Use our free Treat Limit Calculator to apply the 10% rule and keep snacks in balance. Enter your pet’s known daily calories, or estimate them from weight; set the calories per treat or per gram to see a safe allowance per day.
Daily Treat Allowance (10% Rule)
Type to calculate – results update instantly. If “Known daily kcal” is blank, the tool estimates from weight.
- Treats should be ≤ 10% of total daily calories. The rest should come from complete & balanced food.
- If you don’t know daily kcal, we estimate using RER and a life-stage multiplier (MER).
- For weight loss plans, many vets cap treats at 5%. Use the dropdown to switch caps.
Why the 10% Treat Rule Matters
Snacks are fun, but they can crowd out essential nutrients. A simple way to stay on track is the 10% rule: treats (including table scraps, chews and training rewards) should supply no more than one-tenth of daily energy. This keeps the main diet complete and balanced while preventing gradual weight gain.
How We Calculate
If you already know your pet’s daily calories (from your vet or a food plan), we simply take your chosen cap (5–15%) of that number. When daily kcal is unknown, we estimate:
- RER = 70 × (body weight in kg0.75).
- MER = RER × life-stage/activity factor (neutered adult, intact, growth, weight loss, etc.).
Factors are aligned with widely used veterinary guidance. See nutrition guidance from the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines and feeding advice from the AAHA.
Turning kcal into Pieces or Grams
Labels often list calories per treat. If yours doesn’t, you can approximate dry biscuit treats at ~3.5–4 kcal per gram (change it in the field above). Enter calories per treat to get an approximate number of pieces per day, or use calories per gram for a gram target.
Good Treat Habits
- Track small rewards during training—little extras add up.
- Use part of the day’s kibble ration as training treats for weight-prone pets.
- Confirm any weight-loss plan with your veterinarian before changing diet.
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