Raw dog food diet: how much to feed

February 13, 2026

Raw feeding has a reputation for being complicated, and honestly, the portion sizing is the part that trips most people up. With kibble you scoop and go. With raw, you're doing actual math, sourcing multiple ingredients, and hoping you got the ratios right. But once you understand the basic framework, it's not that bad.

I should say upfront: raw diets are controversial in veterinary circles. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) discourages raw feeding due to bacterial contamination risks. Some vets and nutritionists support it with proper formulation. I'm not here to settle that debate. If you've decided to feed raw, let's make sure you're doing the portions correctly.

The 2-3% rule

The standard starting point for raw feeding is 2-3% of your dog's ideal body weight per day. Note the word "ideal." If your dog weighs 80 pounds but should weigh 65, calculate based on 65.

• Less active, overweight, or senior dogs: start at 2%
• Average activity adult dogs: 2.5%
• High-energy, working, or underweight dogs: 3% or higher
• Puppies: 5-10% depending on age (more on this below)

For a 60-pound dog at ideal weight with moderate activity, that's 60 x 0.025 = 1.5 pounds of raw food per day. Split that into two meals, so about 12 ounces each.

Why 2-3% works (and when it doesn't)

This percentage method has been used by raw feeders for decades and it works reasonably well because raw food calorie density falls in a predictable range. Most raw meals with a mix of muscle meat, bone, and organ come in around 40-60 calories per ounce. So the percentage method is really just a simplified calorie calculation.

Where it breaks down: if you're feeding a lot of fatty meats (ground beef, duck, lamb), the calorie density goes up significantly. A meal heavy on 80/20 ground beef has way more calories per ounce than one built around chicken breast. You might need to drop to 2% or even lower for fatty proteins. Conversely, very lean meals (rabbit, venison) might require 3% or more.

What goes into a balanced raw meal

Portion size only matters if the food itself is balanced. The commonly used ratio for a prey model raw diet is:

• 80% muscle meat (including heart, gizzards, and other muscles)
• 10% raw meaty bone (chicken necks, duck frames, turkey necks)
• 5% liver
• 5% other secreting organs (kidney, spleen, pancreas, brain)

These ratios don't need to be exact at every single meal. Balance over the course of a week or two is fine. Some days might be mostly meat, another day you add extra organ. What you want to avoid is going weeks without any organ meat or bone.

If you're doing a BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) model, you'd also add 10% vegetables and fruits, reducing the muscle meat percentage accordingly.

Puppies on raw

Puppy portions are proportionally much larger than adult portions because they're building an entire body from scratch. General guidelines by age:

• 8-10 weeks: 8-10% of body weight, four meals per day
• 10-16 weeks: 7-8% of body weight, three meals per day
• 4-6 months: 6-7% of body weight, three meals per day
• 6-9 months: 4-5% of body weight, two meals per day
• 9-12 months: 3-4% of body weight, two meals per day

Weigh your puppy at least weekly and recalculate. A puppy that weighed 15 pounds on Monday might weigh 17 pounds two weeks later, and the portion needs to go up with them.

One concern with raw-fed puppies: calcium and phosphorus ratios matter a lot during growth. Too much bone raises calcium above safe levels, especially for large breed puppies. Keeping bone content at 10-12% of the diet (by weight) usually keeps things in the right range, but working with a veterinary nutritionist is worth the money for large breed puppies on raw.

How to adjust portions over time

The 2-3% starting point is just that, a starting point. Your dog will tell you if it's right. Check body condition every couple of weeks using the rib test: feel along the ribcage. If you can find the ribs easily with light pressure, with a thin layer of fat over them, you're in good shape. If you're pressing and can't find them, reduce portions. If ribs are poking out, increase.

Other signs you need to adjust:

• Leaving food in the bowl consistently: might be overfeeding
• Acting hungry between meals, losing weight: increase by 10%
• Stool is white and crumbly: too much bone, reduce bone percentage
• Stool is very loose: could be too much organ, introduce organs more gradually

The cost factor

Portion size directly affects your budget, and raw feeding is more expensive than kibble for most people. That 60-pound dog eating 1.5 pounds per day goes through about 45 pounds of raw food per month. At typical prices of $3-6 per pound for a balanced mix, you're looking at $135-270 monthly. Buying in bulk from co-ops or directly from farms can cut that significantly.

Some people do a hybrid approach: raw meals for dinner and high-quality kibble for breakfast. This isn't ideal from a pure raw-feeding perspective, but it's practical and still gives your dog some raw food benefits while keeping costs manageable.

Food safety

Since we're talking about handling raw meat daily, a few practical notes: thaw portions in the fridge rather than on the counter. Wash bowls after every meal with hot soapy water. Keep raw food separate from human food in your fridge or freezer. And wash your hands. These aren't unique to dog food. They're the same rules you follow when cooking chicken for yourself.