An adult Pembroke Welsh Corgi weighing 10.5 kg, neutered and moderately active, needs about 413 kcal a day, or roughly 362 g of our chicken recipe. With this breed the portion matters above all for the spine: corgis carry the gene variant behind short legs and early disc ageing, and in a UK study of 700 dogs each extra point of body condition raised the odds of a disc extrusion about 1.6 times. And one fact few owners know: in a US study of genetic tests on 3,209 Pembrokes, almost two in three carried two copies of the degenerative myelopathy variant, a genetic disease that no food has been shown to influence.
The Royal Kennel Club standard, which the FCI standard used in continental Europe follows, puts the Pembroke Welsh Corgi at about 25-30 cm at the shoulder and 10-12 kg for dogs, 9-11 kg for bitches. The American Kennel Club is more generous: no more than 30 lb for dogs and 28 lb for bitches (about 13.6 and 12.7 kg), with a preferred show weight of around 12.2 and 11.3 kg. In other words, the ‘ideal’ American male sits at the very top of the British range.
The Cardigan, the other corgi, has no weight in its FCI standard at all, only ‘in proportion to size’ and an ideal height of 30 cm. The chart on this page follows the Pembroke standard, from 9 kg to 12 kg; for a Cardigan, go by your own dog’s weight.
You will often read that nearly half of all corgis are overweight. We could not trace that figure to a published study, so we do not repeat it. Checking your corgi’s shape still matters, and it is harder than it looks: the dense undercoat the standard asks for hides the waist. Use your hands. At ideal weight, a score of 4-5 on the WSAVA 9-point scale, the ribs are easy to feel under a thin layer of fat and a waist is visible from above.
A corgi’s short legs have a precise genetic cause: two extra copies of the FGF4 gene, one on chromosome 12 and one on chromosome 18. The most extreme short-legged builds are found in breeds that carry both, such as Dachshunds, Basset Hounds and corgis. The copy on chromosome 12 does more than shorten bones: it makes the discs between the vertebrae age early. In the University of California study that identified it, it was linked to about 51 times the odds of intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), and the Pembroke is among the breeds with a significantly higher IVDD risk in veterinary hospital studies.
Then there is body shape. The American standard asks for the distance from withers to base of tail to be about 40% greater than the height at the withers. In a study of 700 dogs seen at a UK referral hospital, the longer the back relative to height, the higher the risk of a thoracolumbar disc extrusion. The two Pembrokes measured had a back 1.52 times their height, among the highest ratios in the study, and the authors say the breed should be considered high-risk because of its shape, even though few corgis took part. In the same study, for the same shape, each extra point of body condition score raised the odds of a disc extrusion about 1.6 times, and the authors concluded that keeping higher-risk dogs lean is particularly important.
The hips hold a surprise. In a study of 399 Pembrokes X-rayed with the PennHIP method, every single dog had lax hips (a distraction index above 0.30, 0.66 on average), a degree of laxity linked to arthritis in large breeds. Yet only 6.8% of the corgis had osteoarthritis. Other bony changes associated with hip dysplasia were common, so the hips still deserve your vet’s attention; it is simply that in corgis laxity alone does not predict arthritis the way it does in bigger dogs.
Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a disease of the spinal cord that appears in older dogs and gradually takes away the use of the hind legs. It is linked to a variant of the SOD1 gene, and the Pembroke is one of the breeds in which that variant is most common. In a US study of genetic tests from more than 33,000 dogs, 3,209 Pembrokes had been tested: the variant had a frequency of 79%, and 2,091 of them, almost two in three, carried two copies. Italian data from one of the Italian Kennel Club’s official DNA-testing laboratories point the same way: of 13 breeds, the Pembroke had the highest frequency of the variant. Not every dog with two copies falls ill, but its risk is much higher than that of a carrier with a single copy.
On that genetic risk, diet has no proven effect. In an American study that followed 21 corgis with DM to the end, signs lasted a median of 19 months and the median age at euthanasia was 13 years. The researchers also measured a marker of oxidative damage in the spinal fluid, found no difference from healthy dogs and concluded that this kind of oxidative injury is not involved. No food or ‘antioxidant’ supplement has been shown to help a corgi avoid DM; the tool that exists is the DNA test, most useful to breeders.
Feeding matters again as the disease progresses: a dog that moves less burns less energy, and a lighter corgi is easier to support in a harness or a cart. If your corgi slows down, update the activity level in the quiz and let your vet guide the changes.
Begging on its own does not mean the portion is too small: judge by the ribs, not by the eyes at the table. The exception worth knowing is exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), in which the pancreas does not produce enough digestive enzymes. Its most typical signs, reported in more than 90% of affected dogs, are an excessive appetite, larger and more frequent stools and weight loss; the diagnosis is made with a blood test called TLI.
