How many treats can a dog have a day?
Enter your dog's weight and activity (or its daily calories). You get its daily treat budget under the 10% rule and how many portions of common treats, or of your own packaged treat, fit in it.
Tim de JongDaily calories
Current weight
Life stage
Spayed or neutered?
A few short walks or play sessions
Body condition
Optional: kcal per treat from the package (or ask the maker)
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Treat budget per day
70kcal
10% of 703 kcal a day. Here is how far that goes:
- Strawberry1 medium (12 g) = 4 kcal17½ a day
- Celery1 stalk = 7 kcal10 a day
- Apple with skin, chopped¼ cup (31 g) = 15 kcal4½ a day
- Popcorn, air-popped, plain½ cup = 16 kcal · No salt or butter4¼ a day
- Baby carrots, raw50 g = 18 kcal3¾ a day
- Cucumber½ cucumber = 20 kcal3½ a day
- Green beans, boiled½ cup (63 g) = 22 kcal3 a day
- Watermelon, diced½ cup (76 g) = 23 kcal3 a day
- Carrot1 medium = 25 kcal2¾ a day
- Banana, mashed⅛ cup (28 g) = 25 kcal2¾ a day
- Chicken breast, cooked, skinless1 oz (28 g) = 47 kcal1¼ a day
- Lean beef, cooked1 oz (28 g) = 64 kcal1 a day
- Peanut butter1 tbsp = 81 kcal · Must be xylitol-free87% of one
- Rawhide, palm-sized1 piece = 100 kcal70% of one
- Cheddar cheese1 oz (28 g) = 120 kcal59% of one
- Tripe stick1 oz (28 g) = 217 kcal32% of one
- Dried pig's ear2 oz (56 g) = 242 kcal · Raw animal chews can carry Salmonella29% of one
- Rawhide bone6.7 oz (190 g) = 700 kcal10% of one
Treat budget = 10% × 703 kcal = 70 kcal. Portions = budget ÷ kcal per portion, rounded down to the nearest quarter. Calories: UC Davis, WSAVA and Tufts.
For healthy dogs. If your dog has a medical condition, food allergies or eats a prescription diet, ask your vet which treats are suitable.
How many treats can a dog have? The 10% rule
Veterinary nutritionists use a simple limit: treats and extras should make up no more than 10% of a dog's daily calories. UC Davis, WSAVA and Tufts University all give the same figure. The other 90% or more should come from a complete and balanced food, so the diet stays balanced and the treats don't quietly add weight.
Treat budget (kcal) = daily calories × 0.10
Daily calories come from the resting energy formula vets use (70 × weight in kg^0.75), multiplied for life stage, neutering, activity and body condition. Worked example: a neutered, moderately active 20 lb dog needs about 705 kcal a day, so its treat budget is about 70 kcal. That is 17½ strawberries, or 1¼ oz of cooked chicken breast, but only 29% of a dried pig's ear.
"Treats" means everything outside the main meals: training rewards, dental chews, the cheese used to hide a pill, and food from the table. WSAVA includes supplements and foods used to give medication in the list too.
Dog treat budget by weight
| Dog weight | Inactive | Somewhat active | Active |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 lb (2 kg) | 20 kcal | 25 kcal | 30 kcal |
| 10 lb (5 kg) | 35 kcal | 40 kcal | 50 kcal |
| 20 lb (9 kg) | 60 kcal | 70 kcal | 80 kcal |
| 30 lb (14 kg) | 80 kcal | 95 kcal | 110 kcal |
| 40 lb (18 kg) | 100 kcal | 120 kcal | 140 kcal |
| 50 lb (23 kg) | 115 kcal | 140 kcal | 165 kcal |
| 60 lb (27 kg) | 135 kcal | 160 kcal | 185 kcal |
| 80 lb (36 kg) | 165 kcal | 200 kcal | 230 kcal |
| 100 lb (45 kg) | 195 kcal | 235 kcal | 275 kcal |
Puppies, intact dogs and very active dogs have bigger budgets; use the calculator for those.
