Feeding by breed and weight / Working group
How much to feed a Great Dane
A neutered adult Great Dane at 180 lb needs about 3042 kcal a day, which is 8¼ cups of a 369 kcal/cup food; at the 110 lb end of the breed's range it is 2103 kcal, or 5¾ 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.
Great Dane feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a Great Dane 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 lb (49.9 kg) | 1314 | 2103 kcal | 5¾ | 2365 kcal | 6½ | 1840 kcal | 5 |
| 128 lb (58.1 kg) | 1472 | 2356 kcal | 6½ | 2650 kcal | 7¼ | 2061 kcal | 5½ |
| 145 lb (65.8 kg) | 1617 | 2587 kcal | 7 | 2910 kcal | 8 | 2263 kcal | 6¼ |
| 163 lb (73.9 kg) | 1765 | 2824 kcal | 7¾ | 3177 kcal | 8½ | 2471 kcal | 6¾ |
| 180 lb (81.6 kg) | 1901 | 3042 kcal | 8¼ | 3422 kcal | 9¼ | 2662 kcal | 7¼ |
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 180 lb Great Dane the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 380 kcal a day, roughly 1 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (2662 kcal at 180 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 180 lb and 3042 kcal, 8¼ cups is about 792 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 Great Dane puppy feeding chart.
How the Great Dane compares
Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 180 lb Great Dane needs 17 kcal per pound; a 165 lb Great Pyrenees needs 2850 kcal (17 per lb), a 176 lb Newfoundland needs 2991 kcal (17 per lb), a 200 lb Saint Bernard needs 3292 kcal (16 per lb). The breed ranks 46 of 49 by weight on this site.
Adult weight from VCA Animal Hospitals breed page, checked 2026-10-20. Figures are maintenance starting points for a healthy adult; they are not veterinary advice.