Feeding by breed and weight / Working group
Feeding · Working group
How much to feed a Giant Schnauzer
A neutered adult Giant Schnauzer at 105 lb needs about 2031 kcal a day, which is 5½ cups of a 369 kcal/cup food; at the 75 lb end of the breed's range it is 1578 kcal, or 4¼ 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 75–105 lb
- 2At 105 lb 2031 kcal a day
- 3Cups 5½ cups at 369 kcal/cup
Giant Schnauzer feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a Giant Schnauzer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 lb (34.0 kg) | 986 | 1578 kcal | 4¼ | 1775 kcal | 4¾ | 1380 kcal | 3¾ |
| 83 lb (37.6 kg) | 1064 | 1702 kcal | 4½ | 1915 kcal | 5¼ | 1489 kcal | 4 |
| 90 lb (40.8 kg) | 1131 | 1809 kcal | 5 | 2035 kcal | 5½ | 1583 kcal | 4¼ |
| 98 lb (44.5 kg) | 1205 | 1928 kcal | 5¼ | 2169 kcal | 6 | 1687 kcal | 4½ |
| 105 lb (47.6 kg) | 1269 | 2031 kcal | 5½ | 2284 kcal | 6¼ | 1777 kcal | 4¾ |
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 105 lb Giant Schnauzer the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 253 kcal a day, roughly 0.7 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (1777 kcal at 105 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 105 lb and 2031 kcal, 5½ cups is about 528 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 Giant Schnauzer puppy feeding chart.
How the Giant Schnauzer compares
Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 105 lb Giant Schnauzer needs 19 kcal per pound; a 105 lb Borzoi needs 2031 kcal (19 per lb), a 101 lb Old English Sheepdog needs 1972 kcal (20 per lb), a 100 lb Doberman Pinscher needs 1958 kcal (20 per lb). The breed ranks 113 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.