How Much to Feed a Dog: Singapore Portion Guide (by Weight)
You scoop the food, your furkid inhales it in nine seconds, then sits there giving you the "that's it?" eyes. So you add a bit more. Then a bit more next week. Six months later the vet says "she's put on weight". Sound familiar, pawrents? 🐶
Here in Singapore most of us grew up feeding kibble, where you just follow the cup chart on the bag. But fresh and gently cooked food works differently: portions are measured in grams and based on your dog's body weight, not a one-size scoop. The good news is the maths is simple once you know the rule, and it actually puts you back in control of your dog's shape.
This guide gives you a clear weight to grams table, how to split it across meals, and the one thing that matters more than any number on the chart: your dog's body condition. Let's portion properly. ❤️
The core rule: 2 to 3% of ideal body weight
For fresh and gently cooked diets, the widely used starting guideline is to feed roughly 2 to 3% of your dog's ideal adult body weight per day. Most healthy adult dogs do well around the middle, about 2.5%. Where you land in the range depends on your dog:
- ✅ Active, lean, high-energy dogs: closer to 3%
- ✅ Average activity: around 2.5% (a sensible starting point)
- ✅ Couch potatoes, seniors, or dogs that need to slim down: closer to 2% (or lower, with vet guidance)
One important note: use your dog's ideal weight, not their current weight if they are already overweight. If your dog should be 8kg but is currently 10kg, calculate from 8kg. And remember this is a starting estimate, not gospel: every dog burns energy differently, so you tune from here.
Quick reminder for SG pawrents switching from kibble: fresh food portions look bigger in the bowl because fresh meals are around 65 to 70% moisture while kibble is around 10%. The calories are similar, there is just more water in real food. So do not panic when the portion looks generous. 😊
Weight to grams per day table (at 2.5%)
Here is the starting estimate for adult dogs at 2.5% of body weight, and how it maps to our 300g packs. Round sensibly and adjust for your own furkid.
| Dog weight | Approx grams/day (2.5%) | In 300g packs |
|---|---|---|
| 5kg | ~125g | about half a pack |
| 10kg | ~250g | about one pack |
| 15kg | ~375g | about 1.25 packs |
| 20kg | ~500g | about 1.7 packs |
| 30kg | ~750g | about 2.5 packs |
| 40kg | ~1000g | about 3.3 packs |
These are starting estimates only. After two to three weeks, check your dog's body condition (more on that below) and recalculate if needed. A small Shih Tzu at 6kg and a big Lab at 30kg are worlds apart in needs, which is exactly why portion-based feeding beats a generic scoop. 🐾
Puppies eat a lot more 🐶
Growing puppies are little engines, so they need far more food relative to their size. A common starting range is about 5 to 10% of current body weight per day, highest when they are tiny and tapering toward the adult percentage as they mature. A rough guide:
- ✅ 2 to 3 months: around 8 to 10% of current weight
- ✅ 4 to 5 months: around 7 to 8%
- ✅ 6 to 8 months: around 5 to 6%
- ✅ 9 to 12 months: tapering to about 3 to 4%, then settling at the adult 2 to 3% once fully grown
Because puppies are still growing, you recalculate every couple of weeks as their weight climbs. Large and giant breeds grow more slowly and have their own needs, so please ask your vet to confirm the right amount and growth pace for your specific pup. This matters a lot for healthy joints. 🐾
How to split it across meals
- ✅ Adult dogs: split the daily total into 2 meals, morning and evening.
- ✅ Puppies: 3 or more smaller meals a day (their tummies are small and energy needs are high).
- ✅ Treats count too: if you train with treats, trim the meals a little so the daily total stays the same.
So a 10kg adult on 250g/day would get roughly 125g in the morning and 125g in the evening. Easy. With our 300g packs, that is one pack split across the day, with a little left over to round up if your dog is on the active side.
Adjusting for activity, age, neutering and weight goals
The percentage is a starting line. Real life shifts it:
- ✅ Very active dogs (long walks, runs, sports): push toward 3%.
- ✅ Seniors and low-activity dogs: ease toward 2% as metabolism slows.
