Feeding by breed and weight / Working group
How much to feed a Akita (American)
A neutered adult Akita (American) at 130 lb needs about 2383 kcal a day, which is 6½ cups of a 369 kcal/cup food; at the 100 lb end of the breed's range it is 1958 kcal, or 5¼ cups. That is the maintenance figure before treats, from the resting energy requirement formula and the Merck Veterinary Manual's factor of 1.6 for a neutered adult.
Akita (American) feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a Akita (American) at that weight. Columns are the Merck factors: a neutered adult (×1.6), an intact adult (×1.8) and a dog that is inactive or gains weight easily (×1.4). Cups assume 369 kcal per cup, the label figure for Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice (adult dry); change it to your bag's number on the sizer.
| Weight | RER | Neutered adult | Cups | Intact adult | Cups | Inactive / weight-prone | Cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 lb (45.4 kg) | 1223 | 1958 kcal | 5¼ | 2202 kcal | 6 | 1713 kcal | 4¾ |
| 108 lb (49.0 kg) | 1296 | 2074 kcal | 5½ | 2333 kcal | 6¼ | 1815 kcal | 5 |
| 115 lb (52.2 kg) | 1359 | 2174 kcal | 6 | 2446 kcal | 6¾ | 1902 kcal | 5¼ |
| 123 lb (55.8 kg) | 1429 | 2286 kcal | 6¼ | 2572 kcal | 7 | 2001 kcal | 5½ |
| 130 lb (59.0 kg) | 1490 | 2383 kcal | 6½ | 2681 kcal | 7¼ | 2085 kcal | 5¾ |
RER = 70 × kg0.75; factors from the Merck Veterinary Manual. Calorie density from the Purina product page (3790 kcal/kg, 369 kcal per 8 oz cup, about 96 g). Checked 2026-10-20.
Why the number is lower than the bag says
Bag feeding guides are written for an active, intact adult and often run above the neutered-maintenance figure; for a 130 lb Akita (American) the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 298 kcal a day, roughly 0.8 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (2085 kcal at 130 lb) and be weighed every two weeks. Treats and chews count: a single dental chew can be 70–100 kcal, which adds up faster than it looks across a week.
Formulas get a healthy adult into the right range; body condition keeps it there. Ribs should be easy to feel under a thin layer of fat, and the dog should have a visible waist from above. If that is not the case after four weeks, adjust by about 10% and re-check — and ask your vet before changing a dog with a medical condition, a pregnant or nursing female, or a working dog in season.
Grams and meals
At 130 lb and 2383 kcal, 6½ cups is about 624 g a day of a 96 g/cup kibble — a kitchen scale is more repeatable than a scoop. Split into two meals for an adult; for a deep-chested breed of this size, two or three smaller meals rather than one large one is the usual advice to reduce bloat risk, and your vet can say whether it applies to your dog. Puppies eat more per pound and more often: see the Akita (American) puppy feeding chart.
How the Akita (American) compares
Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 130 lb Akita (American) needs 18 kcal per pound; a 132 lb Rottweiler needs 2411 kcal (18 per lb), a 110 lb Cane Corso needs 2103 kcal (19 per lb), a 120 lb Bernese Mountain Dog needs 2244 kcal (19 per lb). The breed ranks 43 of 49 by weight on this site. Females of the breed top out around 100 lb, which is 1958 kcal a day neutered.
Adult weight from Wikipedia breed infobox/body, checked 2026-10-20. Figures are maintenance starting points for a healthy adult; they are not veterinary advice.