As a dog owner, I frequently come across the 10 percent rule. It sounds simple. “Treats should not make up more than 10 percent of your dog’s diet,” say veterinarians everywhere.
I’ve quoted this so many times I’ve lost count, but then, as I was in the middle of a training session with my dog, treat bag full of tiny treats, I had a crisis of faith.
What does 10 percent of a dog’s daily diet actually mean?
It is easy to make general assumptions about quantity.
When it comes down to calculating 10 percent, I realized I did not know exactly how to do it.
The answer is in the calories, much like many human dietary plans. Unlike humans, however, the sheer range in size between dogs means that you can’t fall back on a solid number, like the 2,000 daily calories most human nutritional labels use. This means you will have to come up with that number yourself.
Your dog’s food bag should tell you the number of calories in your dog’s food, (based on your dog’s weight) but as you check it, you may notice that the caloric content is measured in kcals, not the same calories you are used to seeing. This is often confusing.
Scientifically speaking, a kcal is a kilocalorie, or 1,000 calories. Dog food manufacturers, however, must have figured out that “kcal” doesn’t roll off the tongue the same way “calories” does, because the calories found on food packages are actually kcals.
In other words, when your dog’s food says: 364 kcal/cup, as is the case with Hills Science Diet Active Longevity, it just means 364 calories per cup. Normally, 364/kcal would be equivalent to 364,000 calories, but in this case, “kcal” and “calories” are used interchangeably.
If your dog’s food does not tell you the number of calories per cup, you have to do a little more research, like calling us and asking your veterinarian what your dog’s total daily caloric intake should be.