- ✅ Neutered or spayed dogs: often need a touch less, since the procedure can lower calorie needs. Watch the waistline closely in the months after.
- ✅ Weight loss goal: calculate from target weight and lean toward the lower end, then reassess monthly. Slow and steady wins.
- ✅ SG heat factor: dogs here often do shorter walks in the cooler hours, so many companion dogs sit on the lower-to-middle end. Adjust to what you actually see.
The real success metric: body condition score
Here is the secret the chart will not tell you: the scale is a guide, but your hands are the truth. Vets use a body condition score, and you can do a simple home version on any furkid:
- ✅ Ribs: you should feel them easily with light pressure, like the back of your hand, without pressing hard. Not buried under fat, not sharply jutting out.
- ✅ Waist from above: looking down, there should be a visible tuck in behind the ribs (an hourglass), not a sausage shape.
- ✅ Tummy tuck from the side: the belly should rise up toward the back legs, not hang flat or sag.
If the ribs are hard to feel and the waist has vanished, dial the portion down a little. If ribs and hips are sticking out, dial up. Check every two to three weeks and let your dog's actual shape, not just the number, decide the final portion. This is how you feed for a long, healthy life. ❤️
A quick word on transitioning and small vs large dogs
If you are moving your furkid onto fresh food, do it gradually over about 5 to 7 days: start with roughly 25% fresh mixed into the old food, then increase the fresh portion every couple of days while reducing the old. A slow swap keeps tummies happy. We break this down step by step in our guide to transitioning pet food in Singapore.
And notice how different a 5kg and a 30kg dog are: one needs about 125g, the other about 750g, that is six times more food. This is exactly why portion-based, weight-based feeding makes sense, and why a generic scoop never could. If you are new to fresh feeding altogether, our fresh dog food Singapore guide walks through the why and how. Got a cat at home too? We have a matching cat portion guide as well. 🐾
How this works with The Bon Pet 🐾
Our dog meals come in 300g packs, which portion cleanly to these amounts: a 10kg furkid is about one pack a day, a 5kg furkid about half a pack, a 20kg dog a bit under two packs. The recipes are gently sous vide cooked at 80°C, single protein, PhD-formulated and AAFCO complete for All Life Stages, so the same food works whether your dog is 5kg or 50kg, you just scale the grams. Recipes are fully open for you to read on our formulas page.
Not sure where to start? Our gently cooked dog trial pack is a low-commitment way to dial in your furkid's portion and see how they take to real food. Cold-chain delivered across Singapore, and Subscribe & Save gets you 10% off once you find their groove. 😊
Still unsure about the right portion for your furkid, especially if they have a health condition or weight target? We are happy to help you work it out. WhatsApp us at +65 9010 8515 and we will point you in the right direction (and always check with your vet for medical cases).
❤️ The Bon Pet team
Frequently asked questions
How much should I feed my dog per day?
For fresh or gently cooked food, start at about 2 to 3% of your dog's ideal body weight per day, with 2.5% as a sensible middle. For example, a 10kg dog is roughly 250g/day and a 20kg dog roughly 500g/day. Treat it as a starting estimate, then adjust based on your dog's body condition over two to three weeks.
How much fresh food does a 10kg dog need?
At 2.5% of body weight, a 10kg adult dog needs about 250g/day, which is roughly one Bon Pet 300g pack split into two meals. Active dogs may need a little more (toward 300g) and very inactive or senior dogs a little less (toward 200g). Recalculate if your dog's weight or activity changes.
How much should I feed my puppy?
Puppies need far more relative to their size: roughly 5 to 10% of their current body weight per day, highest when very young and tapering toward the adult 2 to 3% as they mature. Split it across 3 or more meals and recalculate every couple of weeks as they grow. Large breeds grow differently, so please confirm with your vet.
How do I know if I'm feeding the right amount?
Use body condition, not just the scale. You should be able to easily feel your dog's ribs without pressing hard, see a waist tuck when looking down from above, and see the belly rise toward the back legs from the side. If the waist disappears, feed a little less. If ribs and hips stick out, feed a little more. Check every two to three weeks.
