Feeding by breed and weight / Hound group
How much to feed a Whippet
A neutered adult Whippet at 40 lb needs about 985 kcal a day, which is 2¾ cups of a 369 kcal/cup food; at the 24 lb end of the breed's range it is 671 kcal, or 1¾ 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.
Whippet feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a Whippet 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 lb (10.9 kg) | 420 | 671 kcal | 1¾ | 755 kcal | 2 | 587 kcal | 1½ |
| 28 lb (12.7 kg) | 471 | 754 kcal | 2 | 848 kcal | 2¼ | 659 kcal | 1¾ |
| 32 lb (14.5 kg) | 521 | 833 kcal | 2¼ | 937 kcal | 2½ | 729 kcal | 2 |
| 36 lb (16.3 kg) | 569 | 910 kcal | 2½ | 1024 kcal | 2¾ | 796 kcal | 2¼ |
| 40 lb (18.1 kg) | 615 | 985 kcal | 2¾ | 1108 kcal | 3 | 862 kcal | 2¼ |
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 40 lb Whippet the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 123 kcal a day, roughly 0.3 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (862 kcal at 40 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 40 lb and 985 kcal, 2¾ cups is about 264 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 Whippet puppy feeding chart.
How the Whippet compares
Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 40 lb Whippet needs 25 kcal per pound; a 40 lb Brittany needs 985 kcal (25 per lb), a 31 lb Pembroke Welsh Corgi needs 813 kcal (26 per lb), a 30 lb Cocker Spaniel needs 794 kcal (26 per lb). The breed ranks 23 of 49 by weight on this site.
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.