Feeding by breed and weight / Non-Sporting group
Feeding · Non-Sporting group
How much to feed a Bichon Frise
A neutered adult Bichon Frise at 11 lb needs about 374 kcal a day, which is 1 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 11 lb
- 2At 11 lb 374 kcal a day
- 3Cups 1 cup at 369 kcal/cup
Bichon Frise feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a Bichon Frise 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 lb (5.0 kg) | 234 | 374 kcal | 1 | 421 kcal | 1¼ | 327 kcal | 1 |
| 11 lb (5.0 kg) | 234 | 374 kcal | 1 | 421 kcal | 1¼ | 327 kcal | 1 |
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 11 lb Bichon Frise the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 47 kcal a day, roughly 0.1 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (327 kcal at 11 lb) and be weighed every two weeks. Treats and chews count: a single dental chew can be 70–100 kcal, a sizeable share of a small dog's day.
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 11 lb and 374 kcal, 1 cups is about 96 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 Bichon Frise puppy feeding chart.
How the Bichon Frise compares
Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 11 lb Bichon Frise needs 34 kcal per pound; a 11 lb Dachshund (Miniature) needs 374 kcal (34 per lb), a 11 lb Italian Greyhound needs 374 kcal (34 per lb), a 13 lb Miniature Pinscher needs 424 kcal (33 per lb). The breed ranks 11 of 132 by weight on this site.
Adult weight from Wikipedia breed infobox/body, checked 2026-10-21. The AKC standard states the height but not the weight, so the weight here is from Wikipedia breed infobox/body. Figures are maintenance starting points for a healthy adult; they are not veterinary advice.