PetCalc

Editorial policy

PetCalc Tools publishes free dog and cat calculators and guides. This page explains how we choose sources, show formulas, update content, use AI in drafting, and correct mistakes. Maintained by Hammad Iqbal. Last updated: 2026-10-27.

What we are (and are not)

Every tool and guide is for education. Results are estimates, not diagnoses, prescriptions, or a substitute for a licensed veterinarian. When your pet is ill, injured, ate something toxic, or you are unsure about feeding, contact your veterinarian or an emergency clinic. We do not claim “vet-approved” status and we do not invent reviewers or credentials.

Source hierarchy

When a claim needs a citation, we prefer sources in this order:

  1. Primary veterinary guidance: WSAVA, AAHA, AAFP, AVMA, AAFCO, National Research Council (NRC), ASPCA Animal Poison Control, Pet Poison Helpline, Merck / MSD Veterinary Manual.
  2. Peer-reviewed research: journal articles that directly support a formula, threshold, or finding (for example Wang et al. 2020 on dog aging; Stockman et al. 2013 on homemade recipe adequacy; Hawthorne et al. 2004 on puppy growth).
  3. Reputable charities and teaching hospitals: used when they rest on the same primary literature, not as a substitute for it.

Blog posts, forums, and unsourced “rules of thumb” are not enough for a numeric claim. If a common industry convention (such as raw-feeding percent-of-body-weight portions) is not stated in those primary sources, we label it as a convention or site heuristic, not as veterinary standard.

Formulas must be visible

Each calculator page shows the equation or method in plain language, a worked example with the same numbers the code returns, and a references list. Implementation lives in pure TypeScript undersrc/lib/formulas/ and is covered by unit tests. The methodology page summarizes every tool’s equation in one place.

Reviewer honesty

Until a named, credentialed veterinarian has actually reviewed a page, we do not show a “Reviewed by” credit, “vet-approved” wording, or reviewedBy in schema. The reviewer box states that the site maintainer checked claims against the listed sources and that the page is not veterinary-reviewed. See About.

Update cadence and dates

AI-assisted drafting

AI tools may help draft wording or structure. Publishing unverified AI text is not allowed. Every number, threshold, title, meta description, and structured-data value must be checked against the sources above before a page ships. AI does not replace veterinary judgment and is never listed as an author or reviewer.

Corrections

If you find an error in a formula, citation, or claim, email hammadiqbal117@gmail.com or use the contact form. Confirmed corrections are logged on the methodology changelog with a date. We do not silently rewrite disputed claims without a source.

Related pages