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Is 2/3 cup food (324 calories) enough for my 17lb dog losing weight?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Hi, Is it normal that my dog only eats 324 calories per day and weights 17 pounds? I read that dogs this size can have about 400 calories. (one cup of food) she only has 2/3 cup of food. Is their something wrong with her thyroid do you think? She seems to lose weight at a normal rate since I've started measuring her food in grams. She's lost a pound and she looks to be at a good weight.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 15th, 2017

Without knowing her breed of dog, I can't say if 17 pounds is a good weight or not for her. Some dogs do need to eat less based on their activity level, as they may be less active than others. With on a 17 pound dog, 2/3 cup of food per day is fine, especially if it's within her daily caloric range. I feed my Chow, who is 50.6 pounds, 1.5 cups of food per day, and she's a healthy weight. If she needs to lose weight, it sounds like you are doing it in a healthy and safe way, and I would keep going. Typically, dogs are affected by hypothyroidism, so if there was a problem with her thyroid, she would be gaining weight, not losing it.

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    Answered By Debi Matlack

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on

    How many calories your dog should take in depends on a lot of things, their breed , reproductive status, how active they are, their age. As long as you and her vet feel she is at a good body condition for her size, feed her what it takes to maintain that. This chart should help you understand what an ideal body condition is: https://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body%20condition%20score%20chart%20dogs.pdf

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 26th, 2019

    It depends on the food Chloe eats. Each brand of food has a different daily allotment, and if you are feeding her what the bag says to feed her, it's fine. Given that if you give her more and she gains weight, I would keep her at that amount. Best of luck.

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