The corgi is not among the breeds with an established predisposition, but EPI has been studied in the Pembroke. Comparing 14 affected corgis with 43 healthy ones, researchers found that a duplication of an immune-system gene, similar to one already linked to EPI in German Shepherds, was associated with about 3.8 times the odds of the disease. The practical rule: a corgi that eats more than usual and still loses weight is not being greedy, and should see the vet before you change its food.
Cystine stones form in the urinary tract when an inherited defect stops the kidneys reabsorbing cystine, and they affect males almost exclusively. In a US study of 5,477 dogs whose cystine stones were analysed by the Minnesota Urolith Center, 99% were male and, breed by breed, a median of 98% of the males were uncastrated: in most breeds male hormones seem to play a large part. The Pembroke stands out. Of its 35 males with cystine stones 74% were intact, putting it among only 8 breeds in the study at 75% or below, so about one in four had been castrated at least three months before the stones were removed. Hormones still count in corgis, since intact males were overrepresented, but the breed is also among those reported to carry inherited forms that do not depend on them.
The practical point: neutering, which the authors expect to help even in these breeds, may not be enough on its own in a corgi, and they recommend genetic testing and measuring cystine in the urine to judge the risk of new stones. For dogs that have already had cystine stones, the ACVIM consensus also advises diluting the urine and limiting animal protein and sodium. If your corgi has had them, its diet is for your vet to set, including whether a meat-based food like ours is suitable.
Every Pappa Fresh recipe contains one meat only and declares its calories, so you can weigh your corgi’s portion instead of guessing:
They are cooked in the pouch and keep outside the fridge until opened; once opened, the pouch goes in the fridge and should be used within 2-3 days. For a 10.5 kg corgi one 400 g pouch lasts about 1.1 days, well within that limit. Turkey is poultry: if your dog has reacted to chicken, ask your vet before trying it.
If you would like to keep some of your usual kibble, the Mix plan covers half the ration, about €3.37 a day for a neutered 10.5 kg corgi; in that case cut the kibble by half as well.
An adult Pembroke of 10.5 kg, neutered and moderately active, needs about 413 kcal a day: with our Chicken recipe that is about 362 g, with the richer Beef recipe 304 g. An unneutered corgi burns more, about 516 kcal (453 g of chicken). The chart runs from 9 kg, a light bitch, to 12 kg, the top of the standard for dogs.
If your corgi weighs more, say 13 kg, first check with your hands whether it is carrying fat or is simply a bigger dog, as Cardigans and American-line Pembrokes often are; then enter its real weight and body condition in the quiz. And if the grams look high next to the kibble bag, that is normal: kibble is far more concentrated (around 350-400 kcal per 100 g, against 110-136 for our recipes). For the general logic, see how much a dog should eat.
| Weight | Energy need (kcal/day) neutered / intact | Grams per day neutered / intact | Complete plan | Mix (½) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 kg | 367 / 459 | 322 g / 403 g | €5.96/day | €2.92/day |
| 10.5 kg | 413 / 516 | 362 g / 453 g | €6.48/day | €3.37/day |
| 12 kg | 456 / 570 | 400 g / 500 g | €7.26/day | €3.63/day |
Grams based on the Chicken recipe (114 kcal/100 g); with Beef, which is richer (136 kcal/100 g), you need about 16% less. Prices for a neutered dog.
Figures calculated with the same method as our quiz (FEM×K: maintenance energy adjusted for breed, activity, neutering and body condition). They are an estimate: take the quiz for your dog's exact plan, and talk to your vet about any health concern.
Two minutes: enter weight, age, activity and body condition to get the exact portion, with 30% off your first order.
An adult Pembroke of 10.5 kg, neutered and moderately active, needs about 362 g a day of our Chicken recipe; across the standard, from 9 kg to 12 kg, that ranges from about 322 g to 400 g. These are estimates: the right amount also depends on your dog's body condition.
The Royal Kennel Club and FCI standards give 10-12 kg for Pembroke dogs and 9-11 kg for bitches; the American standard allows up to about 13.6 and 12.7 kg. The Cardigan standard gives no weight. Shape counts more than the number on the scales.
Feel rather than look, because the thick double coat hides the waist. At ideal weight, 4-5 on the WSAVA 9-point scale, the ribs are easy to feel under a thin layer of fat and a waist is visible from above. If you cannot feel the ribs, talk to your vet.
Yes. The Pembroke carries the FGF4 variant that shortens the legs and ages the discs early, and it is among the breeds with a higher IVDD risk in hospital studies. In a UK study of 700 dogs, each extra point of body condition raised the odds of a disc extrusion about 1.6 times.
Begging alone does not mean the portion is too small: check the ribs and weigh the food. But a corgi that eats more than usual while losing weight, with larger and more frequent stools, may have exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, which your vet can diagnose with a blood test.
No food has been shown to change the risk: DM is linked to the SOD1 gene, and a DNA test tells you whether your corgi carries the variant. As the disease progresses and the dog moves less, the portion should come down, with your vet's guidance.
Written by the Pappa Fresh editorial team from published veterinary studies (see sources). Not a substitute for your vet's advice.
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