How Much Should My Dog Eat? Feeding Charts by Weight

The right amount depends on your dog's weight, age, and the food itself, since recipes differ in calorie density and moisture. As a starting point, an adult dog eating A Pup Above's fresh, gently cooked recipes needs roughly 1 patty (1 pound of food) a day for every 30 pounds of body weight, split into two meals; use the full chart below to find your dog's exact amount. Puppies, seniors, and very active dogs need adjustments from that baseline, and body condition, not just a number on a chart, is the real test of whether you've got it right.

Feeding amount is one of the most common questions we hear, right behind "will my picky eater actually eat this." Below are A Pup Above's official feeding guidelines by weight, expanded here with ounces and cost, plus guidance for puppies, seniors, and choosing between recipes.

How Much Should I Feed My Dog? (Feeding Chart by Weight)

A Pup Above portions are measured by weight, not volume, since 1 patty always equals 1 pound of food, regardless of recipe. That makes the math simple: find your dog's weight, and you have their daily amount.

Dog's Weight	Patties Per Day	Ounces Per Day
5 lbs	1/4 patty	4 oz
10 lbs	1/3 patty	5 1/3 oz
15 lbs	1/2 patty	8 oz
20 lbs	3/4 patty	12 oz
30 lbs	1 patty	16 oz
40 lbs	1 1/4 patties	20 oz
50 lbs	1 1/3 patties	21 1/3 oz
60 lbs	1 1/2 patties	24 oz
70 lbs	1 3/4 patties	28 oz
80 lbs	2 patties	32 oz

Source: A Pup Above Fresh Dog Food feeding guidelines, based on adult maintenance guidelines established by AAFCO. For dogs that fall between two weights, round up to the next line. For dogs over 80 lbs, start from the 80 lb amount and scale up gradually based on body condition, or check with your vet for guidance suited to giant breeds.

Split the daily total into two meals, morning and evening. Feed it as a complete meal on its own, or use a smaller amount as a topper over your dog's current food; either way, the amount above is the daily total, not the per-meal amount.

Why Doesn't This Look Like a Kibble Feeding Chart?

Most feeding charts are written around a scoop or a cup, because that's how dry, low-moisture kibble is measured. Fresh food doesn't work that way:

"All pet food packages should include feeding guidelines with a suggested serving size based on your pet's weight and, sometimes, activity level." Caitlin Grant, DVM, DVSc, Dip ECVCN, writing for VCA Animal Hospitals¹

That's the standard every food is supposed to meet, and it's part of why AAFCO requires feeding directions on labels to specify "the amount of the food... to give per weight of the animal per unit of time."² A cup packs differently depending on how dense the food is, which is why we measure by weight instead: a patty is always a patty.

It's also why the numbers themselves look different from a kibble bag. A Pup Above's recipes are gently cooked using a sous-vide process, made from real, human-grade meat, non-GMO vegetables, and real bone broth, with much higher moisture content than a dry kibble. Third-party studies put A Pup Above meals at 93%+ digestible, and A Pup Above fresh food is up to 50% more digestible than standard kibble³. That's a different starting point than a dry, low-moisture pellet, so the daily amount won't match a kibble bag's chart. Every recipe in our lineup is held to the same standard; see how we source and cook it on One Family, One Standard.

How Much Should I Feed a Puppy?

Puppies need more frequent, smaller meals than adult dogs, since their stomachs are small and their energy needs are high relative to their size. A general guide by age:

• Under 3 months: three to four meals a day
• 3 to 6 months: three meals a day
• 6 to 12 months: most puppies can move to two meals a day⁴

Start from the weight chart above for the daily total, then divide it across that many meals rather than feeding the full amount at once. Our Puppy Recipe, part of the Fresh Dog Food lineup, is formulated for growth; if you're not sure when to switch off it, that's a good question for your vet, since it depends on your puppy's breed and expected adult size.

How Much Should I Feed a Senior Dog?

Senior dogs generally need less food than they did as younger adults, mostly because activity and metabolism slow down. VCA Animal Hospitals veterinarians note that dogs' daily energy requirements typically decrease by about 12% to 13% as they age⁵. That's a starting point for adjustment, not a hard rule: begin from your dog's current adult amount on the chart above, trim it back gradually, and watch their body condition (below) rather than chasing an exact percentage. Dogs with health conditions common in their senior years may need a different amount altogether, which is worth a conversation with your vet.

How Do I Know I'm Feeding the Right Amount?

The chart is a starting point, not the final word. "Body condition scoring is a good way to fine-tune how much food to give your dog, and of course, always partner with your veterinarian," notes PetMD's Dr. Jennifer Coates⁶. In practice, that means checking your dog by feel every few weeks: you should be able to feel their ribs under a thin layer of fat without seeing them, with a visible waist when you look down at them from above.

It's worth the extra minute. In the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's 2025 survey, 37% of dog owners described their dog as above ideal weight⁷, and body condition tends to drift slowly enough that it's easy to miss day to day. The full scale runs 1 to 9, with 4 to 5 considered ideal for most adult dogs⁸. If your dog is consistently hungry after meals, or you can't find their waist or ribs, adjust the amount gradually and check in with your vet rather than guessing.

