Raw Feeding Excellence A Guide to Premium Raw Dog Food
To start with feed one protein source (like chicken or turkey), one meat, for a week and keep a diary, slowly by week 2 introduce a new meat, (for example beef and beef GREEN tripe), combine for a week, and use this method to introduce other things like lamb, rabbit, etc.
See how your dog goes for a week. You will find you will become an expert at looking at dog poo as this is the best way of telling how your dog is doing. You will find that poos generally become smaller and better formed as they utilise more of the food that they are being fed. The perfect poo can vary in colour but should be like a small kickable non stick pellet.
For many starting out it can make a lot of sense to start with premade minces with everything already in it (a complete meal)
So what should I be aiming for? You want to aim to have a good varied diet, the more variety the better the balance and the less likely a chance of your dog missing out on something.
your aim [ratio]: 80% meat, 10% bone & 10% offal
Examples of things that are counted towards your 80% meat are: heart, tongue, cheek, skirt, off cuts, lung, diaphragm, trachea, gizzards, green tripe, brisket, stewing meat, fillets. Your 10% offal . 5% liver do include liver its essential. other 5% kidney, spleen, brain, testicles, pancreas.
Raw Dog Food Calculator
Many dog owners advocate raw feeding as a natural way to avoid added sugars, carbohydrates, and preservatives in commercial kibble. Whether youre new to the world of raw feeding or have been rustling up raw meals for years, a calculator will come in handy to help you create balanced meals.
All raw feeding guidance is based on body weight. As a general rule, sustaining an adult dogs ideal body condition will require feeding around 2-3% of their ideal body weight in raw food per day. This number can be adjusted based on your dogs age, activity level, metabolism, and other factors.
Dog owners preparing raw food from scratch may have questions about the best way to formulate healthy meals. What feeding model best meets your canines nutritional requirements? Which raw meaty bone (RMB) types are safe and appropriate for your dog? How will you factor the RMB meat content into your muscle meat portion? Our calculator will help you out with these questions.
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1. Your dog's raw feeding requirements
% What should I enter here?What percentage of bodyweight should I feed?
| Weight loss / low activity | 2% |
| Weight maintenance | 2.5% |
| Weight gain / high activity | 3% |
Start at 2.5% of current bodyweight and adjust as required. Always consult your vet if you're concerned about your dog's weight or diet.
| 7 - 10 weeks | 10% - 8% |
| 10 - 16 weeks | 8% - 7% |
| 4 - 5 months | 7% - 6% |
| 5 - 6 months | 6% - 5% |
| 6 - 9 months | 5% - 4% |
| 9 - 12 months | 4% - 3.5% |
| 12 - 18 months | 3.5% - 3% |
Total Daily Amount 0 oz First, enter weight and feeding percentage. Raw food required per day.
2. Nutrition and meal planner
Preferred raw diet ratio
Enter preferred percentages, or start from a popular preset.
Remaining % to allocate: 0.
Raw meaty bone (RMB)
Choose a common cut, or select 'Custom' to enter a percentage.
Choose a RMB with a higher bone content to meet your dog's bone intake requirements.
Daily Serving Breakdown First, complete previous section.| Boneless meat | 0 oz |
| Raw meaty bone (60%) | 0 oz |
| Liver | 0 oz |
| Organs | 0 oz |
| Veg | 0 oz |
| Total per day | 0 oz |
How much raw food should I feed my dog?
Raw food portions are calculated as a percentage of your dogs body weight. The general advice is to feed adult dogs between 2.5% and 3% of their healthy weight, but remember that an adult dogs calorie requirements are affected by many factors, including the following:
- Activity level: Working dogs, such as sheepdogs or terriers, will burn considerably more calories (i.e., perhaps more than 3%) than a household pet, while senior dogs or those with joint problems may need less (i.e., closer to 2%). Check out our dog calorie calculator to help you determine your dogs energy requirements based on their activity level.
- Neuter status: Dogs have a reduced basal metabolic rate and failing to account for this can lead to weight gain or obesity.
- Your dogs breed: Some breeds are simply more energetic, while others are genetically predisposed toward obesity.
