Feeding by breed and weight / Working group
Feeding · Working group
How much to feed a Alaskan Malamute
A neutered adult Alaskan Malamute at 85 lb needs about 1733 kcal a day, which is 4¾ cups of a 369 kcal/cup food. 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.
- 1Adult weight about 85 lb
- 2At 85 lb 1733 kcal a day
- 3Cups 4¾ cups at 369 kcal/cup
Alaskan Malamute feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a Alaskan Malamute 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 lb (38.6 kg) | 1083 | 1733 kcal | 4¾ | 1950 kcal | 5¼ | 1516 kcal | 4 |
| 85 lb (38.6 kg) | 1083 | 1733 kcal | 4¾ | 1950 kcal | 5¼ | 1516 kcal | 4 |
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 85 lb Alaskan Malamute the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 217 kcal a day, roughly 0.6 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (1516 kcal at 85 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 85 lb and 1733 kcal, 4¾ cups is about 456 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 Alaskan Malamute puppy feeding chart.
How the Alaskan Malamute compares
Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 85 lb Alaskan Malamute needs 20 kcal per pound; a 85 lb Rhodesian Ridgeback needs 1733 kcal (20 per lb), a 99 lb Beauceron needs 1943 kcal (20 per lb), a 105 lb Borzoi needs 2031 kcal (19 per lb). The breed ranks 111 of 132 by weight on this site. Females of the breed top out around 75 lb, which is 1578 kcal a day neutered.
Adult weight from AKC breed standard (PDF), checked 2026-10-21. Figures are maintenance starting points for a healthy adult; they are not veterinary advice.