Feeding by breed and weight / Non-Sporting group
Feeding · Non-Sporting group
How much to feed a Xoloitzcuintli
A neutered adult Xoloitzcuintli at 55 lb needs about 1250 kcal a day, which is 3½ cups of a 369 kcal/cup food; at the 10 lb end of the breed's range it is 348 kcal, or 1 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 10–55 lb
- 2At 55 lb 1250 kcal a day
- 3Cups 3½ cups at 369 kcal/cup
Xoloitzcuintli feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a Xoloitzcuintli 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 lb (4.5 kg) | 218 | 348 kcal | 1 | 392 kcal | 1 | 305 kcal | ¾ |
| 21 lb (9.5 kg) | 380 | 607 kcal | 1¾ | 683 kcal | 1¾ | 531 kcal | 1½ |
| 33 lb (15.0 kg) | 533 | 852 kcal | 2¼ | 959 kcal | 2½ | 746 kcal | 2 |
| 44 lb (20.0 kg) | 661 | 1058 kcal | 2¾ | 1190 kcal | 3¼ | 925 kcal | 2½ |
| 55 lb (24.9 kg) | 781 | 1250 kcal | 3½ | 1407 kcal | 3¾ | 1094 kcal | 3 |
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 55 lb Xoloitzcuintli the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 157 kcal a day, roughly 0.4 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (1094 kcal at 55 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 55 lb and 1250 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 Xoloitzcuintli puppy feeding chart.
How the Xoloitzcuintli compares
Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 55 lb Xoloitzcuintli needs 23 kcal per pound; a 40 lb Whippet needs 985 kcal (25 per lb), a 38 lb Staffordshire Bull Terrier needs 947 kcal (25 per lb), a 35 lb Lagotto Romagnolo needs 891 kcal (25 per lb). The breed ranks 56 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.