. Here is a helpful link that contains instructions on how to do the calculation: http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/banr/miscellaneous/dog_nutrition_final_fix.pdf. The NRC does not list a protein requirement specifically for senior dogs, so you can feed the amount recommended for adult dogs. However, senior dogs do require fewer calories overall. That information is listed in the above link.

30% is excessive and there is no added benefit to that level. If she is a high energy dog then a higher fat content is better to maintain weight if that is an issue. 20-25% is most commonly found in adult maintenance foods.

Hi and thanks so much for your post this afternoon. 18-20% protein should be just fine if Chloe is a lightly active dog. 25% protein would be better for more active dogs (such as dogs that do agility or are working dogs). I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to PetCoach. When we calculate the daily caloric requirements for dogs, we use a calculation called RER, or resting energy requirement. For a 75 lb dog, this value is 985 kcal/day. Since he is young and active, we multiply this amount by a factor to account for this. In his case, his total calories that he should ingest per day is between 1200-1300. This should help him maintain the weight he is currently at. Here is a link to a reputable website that offers lots of nutritional information: http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/pet-nutrition-basics/. I hope this is helpful!

The recommended level for an adult, spayed dog is about 18% protein and 9-15% fat. If she is active as in a working dog, doing agility trials several times per week, or other high-intensity activities, then a higher fat/protein combination is needed as the body uses up more energy and the muscles need to be continually supplied with protein. However, for a typical house pet with regular exercise, sticking to the recommended amount is best. Overfeeding leads to excess calories which turn into fat and weight gain and are not used.

In my experience, home diets are very hard to do because it's very difficult to get the correct balance of nutrients a dog needs to stay healthy. That's why I never recommend them. That being said, however, I do have two websites to give to you that provide healthy and balanced diets for dogs. The recipes are created by veterinary nutritionists, so you know for sure that Calvin will be getting all the protein he needs to be healthy. Just so you are aware, at least 22% of his diet should be protein based. Be sure to check out these websites for recipes, and I hope this helps! https://secure.balanceit.com https://www.petdiets.com

Pete is a cutie! Individual pets' protein requirements will vary depending on their health status. For example, very active working dogs may need a higher-protein diet than a normal household dog. Also, pets with kidney disease or other health conditions may need a protein restricted diet. If Pete is an average healthy pet dog any dog food that is labeled for maintenance feeding will be adequate. This is a great resource from the FDA explaining pet food labeling: https://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/resourcesforyou/ucm047120.htm Please remember to transition your dog slowly over five to seven days whenever changing the diet. If Pete has specific health conditions such as food allergies or kidney disease, please consult with your veterinarian before changing his diet.