Feeding by breed and weight / Working group

How much to feed a Siberian Husky

A neutered adult Siberian Husky at 60 lb needs about 1335 kcal a day, which is 3½ cups of a 369 kcal/cup food; at the 45 lb end of the breed's range it is 1076 kcal, or 3 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.

Adult weight
45–60 lb
Calories/day (neutered)
1076–1335
Cups/day at 369 kcal/cup
3–3½
Per pound
22–24 kcal

Siberian Husky feeding table by weight and life stage

Each row is a Siberian Husky 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.

WeightRERNeutered adultCupsIntact adultCupsInactive / weight-proneCups
45 lb (20.4 kg)6721076 kcal31210 kcal3¼941 kcal2½
49 lb (22.2 kg)7171146 kcal31290 kcal3½1003 kcal2¾
53 lb (24.0 kg)7601216 kcal3¼1368 kcal3¾1064 kcal3
56 lb (25.4 kg)7921267 kcal3½1426 kcal3¾1109 kcal3
60 lb (27.2 kg)8341335 kcal3½1501 kcal41168 kcal3¼

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 60 lb Siberian Husky the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 166 kcal a day, roughly 0.4 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (1168 kcal at 60 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 60 lb and 1335 kcal, 3½ cups is about 336 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 Siberian Husky puppy feeding chart.

How the Siberian Husky compares

Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 60 lb Siberian Husky needs 22 kcal per pound; a 70 lb Australian Shepherd needs 1498 kcal (21 per lb), a 60 lb English Springer Spaniel needs 1335 kcal (22 per lb), a 66 lb Vizsla needs 1433 kcal (22 per lb). The breed ranks 29 of 49 by weight on this site. Females of the breed top out around 50 lb, which is 1164 kcal a day neutered.

Adult weight from Wikipedia breed infobox/body, checked 2026-10-20. Figures are maintenance starting points for a healthy adult; they are not veterinary advice.