How much raw food?
Raw (BARF) feeders usually work from a percentage of a dog's bodyweight, then split it into muscle meat, bone and organ. This gives you a rough starting daily amount and that 80/10/10 breakdown - a ballpark to discuss with your vet, not a diet plan.
Split the 80/10/10 way:
- Muscle meat (80%)400 g
- Raw meaty bone (10%)50 g
- Liver (5%)25 g
- Other organ (5%)25 g
How this works
- Daily amount = ideal weight × 2-3% for adults (5% for growing puppies), and the 80/10/5/5 split (muscle meat, bone, liver, other organ). These are rules of thumb from raw-feeding practice, not figures from a veterinary guideline, which is why the result is only a starting point for a talk with your vet.
- The safety warnings come from the FDA: in its study of 196 raw pet food samples, 15 carried Salmonella and 32 Listeria monocytogenes, and owners who feed raw may themselves face a higher risk of infection.
What it leaves out:the balance of calcium, phosphorus, vitamins and minerals over time, which only a recipe checked by a veterinary nutritionist can cover.
Sources: FDA, Get the facts: raw pet food diets can be dangerous to you and your pet
A rough estimator, not a diet. Real needs vary with metabolism, breed, health and the exact foods used, and a balanced raw diet needs the right variety and calcium-to-phosphorus balance over time - get it wrong and a dog can be harmed, especially a growing puppy. Handle raw meat with strict hygiene, never feed cooked bones, and work with a vet or veterinary nutritionist to build and check any raw diet.
Raw-feeding prep gear
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