To calculate energy requirements for puppies, youll need to take into account their exact age. Puppies grow quickly and have significantly higher energy requirements than adult dogs. With our calculator, you can use these figures as a starting point:
| Puppy Age | Daily Portion |
| 7 - 10 weeks | 10% - 8% |
| 10 - 16 weeks | 8% - 7% |
| 4 - 5 months | 7% - 6% |
| 5 - 6 months | 6% - 5% |
| 6 - 9 months | 5% - 4% |
| 9 - 12 months | 4% - 3.5% |
| 12 - 18 months | 3.5% - 3% |
Whats the difference between BARF and PMR models?
If you opt for a DIY approach to raw feeding, youll soon encounter the various popular diet ratios. Two of the most well known are BARF and PMR:
- Prey Model Raw (PMR): This model is based on the assumption that dogs are ultimately domesticated wolves, so the ratio reflects the approximate percentages of a whole prey animal: 80% meat, 10% bone, and 10% secreting organs (typically half liver).
- Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF): An unfortunate acronym, but a popular ratio! This is an omnivorous diet that is similar to PMR and traditionally includes 10% fruit and vegetables, which are beneficial to some dogs. Some dog owners also opt to include nuts, seeds, or dairy products.
Each of these models has an extremely vocal and enthusiastic following and equally vocal detractors. There are also variations of these models, each attempting to provide a more nutritious, wholesome, or natural ratio for dogs. Some owners eschew ratios completely and instead prefer to feed whole prey, or an assembled frankenprey, insisting that this is the most natural and nutritionally appropriate meal. Ultimately, youll have to decide whats best for your dog based on the advice of your veterinarian and licensed veterinary nutritionist.
What are raw meaty bones?
Bones are absolutely essential in any raw diet. They not only provide the necessary calcium and nutrients for your dogs wellbeing, but are also important to create firm stools. Chewing bones can also help to maintain dental and gum health.
Raw meaty bones (RMBs) are edible bones covered in raw muscle meat and other connective tissue. Youll need to choose a bone that is suitable for your dogs size and age, and not so hard that they will damage their teeth. For help with this, check out the resources listed at the end of this page. Popular options include wings, necks, feet, and rib cages from small birds like chickens and ducks.
Remember that different RMBs contain different percentages of bonechicken wings are only around 40-50% bone, whereas a chicken head is closer to 75%. *You must account for this when you create your dogs meal to avoid risky nutrient imbalances. *
Here is a sample RMB calculation. Your dog needs three ounces of pure bone, and your chosen RMB is only 50% bone. Youll need to double the weight and give them six ounces of your chosen RMB to meet their intake requirements. Youll also need to subtract the muscle meat contained in your RMB from their calculated meat portion. The math can get quite complicated, but our calculator can help. Simply enter your RMB percentage, and the daily serving will adjust accordingly.
Finally, as with all areas of raw feeding, safety is paramount. Always avoid the following:
- Cooked Bones: Regardless of the cooking method, any cooked bone will be dry and brittle. The lack of moisture can cause them to splinter, which can cause serious injury, such as perforation or obstruction of gastrointestinal tissues. Cooked bones can also cause tooth fractures.
- Machine-cut bones: Machine-cut bones are found in many human-grade foods, but may have sharp edges that can injure your dog.
- Weight-bearing bones: Bones from large grazing animals, such as cows, can be very dense, which can cause tooth fractures.
- Bones likely to splinter: This includes bones like turkey drumsticks (i.e., legs).
How safe is a raw diet for dogs?
The CDC does not recommend feeding raw food to dogs and cats because raw meat can carry bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria. Kibble, canned, and fresh dog foods are typically cooked to a sufficient temperature to kill these pathogens before sale.
Meat purchased from the store for use in a DIY raw diet can carry dangerous bacteria because it is intended for cooking and human consumption. A quality butcher can tell you where meat is from and how it has been handled, but any raw meat has the potential to carry harmful germs. Commercially prepared raw diets go through strict safety checks, but many are still contaminated. Studies show that 30% to 50% of commercially prepared and home-prepared raw diets contain harmful pathogens.