Does the Feeding Amount Change by Recipe?

No. The chart above applies the same way across all seven A Pup Above recipes, since a patty is standardized at 1 pound regardless of which one you choose. What changes recipe to recipe is the protein, which matters for variety and rotation more than for portion size:

• Puppy Recipe for growing puppies
• Chicka Chicka Bow Wow (chicken), Turkey Pawella (turkey), Texas Beef Stew (beef), Porky's Luau (pork), Turducken Recipe (a poultry blend), and Fish Gone Wild (fish) for adult dogs

Rotating between a couple of proteins is a common way to keep mealtime interesting for a picky eater, and it's also useful if you'd rather not feed the same protein every day. If your dog has a sensitive stomach, our Sensitive Stomach recipes are formulated differently and worth starting with instead. Not sure which protein to start with? Browse the full Fresh Food collection or try the sampler pack to test more than one before committing to a full bag.

What Does It Cost to Feed This Amount Each Day?

Fresh food costs more than kibble, and the amount you feed determines how much more. Using current pricing across A Pup Above's seven recipes ($11.28 to $14.66 a pound, verified September 2026), here's what the daily amount from the chart above actually costs, and how far a bag goes:

Dog's Weight	Bags Per Month	Reorder Roughly Every	Approx. Cost Per Day
5 lbs	2 x 3lb bags	3 weeks	$2.82 to $3.67
10 lbs	2 x 3lb bags	3 weeks	$3.76 to $4.89
15 lbs	2 x 7lb bags	4 weeks	$5.64 to $7.33
20 lbs	3 x 7lb bags	4 weeks	$8.46 to $11.00
30 lbs	3 x 7lb bags	3 weeks	$11.28 to $14.66
40 lbs	4 x 7lb bags	3 weeks	$14.11 to $18.33
50 lbs	4 x 7lb bags	3 weeks	$15.05 to $19.55
60 lbs	3 x 7lb bags	2 weeks	$16.93 to $22.00
70 lbs	4 x 7lb bags	2 weeks	$19.75 to $25.66
80 lbs	4 x 7lb bags	2 weeks	$22.57 to $29.33

Pricing reflects current Fresh Dog Food pricing, verified September 2026. The low end of each range is a 7lb x 2 bag of Chicka Chicka Bow Wow, Turkey Pawella, or Porky's Luau; the high end is a 3lb x 2 bag of Fish Gone Wild, our highest-priced recipe.

Feeding fresh as a topper is a lower-cost way to start. Current pricing by recipe and bag size stays up to date on Fresh Dog Food, since the numbers above are a snapshot.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cups of food should I feed my dog? A Pup Above doesn't use cup measurements, since a cup of dense, moist fresh food weighs differently than a cup of kibble. Instead, portions are measured by weight (1 patty = 1 pound); use the chart above to find your dog's daily amount.

Should I feed my dog once a day or twice a day? Twice a day, split evenly, is the most common approach for adult dogs. Puppies need more frequent, smaller meals; see the puppy feeding section above for a schedule by age.

How much should I feed a puppy? Use the weight chart above for the daily total, then divide it across three to four meals depending on age, tapering toward two meals by around 6 to 12 months.

How do I switch to a new amount without upsetting my dog's stomach? Change gradually, whether you're adjusting the amount or switching foods entirely. See our full transition guide for a day-by-day schedule.

What if my dog still seems hungry after eating the recommended amount? Some dogs are just enthusiastic eaters. Check their body condition first (ribs easily felt, a visible waist); if that looks right, they're likely getting enough. If not, adjust the amount gradually and loop in your vet if you're unsure.

How much does A Pup Above cost per day? It depends on your dog's weight and recipe, roughly $2.82 to $29.33 a day across the size range in the chart above. Topper feeding, using a smaller amount alongside your dog's current food, is a lower-cost way to start; see current per-recipe pricing on Fresh Dog Food.

Sources

1. "Nutrition: General Feeding Guidelines for Dogs," Caitlin Grant, DVM, DVSc, Dip ECVCN, et al., VCA Animal Hospitals: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/nutrition-general-feeding-guidelines-for-dogs ↩
2. "Selecting the Right Pet Food," Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO): https://www.aafco.org/consumers/understanding-pet-food/selecting-the-right-pet-food/ ↩
3. Gross, K.L., et al., "Digestibility," in Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 5th ed., Mark Morris Institute, 2020. ↩
4. "How Much To Feed a Puppy," Amanda Ardente, DVM, PhD, PetMD: https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/how-much-to-feed-puppy ↩
5. "Feeding Mature and Senior Dogs," Sarah K. Abood, DVM, PhD, et al., VCA Animal Hospitals: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feeding-mature-and-senior-dogs ↩
6. "Dog Feeding Chart: How Much Food Should I Feed My Dog?," Jennifer Coates, DVM, PetMD: https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/are-you-feeding-your-dog-right-amount ↩
7. "2025 Pet Obesity and Nutrition Survey," Association for Pet Obesity Prevention: https://www.petobesityprevention.org/2025 ↩
8. "Dog Body Condition Score," Association for Pet Obesity Prevention: https://www.petobesityprevention.org/dogbcs ↩