How Scoops calculates.
Every amount Scoops gives you can be traced back to these steps. If a number can’t be worked out, Scoops says so rather than guessing.
1. Resting energy
The energy a pet uses at rest, from body weight in kilograms:
RER = 70 × weight0.75
A 10 kg dog: 70 × 100.75 = 394 kcal a day.
2. A factor for who they are
Resting energy is multiplied by a factor for species, age and whether they’re spayed or neutered. In the clinic, a clinician can choose a goal or condition factor instead.
| Pet | Factor | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Dog, puppy under 4 months | × 3.0 | Growth |
| Dog, puppy 4–12 months | × 2.0 | Growth |
| Dog, neutered adult | × 1.6 | Maintenance |
| Dog, intact adult | × 1.8 | Maintenance |
| Dog, senior (7+ years) | × 1.4 | Maintenance |
| Cat, kitten (to 12 months) | × 2.5 | Growth |
| Cat, neutered adult | × 1.2 | Maintenance |
| Cat, intact adult | × 1.4 | Maintenance |
| Cat, senior (11+ years) | × 1.1 | Maintenance |
The 10 kg neutered dog: 394 × 1.6 = 630 kcal a day.
3. Calories into cups and cans
Food labels state calories per kilogram, per cup or per can. Scoops normalises each record to every basis it can support, then divides the daily target by the food’s calories per unit and rounds to the nearest quarter. Treats come out of the same daily total.
4. When information is missing
Each food record is labelled by how it was verified. A value Scoops doesn’t have is shown as unknown — never estimated to fill a gap. Without a calorie statement, Scoops won’t convert energy into cups or cans.
What Scoops never decides
What it doesn’t decide An ideal weight, a diagnosis, or whether a food suits a medical condition. Those belong to your veterinary team.
Where the information comes from
- Food records
- Manufacturer and retailer product listings, normalised and labelled by verification.
- Recalls
- U.S. FDA animal food recall records, matched to brand names.
- Manufacturer practices
- Published manufacturer survey responses on nutrition expertise, plant ownership and nutrient information.
- Nutrition guidance
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines and published nutrient profiles. WSAVA toolkit ↗