Good sanitation is crucial if you choose to feed a raw diet, especially if anyone in your household has a compromised immune systemincluding young children and seniors. Up to 30% of pets fed a raw diet can shed harmful bacteria in their stools that can make people or other pets sick, even if the pet eating the food does not appear sick themselves. To keep you and your family members safe, thoroughly wash your hands and all surfaces and utensils after touching any raw food. Follow all necessary precautions when storing your dogs raw food or any ingredients intended for their meals.
Because of the large number of scientific studies that show raw-fed pets can spread serious diseases, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) advise against raw feeding in pets. Instead, they recommend feeding commercially made dry or canned food or working with a nutritionist to formulate a safe, balanced, home-cooked diet.
Most healthy pets are not adversely affected by bacteria contained in raw diets, but those with medical conditions are more susceptible to serious infections. If you choose to make your own raw diet, your dog could face problems related to long-term nutrient imbalances. The decision to feed a raw diet is entirely up to you as a pet owner, but you should carefully consider the risks to your household and your pets and speak to a veterinary professional before making your choice.
Where can I learn more?
Feeding Guide
Feeding Guide
New to Raw
Raw food is a natural source of nutrients for dogs, if you are considering changing your dog diet to raw its important to keep in mind the following:
- Age of your dog Older dogs will require a slower introduction to raw with a lighter protein such as fish and chicken to start.
- Current meal if fed on a kibble diet, some dogs will easily make the transition. Other dogs you may find there is an initial change and see signs of a stomach upset or loose stool (this is a result of kibble being a slow release of nutrients compared to raw). These signs will be temporary while the stomach adjusts. If you see signs, consider slowing the transitioning period further to assist your dogs stomach to adjust to a natural raw diet. The benefits of raw will show in time.
- Allergies if your dog has shown an allergy to a protein in the past, we recommend you avoid the protein to start. Once your dog is on a full raw dog diet its up to you to consider if you want to try the protein again in its raw form.
- Prescribed medications - We ask that you complete your own research and connect with a dog nutritionist and vet to help with your dog's diet decisions.
Younger dogs have been known to be able to make the switch immediately but the cautious dog owner or feeding older dogs we recommend that you introduce raw food gradually by replacing 10% of the current meal with raw for 1-4 days. On days 4-14 increase the raw food in the bowl gradually until you have a 100% raw dog food bowl. Continue to observe your dog and adjust based on any signs of stomach sensitivities. Once fully onto a raw food, you can then start mixing up the proteins (so, they get the benefits of each protein)
When it comes to feeding time, switching your dog to a raw food diet can lead to some questions about the amount of food you need to give him.
This handy guide will help you figure out how much you should be feeding your dog so you can feel more confident that youre not overfeeding, and youll always make sure they get the nutrients they need.
HOW MUCH RAW FOOD SHOULD I FEED MY PUPPY?
If youve ever owned a puppy before, you know how fast they grow. It seems like every time you turn around they get bigger and bigger, no matter how badly you wish theyd stay little. As a result of this growth, puppies need the right portion of raw food to provide them with the nutrients to keep them going.
Age % of weight needed
2 - 4 months 7.5% - 8.5%
4 - 6 months 5.5% - 7.5%
6 - 8 months 4.5% - 7.5%
8 - 10 months 3.5% - 4.5%
10 - 12 months 3.5%
ADULT DOG?
When it comes to adult dogs, there are other considerations and needs you should factor in. An adult dogs diet is based on maintenance instead of the growth support that they needed as a puppy.
Just like humans, a dogs portion depends on their weight, metabolism and their activity level. Of course, you should talk to your vet if your dog has any special dietary needs or medical requirements that affect her food intake.
Here are some general guidelines for feeding your adult dog raw food:
Active, underweight adult dogs should eat 3% of their current weight in kilos per day.Senior, less active, overweight adult dogs should eat 1.5% of their current weight in kilos per day.Adult dogs at an ideal weight should eat 2-3% of their current weight in kilos per day.
If you are wondering how often you should feed your dog,we recommend 2-4 times per day for puppies and 1-2 times per day for adult dogs. Again, this will depend on if your dog has any specific requirements set out by your vet.
