The maths, with your numbers
No guesswork and no brand chart. This is the same calculation a vet does on paper, so you can check it.
What this means for the bowl
Hill's Science Diet Adult Small & Mini Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe (formerly Small Paws) is on the lighter side: at 357 kcal per cup it has less energy than 76% of the 140 dry dog foods in our list, so the bowl will look fuller for the same calories.
To show how much the food matters: a 40 lb spayed or neutered dog needs about 985 kcal a day. That is 2 ¾ cups of this food, but 1 ⅞ cups of Purina Pro Plan All Ages Sport Performance 30/20 Salmon & Rice and 3 ⅝ cups of Kirkland Signature Healthy Weight Chicken and Vegetable. Same dog, same day, very different scoops.
A level 8 oz measuring cup holds about 97 g of this kibble. If you have kitchen scales, weighing is more accurate than scooping, because a heaped cup holds noticeably more than a level one.
Hill's Science Diet Adult Small & Mini Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe (formerly Small Paws) feeding chart
Daily amounts for healthy adult dogs with no treats, from the label calories and the AAHA 2021 energy factors. Split the amount into meals.
| Weight | Couch dog | Spayed or neutered | Very active |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 lb 2.3 kg | ⅜ cup42 g | ⅝ cup56 g | ¾ cup70 g |
| 10 lb 4.5 kg | ¾ cup71 g | 1 cup94 g | 1 ¼ cups118 g |
| 15 lb 6.8 kg | 1 cup96 g | 1 ⅜ cups128 g | 1 ⅝ cups159 g |
| 20 lb 9.1 kg | 1 ¼ cups119 g | 1 ⅝ cups158 g | 2 cups198 g |
| 30 lb 13.6 kg | 1 ⅝ cups161 g | 2 ¼ cups215 g | 2 ¾ cups268 g |
| 40 lb 18.1 kg | 2 ⅛ cups200 g | 2 ¾ cups266 g | 3 ½ cups333 g |
| 50 lb 22.7 kg | 2 ½ cups236 g | 3 ¼ cups315 g | 4 ⅛ cups393 g |
| 60 lb 27.2 kg | 2 ¾ cups271 g | 3 ¾ cups361 g | 4 ⅝ cups451 g |
| 70 lb 31.8 kg | 3 ⅛ cups304 g | 4 ¼ cups405 g | 5 ¼ cups506 g |
| 80 lb 36.3 kg | 3 ½ cups336 g | 4 ⅝ cups448 g | 5 ¾ cups560 g |
| 90 lb 40.8 kg | 3 ¾ cups367 g | 5 ⅛ cups489 g | 6 ⅜ cups611 g |
| 100 lb 45.4 kg | 4 ⅛ cups397 g | 5 ½ cups529 g | 6 ⅞ cups662 g |
Label values: 357 kcal per cup, 3,699 kcal per kg. Source: hillspet.com, checked 18 Oct 2026.
Questions
How much Hill's Science Diet Adult Small & Mini Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe (formerly Small Paws) should I feed a 50 lb dog?
About 3 ¼ cups or 315 g a day for a spayed or neutered dog, before treats. That is 1,164 kcal a day divided by the food’s label value. Use the calculator above to adjust for your pet.
How many calories are in Hill's Science Diet Adult Small & Mini Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe (formerly Small Paws)?
The label states 357 kcal per cup, 3,699 kcal per kg (checked 18 Oct 2026). Recipes change, so check your bag.
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