Raw Feeding Guide for Your Pet
How Much Raw Food Should I Feed My Pet?
There are varying opinions on how much raw food you should be feeding your doggo and/or house lion (cat). One thing is for sure, it can vary quite a bit with the metabolism and activity level of your pet. Daily feeding guidelines will also vary by manufacturer.
The best thing thing you can do as a pet-parent is to simply monitor your pets weight for the first 4-6 weeks on the the new diet.
Once or twice per week, you should examine them physically; checking their ribs, their hips, etc to identify if they've been gaining or losing weight and adjusting your feeding practices accordingly.
With that said, it always helps to have a guideline when you're starting out. As such, we've put together a general overview of what experts recommend starting out with!
For Dogs:
As a general rule of thumb, you should consider feeding your dog approximately 2-3% of their body weight daily and split this between two meals.
And, again, it very much depends on their activity level. Here's a quick guide for determining which % range you should be feeding them:
- .02 (inactive/need to lose weight)
- .025 (normal activity/maintain current weight)
- .03 (for very active pets, or to gain weight)
Dog's Weight | 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 |
For Puppies:
Puppies are a bit different. Instead of judging by weight, use their age in terms of week to help you decide what quantity of raw food you should be feeding them!
Puppy's Age (weeks) | 7-10 | 10-16 | 16-20 | 20-24 | 24-36 | 36-56 | 56-68 | 68+ |
% of weight | 10% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 2-3% |
Again, this will depend of level of exercise and your pup's metabolism. Be sure to examine them physically twice per week and adjust accordingly!
For Cats:
The same rule applies to cats as it does for dogs - feed approximately 2-3% of your cat's weight daily, and split this between two meals.Fortunately the weight range for cats doesn't vary as greatly as for dogs. As such, use your cats activity level as your guideline for determining which % to use as it relates to their weight:
- .02 (inactive/need to lose weight)
- .025 (normal activity/maintain current weight)
- .03 (for very active pets, or to gain weight)
For Kittens:
Even simpler - feed at least 5% of body weight daily. This can be split into at least 2 and preferably 3 meals per day!
Important Reminder
Again, your feeding practices should adhere to your pet's activity level (which also depends on their age). Remember to monitor them closely during the first six weeks, and, when in doubt, consult your veterinarian!