The goal of feeding a raw food diet to dog’s is to introduce all-natural homemade foods in place of kibble or canned dog food.
In the raw dog food feeding guide we will set out a guide for dog owners who are currently feeding their dog’s commercial kibble (Dog Biscuits etc.) and would like to change their dog’s diet over to a combination of meat, organs, small amounts of fruits and vegetables, and raw bones.
I, myself feed all my dog’s raw food as I am a firm believer that this type of diet creates better overall health.
Raw Dog Food – How Much Should I Feed?
There are so many opinions on this as you will notice if you ever go searching Google, however as a general rule of thumb with all my dog’s they are regularly fed about 2% of their HEALTHY body weight.
Obviously the amount fed also will depend on the dog’s energy and activity levels
- If your dog is a little on the chunky side (A little like myself) and needs to lose a few extra kilos then I would be feeding them no more than 2% of their current body weight.
- For the average activity levels I.e a daily walk of no less than 30 minutes, 3% is generally more than enough.
- If your dog is a little underweight or has high activity levels I would recommend aiming for 4%
- If you have working dog’s with extremely high activity levels or someone who is regularly jogging/cycling etc with your dog then I would aim for up to 6% of body weight per day.
What Level Of Activity Is My Dog At?
So you now have a guide as to how much raw food you should be feeding your dog. Next you need to understand what level of activity they are currently at.
Activity levels are explained below:
- Sedentary (2%) – This usually applies to dog’s that have either been injured, unwell or older dog’s.
- Average (3%) – Dogs that would go on walks for 30 minutes to an hour per day with some moderate play.
- High (4%) – This would be at least a 1-hour walk per day with some energetic play time involved.
- Working (6%) – Cattle dog’s, farm dog’s, dog’s that are regularly entering obstacle and agility competitions, police dog’s etc.
How Often Should I Feed My Dog?
I have always fed both my personal dog’s and my working dog’s (Military) their required daily amount divided over two meals per day as this greatly benefits their digestive system. As, all my personal dog’s come under the large dog breed this also assists in avoiding bloat something common in larger breeds.
Feeding your dog twice per day can also stop your dog from begging between meals, however don’t stress if this is not possible as once per day is also OK.
In the guide below I have out lined a raw dog food feeding guide depending on your dog’s current wight and activity levels.
| % of weight/day | 5kg | 10kg | 15kg | 20kg | 25kg | 30kg | 35kg | 40kg |
| 2% | 100g | 200g | 300g | 400g | 500g | 600g | 700g | 800g |
| 3% | 150g | 300g | 450g | 600g | 750g | 900kg | 1.05KG | 1.2KG |
| 4% | 200g | 400g | 600g | 800g | 1kg | 1.2kg | 1.4kg | 1.6kg |
| 5% | 250g | 500g | 750g | 1kg | 1.25kg | 1.5kg | 1.75kg | 2kg |
Bones & Treats – What Should I Give?
For my dog’s a really good bone is great for cleaning their teeth and it also provides them with a great calcium boost. They will either get a marrow bone or large beef bone.
Whenever feeding bones to your dog’s always make sure you supervise your dog and feed them an appropriate sized bone. The rule of thumb in regard to this is the bone should always be at least the size of your dog’s head, which for me is massive as I own an English Mastiff!!
If you own a greedy chewer you will need to pay extra attention to this one to avoid any choking hazards.
More Questions? Contact Us
If you have any questions that haven’t been answered here on our website please feel free to leave your questions here or send me an email directly to mark@ourdogsworld.com and I would be more than happy to help.
WOOF WOOF
Hi there! This is a great article indeed. I don’t have a raw dog food feeding guide, I just feed my dog once a day and it’s true that it keeps begging for more. I personally think that this guide can be useful and I will be using it to feed my dog from now on. I like the way you have outlined clearly the raw dog feed depending on its weight. I think this guide will be helpful to me.
Thanks for sharing this article with us, I will definitely share it further.
So glad you found the guide helpful and don’t hesitate to reach out If you need anything more on Raw feeding.
Hi, Mark,
Your article has answered a few questions about feeding dogs raw foods rather than the one in the store.
I have a question on dogs that already had a custom of eating raw foods and then were gifted to someone who believes in feeding them canned and Purina. Will a dog accustomed to raw food refuse to eat canned and Purina dog food? How can you switch them without them starving themselves if they refuse to eat? Will the dog eat the canned food and Purina eventually? If yes, how long will it usually take?
I look forward to hearing from you. Nyny
Hi Nyny,
Some great questions.
I have worked with many dogs in the reverse situation (Going from canned and kibble to raw) and I have used exactly the same process which I will lay out for you in regards to changing back from raw to Purina and canned.
Initially your dog may refuse to eat the canned and Purina although this can depend on the breed, for example my Black Lab or vacuum cleaner as I like to call her will eat anything so you may find that the switch wont be an issue for your dog.
I would recommend that you gradually introduce the change of diet to your dog over a 7 to 10 day period and depending on how much they enjoyed the raw diet it could take a couple of weeks to fully transition.
Doing the change over this period of time will achieve two things, 1. A quick change in diet can sometimes cause upset tummies and can make you dog feel a little worse for wear and trust me you don’t want this. 2. It will let your dog slowly understand that the canned and Purina is now their new source of food. A dog will never starve itself to a stage of not feeling good.
This should make the transition over a successful one!
I hope this helps Nyny and please if you require any further help please feel free to get in touch.
Woof Woof!
When it comes to our pets, pet owners put their lives on the line, for our ‘furry friends’. Rather it’s a cat or dog, but especially dog, we always tend to treat our pets as ‘part of the family. Just like we take care of our own health by eating right, we do the same with our pets. Our dogs diet is critical and we must be careful what we feed them. A good diet, along with exercise is important to a dog’s lifespan.
Yes I totally agree I would do anything for my dogs.
What pets do you own?
Mark
I am not too much when it comes to giving dogs raw foods because we had a dog nd he took sick we took him to the vet and what was said that he had heartworms which made him sick. I know that one thing that is safe is if the meat is boil well enough for the dog to eat. I know that there are mixed feelings when it comes to this practice while some persons would rather give their dog dry dog food.
Hi Norman,
Yes if you decide on a raw food diet there are certain things you need to make sure of in regards to preparation and where you buy your meat from.
Given the right raw foods you will avoid heartworm.
But you are right in saying it is up to each individual owner on whether they would prefer to feed raw or commercial, and as long as your dog is getting a complete diet then both have there benefits.
Thanks,
Mark