Compare the cost of two dog foods
A cheaper bag can cost more to feed. Put two exact labels on the same calorie basis, then compare the amount you expect to use.
Put your two labels side by side
The starting numbers are examples, not product prices or a feeding recommendation. Enter calories from the food you are comparing; leave out calories from treats or other meals. Use an amount agreed with your veterinarian.
Copy these numbers from each bag
- Enter the price you would actually pay for that package. Include shipping if it applies. Use the same currency for both foods.
- Enter the net food weight in pounds, excluding packaging. For a label in kilograms, divide its weight by 0.45359237 to get pounds.
- Find the energy figure expressed as kcal/kg. Do not enter kcal/cup or kcal/can in that field. If you only have kcal per package, divide by the package weight in kilograms to obtain kcal/kg.
- Enter the daily calories supplied by the food being compared. If your dog's agreed daily plan includes treats or another food, exclude those calories. This calculator does not determine your dog's calorie needs.
Match the exact recipe and package size. Another flavor or formula from the same brand can have a different energy density. The label guide explains the other information to check before comparing prices.
A worked example
These invented inputs show the calculation; they are not current offers. Food A costs $60 for 30 lb at 3,600 kcal/kg. Food B costs $48 for 20 lb at 4,000 kcal/kg. Suppose 800 kcal per day comes from the selected food.
| Result | Food A | Food B |
|---|---|---|
| Total calories per bag | 48,987.98 kcal | 36,287.39 kcal |
| Cost per 1,000 kcal | $1.22 | $1.32 |
| Daily cost at 800 kcal | $0.98 | $1.06 |
| Cost over 30 days | $29.39 | $31.75 |
| Approximate days per bag | 61.2 days | 45.4 days |
Food B has the lower checkout price, but Food A costs about $2.35 less over 30 days at these inputs. Calculate with full precision and round the final results; multiplying an already rounded daily cost can produce a different total.
Check the math yourself
- Bag weight in kilograms = pounds × 0.45359237.
- Total bag calories = kilograms × kcal/kg.
- Cost per 1,000 kcal = bag price ÷ total bag calories × 1,000.
- Daily cost = bag price ÷ total bag calories × entered daily calories.
- 30-day cost = daily cost × 30.
- Days per bag = total bag calories ÷ entered daily calories.
What the result leaves out
The calculation assumes the entered amount comes entirely from one food and that none is wasted. It does not include storage loss, delivery subscriptions, price changes, veterinary costs or any other food. A bag that mathematically lasts 61 days is not a recommendation to keep an opened bag for that long; follow its storage instructions.
Cost does not establish nutritional suitability. Compare foods suitable for your dog's life stage and needs, and discuss diet changes or therapeutic diets with your veterinarian. The FDA's pet food labeling guidance describes label information and refers individual health questions to a veterinarian.
Use the result when choosing
Write down the exact recipes, your observed prices, the cost per 1,000 kcal and the reason each food fits your dog's needs. Recheck the calculator when the price or package size changes. For related research, see budget food comparisons and how we research food.
Your entries stay in this page's memory. The calculator does not send or save them.