Dog Resting Energy Requirement (RER) Calculator

What This Calculator Does

This dog Resting Energy Requirement (RER) calculator figures out the baseline calories your dog burns simply resting, breathing, and staying warm. It uses the standard veterinary formula (70 × body weight in kg^0.75) recognized by the National Research Council (NRC) and WSAVA.

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your dog's current body weight in kg or lbs. The calculator converts it to metabolic body mass and calculates the exact baseline energy needed to support vital organ functions, including heart pumping, breathing, kidneys, and cell repair.

Key Factors That Affect the Result

• Body size and metabolism: Smaller dogs burn more calories per pound than giant breeds.
• Baseline energy only: RER covers vital organs and cellular repair; it does not include exercise, walking, or play.
• Starting point for daily feeding: Veterinarians use RER as the foundation before multiplying by your dog's activity level to determine daily meals.
• Resting energy formula: A dog's resting calories scale with body surface area rather than a simple straight line.

Why This Matters for Your Dogs

Knowing your dog's RER helps you understand the absolute minimum energy their body requires each day. Feeding below RER without veterinary guidance can lead to nutritional deficiencies, while multiplying RER by your dog's activity factor gives you their true daily calorie target.