How much should my overweight dog or cat eat to lose weight?

Enter your pet's weight and body condition score. Get an estimated target weight, a daily calorie goal for safe weight loss and roughly how long it will take.

Not sure? Your vet can score it in seconds.
Optional. Used to turn calories into cups.
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Weight loss plan

About this many cups
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Estimated target weight
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Safe loss per week
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Time to reach target
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Treats, at most
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Start a weight loss plan with your vet, especially for cats: losing weight too fast can make a cat seriously ill.

How the calculator works

The body condition score is the 1 to 9 scale vets use to judge fat by sight and touch, with 4 to 5 ideal for dogs and 5 for cats. Each point above 5 represents roughly 10 to 15% more body fat, according to the Ontario Veterinary College's pet nutrition service. The calculator uses the low end, about 10% extra weight per point, to estimate a target weight, so the target is conservative.

The daily calorie goal is the resting energy requirement at that target weight (70 × target kg0.75), the starting point the Pet Nutrition Alliance's calculator uses. Your vet may adjust it after the first weigh-in.

How fast should a pet lose weight?

The Pet Nutrition Alliance gives a healthy rate of 1 to 2% of body weight a week for dogs and 0.5 to 1% for cats. Faster isn't better: cats in particular can develop a serious liver condition (hepatic lipidosis) if they eat too little. Weigh every 2 to 4 weeks and adjust with your vet if progress stalls.

Making it stick

Measure every meal with a kitchen scale or proper measuring cup. Count treats and chews in the day's total and keep them under 10% of calories. Use part of the daily kibble as treats. Add walks and play, but expect most of the change to come from food. If your pet seems hungry, ask your vet about a weight-loss diet, which is designed to be more filling per calorie.

Questions

How many calories should my dog eat to lose weight?

A common starting point is the resting energy requirement at the target weight: 70 × target weight in kg to the 0.75 power. For a dog with a 50 lb (22.7 kg) target, that's about 730 kcal a day.

How fast should a dog lose weight?

About 1 to 2% of body weight a week, per the Pet Nutrition Alliance. For a 60 lb dog, that's roughly 0.6 to 1.2 lb a week.

How fast should a cat lose weight?

More slowly than a dog: about 0.5 to 1% of body weight a week. Losing weight too fast can cause hepatic lipidosis, a serious liver condition, so plan it with your vet.

Sources
  1. Pet Nutrition Alliance, Calorie and weight loss calculator
  2. Ontario Veterinary College Pet Nutrition, Scoring for health (body condition score)
  3. Hill's Pet Nutrition, Estimated Energy Requirements (canine and feline)

Last reviewed October 20, 2026. Estimates for healthy pets only, not veterinary advice.