Feeding by breed and weight / Terrier group
Feeding · Terrier group
How much to feed a Bedlington Terrier
A neutered adult Bedlington Terrier at 23 lb needs about 650 kcal a day, which is 1¾ cups of a 369 kcal/cup food; at the 17 lb end of the breed's range it is 518 kcal, or 1½ 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.
- 1Adult weight 17–23 lb
- 2At 23 lb 650 kcal a day
- 3Cups 1¾ cups at 369 kcal/cup
Bedlington Terrier feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a Bedlington Terrier 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 lb (7.7 kg) | 324 | 518 kcal | 1½ | 583 kcal | 1½ | 453 kcal | 1¼ |
| 19 lb (8.6 kg) | 352 | 563 kcal | 1½ | 634 kcal | 1¾ | 493 kcal | 1¼ |
| 20 lb (9.1 kg) | 366 | 585 kcal | 1½ | 659 kcal | 1¾ | 512 kcal | 1½ |
| 22 lb (10.0 kg) | 393 | 629 kcal | 1¾ | 707 kcal | 2 | 550 kcal | 1½ |
| 23 lb (10.4 kg) | 406 | 650 kcal | 1¾ | 731 kcal | 2 | 569 kcal | 1½ |
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 23 lb Bedlington Terrier the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 81 kcal a day, roughly 0.2 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (569 kcal at 23 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 23 lb and 650 kcal, 1¾ cups is about 168 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. Puppies eat more per pound and more often: see the Bedlington Terrier puppy feeding chart.
How the Bedlington Terrier compares
Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 23 lb Bedlington Terrier needs 28 kcal per pound; a 20 lb Shetland Sheepdog needs 585 kcal (29 per lb), a 22 lb Shiba Inu needs 629 kcal (29 per lb), a 20 lb Welsh Terrier needs 585 kcal (29 per lb). The breed ranks 39 of 132 by weight on this site.
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.