Calories in common dog treats
The calories below come straight from the UC Davis, WSAVA and Tufts treat guides. For packaged treats, check the label for the calories per treat; if they aren't there, WSAVA suggests asking the manufacturer.
| Treat | Portion | kcal | 20 lb dog | 60 lb dog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strawberry | 1 medium (12 g) | 4 | 17½ a day | 40 a day |
| Celery | 1 stalk | 7 | 10 a day | 22 a day |
| Apple with skin, chopped | ¼ cup (31 g) | 15 | 4½ a day | 10½ a day |
| Popcorn, air-popped, plain | ½ cup | 16 | 4¼ a day | 10 a day |
| Baby carrots, raw | 50 g | 18 | 3¾ a day | 8¾ a day |
| Cucumber | ½ cucumber | 20 | 3½ a day | 8 a day |
| Green beans, boiled | ½ cup (63 g) | 22 | 3 a day | 7¼ a day |
| Watermelon, diced | ½ cup (76 g) | 23 | 3 a day | 6¾ a day |
| Carrot | 1 medium | 25 | 2¾ a day | 6¼ a day |
| Banana, mashed | ⅛ cup (28 g) | 25 | 2¾ a day | 6¼ a day |
| Chicken breast, cooked, skinless | 1 oz (28 g) | 47 | 1¼ a day | 3¼ a day |
| Lean beef, cooked | 1 oz (28 g) | 64 | 1 a day | 2½ a day |
| Peanut butter | 1 tbsp | 81 | 87% of one | 1¾ a day |
| Rawhide, palm-sized | 1 piece | 100 | 70% of one | 1½ a day |
| Cheddar cheese | 1 oz (28 g) | 120 | 59% of one | 1¼ a day |
| Tripe stick | 1 oz (28 g) | 217 | 32% of one | 74% of one |
| Dried pig's ear | 2 oz (56 g) | 242 | 29% of one | 66% of one |
| Rawhide bone | 6.7 oz (190 g) | 700 | 10% of one | 23% of one |
Treats that blow the budget
Chews can use up a treat budget fast. WSAVA lists a 6.7 oz rawhide bone at 700 kcal and a dried pig's ear at 242 kcal, and Tufts notes that some chew bones top 1,000 kcal. For many dogs a single one is more than a day's treat allowance. A neutered 10 lb dog needs only about 420 kcal a day in total, so one 700 kcal rawhide bone is more than its whole day's food.
Calories aren't the only concern. WSAVA warns that cooked and raw bones can cause serious damage, that very hard chews such as antlers and hooves should be avoided, and that raw animal treats such as contaminated pig's ears can spread bacteria. Make sure any treat is a safe size and shape, and supervise your dog while it chews.
Low-calorie treat ideas
Treats are worth keeping. WSAVA points out that they work as training rewards, add enrichment and may strengthen the bond with your dog. The trick is making the budget stretch: cut treats into tiny pieces for training sessions so each reward costs only a few calories, and mix in rewards that cost no calories at all, such as play, a game of fetch or a sniffy walk, which WSAVA also encourages.
UC Davis suggests fruit and vegetables for many dogs because they are usually low in protein, fat, sodium and phosphorus: baby carrots, boiled green beans, zucchini, apple, watermelon, strawberries and plain air-popped popcorn all come in under 30 kcal a portion. Tufts also suggests setting aside some of your dog's regular kibble from the daily ration to use as rewards. For packaged options, see our list of low-calorie dog treats, and before sharing any human food, run it through the toxic to dogs checker.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories of treats can a 50 lb dog have?
A spayed or neutered, moderately active 50 lb dog at a healthy weight needs about 1,400 kcal a day, so its treat budget is about 140 kcal. That is roughly 2¾ oz of plain cooked chicken breast, or 7¾ 50 g portions of baby carrots.
Are carrots good treats for dogs?
For most dogs, yes. Veterinary nutritionists at UC Davis list carrots, green beans and other fruit and vegetables as good treat options because they are usually low in protein, fat, sodium and phosphorus. 50 g of raw baby carrots has only about 18 kcal. Ask your vet first if your dog has a medical condition or eats a prescription diet.
Do dental chews and pill pockets count as treats?
Yes. WSAVA counts anything given on top of a complete and balanced diet as a treat, including snacks, chews, supplements and the food used to give medication. They all come out of the same 10% budget.
Which human foods should never be used as dog treats?
WSAVA lists chocolate, macadamia nuts, onions, leeks, shallots, garlic and chives, grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas, the sweetener xylitol, alcohol and raw yeast dough, and caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea and energy drinks. Check peanut butter labels for xylitol before using it.
Should I feed less dog food if I give treats?
The 10% treat budget is part of your dog's daily calories, not extra on top. If your dog gets its full treat allowance, the main meals should supply the other 90%. Our dog feeding calculator sets that 10% aside when it works out cups or grams of food.
Sources
Related tools
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- Homemade dog food calculatorEnter your dog's calorie needs and your recipe's ingredients to get grams or ounces per day and per meal, and how long a batch lasts.