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
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Small Breed Chicken & Oatmeal Puppy is one of the more calorie-dense dry dog foods we track: at 417 kcal per cup it has more energy than 78% of the 140 dry dog foods in our list. You will pour less of it than you might expect.
To show how much the food matters: a 15 lb puppy needs about 590 kcal a day. That is 1 ⅜ cups of this food, but 1 ⅛ cups of Purina Pro Plan All Ages Sport Performance 30/20 Salmon & Rice and 2 ⅛ cups of Kirkland Signature Healthy Weight Chicken and Vegetable. Same dog, same day, very different scoops.
A level 8 oz measuring cup holds about 112 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.
Puppies need about three times their resting energy until 4 months, then about twice. Weigh weekly, because the portion changes as they grow.
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Small Breed Chicken & Oatmeal Puppy feeding chart
Daily amounts for growing puppys with no treats, from the label calories and the AAHA 2021 energy factors. Split the amount into meals.
| Weight | Under 4 months | 4 months and older |
|---|---|---|
| 2 lb 0.9 kg | ½ cup52 g | ¼ cup35 g |
| 5 lb 2.3 kg | ⅞ cup104 g | ⅝ cup69 g |
| 10 lb 4.5 kg | 1 ⅝ cups175 g | 1 cup117 g |
| 15 lb 6.8 kg | 2 ⅛ cups237 g | 1 ⅜ cups158 g |
| 20 lb 9.1 kg | 2 ⅝ cups294 g | 1 ¾ cups196 g |
| 30 lb 13.6 kg | 3 ⅝ cups399 g | 2 ⅜ cups266 g |
| 40 lb 18.1 kg | 4 ⅜ cups495 g | 3 cups330 g |
| 50 lb 22.7 kg | 5 ¼ cups585 g | 3 ½ cups390 g |
| 60 lb 27.2 kg | 6 cups671 g | 4 cups447 g |
Label values: 417 kcal per cup, 3,731 kcal per kg. Source: petsmart.com, checked 18 Oct 2026.
Questions
How much Blue Buffalo Life Protection Small Breed Chicken & Oatmeal Puppy should I feed a 20 lb puppy?
About 1 ¾ cups or 196 g a day for a puppy aged 4 months or more, before treats. That is 732 kcal a day divided by the food’s label value. Use the calculator above to adjust for your pet.
How many calories are in Blue Buffalo Life Protection Small Breed Chicken & Oatmeal Puppy?
The label states 417 kcal per cup, 3,731 kcal per kg (checked 18 Oct 2026). Recipes change, so check your bag.
More from Blue Buffalo
- Life Protection Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
- Life Protection Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
- Life Protection Large Breed Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
- Wilderness High Protein Chicken Recipe Adult Grain-Free
- Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables & Brown Rice Adult
- Life Protection Small Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Adult
- Life Protection Healthy Weight Chicken & Brown Rice Adult