Estimating the total number of calories that your pet burns each day can be split into:
- Resting calories - calories that your pet burns just by laying around (often referred to as their basal metabolic rate or BMR)
- Active calories - calories that your pet burns due to other activities like standing up, walking around, or going for a run with you.
In order to estimate your pet's BMR we use the weight that you entered during setup that you can edit in your pet's profile. Similar to humans, a pet’s BMR usually makes up over half of the total calories that your pet burns every day. This is why you will see resting calories even if your pet does not have any active minutes yet. Therefore, in order to have an accurate estimate of calories it is very important that we have an accurate measurement of your pet’s weight and it's up to date.
Whistle uses sensor readings from its tri-axial accelerometer to estimate how many calories your pet is burning while moving around, in addition to it’s BMR. By combining these two sources of caloric burn we can estimate the total number of calories your pet burns each day.
**Whistle's caloric expenditure is based off of published algorithms as an estimate of pet energy expenditure, however it has not been proven clinically accurate and not intended to directly manage your pets food intake. Please be sure to consult your veterinarian before making any changes to your pet's diet or routine.