Tracking Food Intake with Hospet Events

Starting to Track Pet Food

Tracking your pet's food intake is a powerful way to spot changes in appetite, manage weight, and support overall well-being — especially during times of illness, recovery, or aging. This article will walk you through how to:

• Measure your pet's food (cups or grams)
• Track leftovers accurately or approximately
• Calculate calorie intake using your food label

Whether you're new to tracking or refining your routine, we’ll help you get started.

🥄 Step 1: How to Measure Pet Food

To track your pet’s food, you first need to know how much you’re offering. If you're not using a standard measuring cup, it’s important to translate your scoop or container into a standard unit (cups or grams).

Measuring in Cups

The term "cup" as used in Hospet refers to a standard, dry measuring cup that has been leveled off — not a mug, drinking cup, or kitchen scoop. To figure out how many cups are in your scoop:

1. Fill your usual scoop with the dry pet food.
2. Pour it into a dry measuring cup, leveling it off.
3. Record the amount (e.g., “my scoop holds ¾ cup”).

This allows you to consistently track how much food you're giving, even if you continue to use your scoop.

Measuring in Grams

Measuring in grams is often more accurate and especially helpful if you're tracking calories.

1. Place an empty scoop on a kitchen scale and tare it (zero it out).
2. Fill the scoop as normal, then weigh it.
3. Record how many grams it contains.

Once you’ve done this once, you’ll know how much your scoop holds in grams and can log that consistently.

📉 Step 2: Track Leftovers

Sometimes your pet won’t eat all the food you offer — and that’s important to note. You can record leftovers in two different ways:

Choose the amount of leftover based on your desired method.

Exact measurements are more accurate, but require more time and effort.

Rough estimates are quicker, and thus easier to do consistently, but are not as accurate.

Exact Method (More Accurate)

• Weigh the uneaten food in grams or measure in cups after a set time.
• Subtract that from the original amount offered.

Rough Estimate (Easier)

• Use a quick scale like "All", "3/4", "2/3", "1/2", "1/3", "1/4", "None"
• Works well if done consistently, even if it’s not precise.

Both methods are perfectly valid — the key is being consistent in whichever you choose.

🔥 Step 3: Calculate Calorie Content

Tracking calories can help manage weight or ensure your pet is eating enough during recovery. Here's how to calculate calories based on your pet food packaging:

1. Find the calorie statement on the label.
   • Look for something like:
     • "350 kcal/cup" or

     • "3,500 kcal/kg"

       Do the math based on your measurement method:

       If using cups:

   • Multiply cups fed by the kcal/cup.

   • Example: 1.5 cups x 350 kcal = 525 kcal

     If using grams:

   • Convert grams to kilograms (1000g = 1kg).
   • Multiply by the kcal/kg.
   • Example: 200g = 0.2 kg → 0.2 kg x 3,500 kcal = 700 kcal

If your pet food lists kcal per can (for wet food), you can simply multiply by how much of the can was offered or eaten.

📝 Final Tips

• Start simple — even just logging “how much offered” is a great start.
• Use the same scoop, bowl, or method each time to keep your data consistent.
• Re-measure your scoop if you change food brands or formulas — density can vary.

Need help figuring something out? Let us know and we can walk through it with you. You're not alone in this — and every bit of tracking helps you better understand your pet’s needs.