About DogFoodCostCalc

Jawad Hassan

Jawad Hassan

Builder & Researcher

I build free web tools that solve one specific everyday problem each. This is one of them. Another is screenres.app, a privacy-first screen and display diagnostics tool used by developers and designers. I build the same way every time: the tool runs for free, it respects your privacy, and the method behind it is open so you can check it yourself.

  • Source-linked math — formulas reference official veterinary standards, not my opinion
  • Client-side only — no tracking, no data retention
  • Honest estimates — variable outputs shown as ranges, limitations stated upfront

Full author profile →

Why I built this

Working out what a dog actually costs to feed is harder than it should be. Prices differ by brand, by bag size, by breed, by how active the dog is, and by where you live. Most pages that answer "how much does dog food cost" give you a vague range and move on. I wanted a tool that takes your dog's real details and gives you a real number, then shows the math instead of hiding it.

What I am, and what I'm not

I'm not a veterinarian and I don't claim to be. I'm the person who built and maintains this calculator. My job is to get the math right, keep the prices current, and source every claim to people who do have the expertise. The feeding science here comes from published veterinary standards, not from my own opinion:

  • Portion math uses the Resting Energy Requirement formula, RER = 70 × (body weight in kg)0.75, the standard veterinary nutritionists use.
  • Activity and life-stage adjustments follow National Research Council (NRC) and AAFCO feeding guidelines.
  • Energy-requirement references are cross-checked against the Merck Veterinary Manual.

If you want personalised dietary advice for your dog, see your vet. This tool is for budgeting, not for medical decisions.

How I source the prices

Pricing is the part that goes stale fastest, so I check it by hand. I track price and bag size for every brand on the site across three major retailers: Chewy, Amazon, and PetSmart: and update the figures monthly. Caloric density for each brand comes straight from the manufacturer's own packaging and product pages.

Every estimate carries the date it was last verified, so you always know how fresh the number is. When prices differ a lot between retailers, I show the range instead of pretending there's one true price.

How to check my work

Everything here is meant to be verifiable. The formula is shown. The multipliers are listed. The sources are linked. If you think a price is wrong or out of date, tell me and I'll verify and fix it. That feedback loop is part of how the site stays accurate.

Contact

Found a price that's changed, or spotted something off in the math? Contact me here. I read every message.

Embed this calculator

The dog food cost calculator is free to embed on any site. Paste the code below into your page — it runs entirely client-side, no tracking, no data collection.

<iframe src="https://dogfoodcostcalc.com/embed/" width="380" height="520" style="border:none;border-radius:8px;" title="Dog Food Cost Calculator"></iframe>

Preview the embed: dogfoodcostcalc.com/embed/

Built and maintained by Jawad Hassan. Prices last verified June 2026.

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