Energy in pet foods
- Salmon oil900 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 880–900 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
Pure oil is 100 % fat, i.e. 9 kcal per gram. Even a teaspoon counts — put it in the daily total.
- Kitten dry food410 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 380–440 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
The densest cat kibble — kittens run at 2–2.5 × their resting requirement.
- Puppy and performance dog dry food400 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 380–430 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
More energy per gram — the same gram portion as a standard food carries more calories.
- Adult cat dry food380 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 350–420 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
An adult cat's day is commonly 40–60 g, so even five grams extra is a real share of it.
- Crunchy training treats for dogs370 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 340–400 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
As energy-dense as kibble, and a training session runs to tens of grams.
- Adult dog dry food — standard350 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 330–400 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
The label always wins. The spread within the category tracks fat content.
- Freeze-dried meat treats for cats350 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 320–400 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
Ten per cent of a cat's day is roughly 20–25 kcal — about 6 g of these.
- Neutered / indoor cat dry food340 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 310–370 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
Lower energy per gram is the whole point of the category: a neutered cat needs less.
- Light / weight-management dog dry food310 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 280–330 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
Less energy per gram, so the bowl looks fuller for the same calories.
- Dried meat treats for dogs300 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 270–350 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
Treats should stay under 10 % of the day's energy — on a small dog that is a few grams.
- Raw (BARF) mix for dogs — muscle meat and bone150 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 130–180 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
The real figure depends on the fat of the meat, and a home mix has no label to read it off.
- Raw (BARF) mix for cats150 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 130–180 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
Cats are obligate carnivores and a home mix easily misses taurine — have it checked.
- High-meat dog wet food130 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 100–160 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
The widest spread in this table: fat content moves it by half.
- High-meat cat wet food110 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 90–140 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
The label always wins; brands differ by more than 50 % here.
- Dog wet food — complete paté100 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 80–120 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
Wet food is mostly water, so the gram portion is several times a dry one.
- Cat wet food — complete paté90 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 75–105 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
About 80 % water, which covers a large part of a cat's daily fluid intake.
- Dog wet food — chunks in jelly80 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 65–95 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
The least energy-dense complete food — the jelly itself adds almost nothing.
- Cat wet food — chunks in jelly70 kcal / 100 g
Typical value for the category: 55–85 kcal / 100 g. Always check against the label.
The least energy per gram — a cat eats more of it and can still fall short.
How it is calculated
Eighteen food categories with their typical kcal-per-100g range — the same figures the daily-ration calculator uses. This is not a database of specific products: without the bag in hand, a number for one named brand would be a guess, and a guessed energy density means a guessed ration for a living animal. The label always wins.
Where this comes from
Typical category values from published ranges per food form (dry, wet, raw, treats, supplements) — see the daily-ration calculator for the full method.
This is an estimate from publicly published rules, not veterinary advice. A sick, nursing or pregnant animal is a vet's decision.
Want the exact figure for one specific food?
The Biskio app can store a food's energy density straight from the label, on your pet's profile.
Want to know when we launch? Leave us your email.