How Much Raw Meat Should A Dog Eat?

There are differing perspectives on how much raw food to give dogs and the amount depends a lot on your pet's metabolism and activity level.

This article will let you know how you can determine how much raw food you should feed your canine for optimal health.

What is a raw meal?

A raw food diet for dogs consists of items that are provided in their natural and original condition. The meals aren't processed. Instead, they're designed to resemble how dogs ate before commercially packaged foods became available. 

Despite the fact that commercial dog food is nutritionally balanced, convenient, and inexpensive, some pet owners prefer raw food diets. 

For example, some dogs have dietary sensitivities or allergies, making commercially prepared diets, which are specially made for that problem, difficult to come by. However, since raw dog food offers various benefits to these canines, some owners choose to feed them this raw diet.

How much raw meat should a dog eat?

The food requirements of your dog vary depending on its activity level, metabolic rate, age, breed and other factors. Therefore, it’s critical to keep a careful eye on your canine and adjust the amount of food it eats as needed to maintain a healthy weight.

Getting used to dog raw feeding while also determining how much you should give your pet can be a daunting process at first, so we have prepared a beginner’s guide for you.

How do you calculate raw dog food?

For an adult dog

Feeding 2% to 4% of your dog's body weight is a good rule of thumb. Smaller dogs will require a higher proportion of their body weight, whilst larger dogs require a lower amount. 

The daily portion should be divided into two halves, one in the morning and one in the evening.

Here are a few examples of how much you can feed your canine based on its weight:

• A 40kg dog will consume roughly 800 - 1200g of raw meat per week.
• A 20kg canine will consume around 40 - 600g of raw meat per week.
• A 5kg dog will consume around only 100 - 150g of raw meat per week.

For a puppy

If you've ever had a puppy, you're aware of how quickly puppies develop. Due to their rapid growth, pups require the appropriate amount of raw food to maintain their health. 

Start by feeding it 5% to 8% of its body weight each day, divided into three portions. As it develops, you will need to have it weighed regularly and continue to feed it in this manner.

Photo by Austin Kirk on Unsplash

Activeness of your dog

The activeness of your dog affects how much you need to feed it. For example, a K-9 dog will need a larger amount of food per serving as compared to a house dog. 

Nevertheless, you can check your canine activeness level using this guideline:

• Intense level of activeness: Working dogs that fall in this category are farm dogs, police dogs, canines that compete in tournaments and others.
  
  
• High level of activeness: Dogs who go for walks with energetic plays that last for at least 60 minutes daily fall under this level of activeness.
  
  
• Moderate level of activeness: Canines that fall in the average category are dogs that play moderately and go for normal walks daily of about 30 to 60 minutes.
  
  
• Low level of activeness: Dogs that are mostly indoors and do minimal activity usually fall under this section. The canines in this category are usually senior or unwell dogs.

How much raw meat does a dog need per day?

For adult dogs, we would recommend splitting your dog's daily intake into two meals. Doing this will be better for their digestion and also will reduce the probability of bloating in larger breeds. Doing this can also avoid your dog asking for more food between meals.

During their fast development stage, puppies consume nearly the same quantity of food as adult dogs. They burn more calories than adults yet have smaller stomachs. Hence, you'll need to feed your puppy in smaller quantities many times a day.

Calculate the entire daily amount as usual, but divide it into numerous meals. When it comes to how often to feed a puppy, 3 to 4 meals a day is optimum.

How much raw mince to feed dogs?

Similar to other raw diets, the amount of raw mince you should feed your dog depends on the weight, activeness levels of your dog and other factors. In general, here are some guidelines in feeding raw mince to your canine:

• Adult dogs who are active yet underweight should consume 3% of their present weight in pounds per day.
• Senior dogs which are less energetic or overweight should eat 1.5% of their current weight in pounds per day.
• Adult dogs should be fed 2 - 3% of their current weight in pounds per day to maintain their optimal weight.

The reason why some pet parents prefer raw mince over chunkier meat cuts or bones is that minced meat is easier to digest. This is especially helpful for senior dogs who don’t have enough energy to chew or for dogs with underlying stomach problems.

What raw meat should I feed my dog?

There are many raw meat options you can choose from but the choice should be based on what works best for your pet. 

For example, if your dog has skin allergies, salmon would be the better option as compared to chicken as the former is high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon in your dog's diet does not only make its hair and skin look better, but it also enhances its bone health.

Nonetheless, here are a few examples of raw meat you can give your dog:

• Chicken 
• Lamb
• Beef 
• Pork 
• Venison 
• Rabbit 
• Salmon 
• Turkey 

Make sure your dog's food is nutritionally full and balanced, regardless of which raw meat you pick. 

If this process becomes too hard for you to do alone, you can also try out Petcubes’ Raw Trial Packs. This collection comes with 7 different meal options you can feed your dog before committing fully to a raw diet. Each meal is prepped with the best ingredients to ensure your dog gets all its nutrients and energy from this meal.

It's important to remember that meat alone is not a suitable diet and needs to be fed along with other ingredients to make a complete and nutritional diet. Adding meat to a diet of mostly kibbles can significantly enhance the nutritional value of the meal.

Conclusion 

Remember that every dog's metabolism is unique, as are their nutritional demands, therefore feeding should be tailored to their specific requirements. You can talk to your local veterinarian to find out which raw meat will be the best meal plan for your canine.

Reviewed by: 

Dr Francis Cabana

Dr Francis is one of the top wildlife nutritionists in Asia. Originating from Montreal, Canada, he left at 21 to pursue his Masters and subsequently a PhD in wildlife nutrition at Oxford Brookes University. Instead of taking the path of common animal science to learn about farm animals, or through the veterinarian space and taking a certificate in nutrition, he took the road less travelled to dive deep into the world of animal ecology, metabolism and nutrition.