How much should I feed my Dog?
Wed, 26 Oct 2011
This can be a confusing and daunting topic for some when switching to a RAW Food Diet, but can be quite simple by following the following recommendations.
As a general rule of thumb we can use the following table as a guide line. The table reflects volumes of foods in grams and also converts it to number of Patties for those of you who are feeding Big Dog BARF Patties (which weigh 250g each)
|
Weight of Dog (in kg's) |
Puppies (0-12mths) 4% of body weight or 40 grm per kilo. |
Healthy Adult Dogs 1 yr + 2% of body weight or 20g per kilo |
Whelping and Brood Bitches 6% of body weight or 60g per kilo |
|
5 |
200g (¾ patty) |
100g (½ patties) |
300g (1 ¼ patties) |
|
6 |
240g (1 patty) |
120g (½ patties) |
360g (1 ½ patties) |
|
7 |
280g (1 ¼ patties) |
140g (½ patties) |
420g (1 ⅔ patties) |
|
8 |
320g (1 ¼ patties) |
160g (⅔ patties) |
480g (2 patties) |
|
9 |
360g (1 ½ patties) |
180g (¾ patties) |
540g (2 ¼ patties) |
|
10 |
400g (1 ½ patties) |
200g (¾ patties) |
600g (2 ½ patties) |
|
11 |
440g (1 ¾ patties) |
220g (¾ patties) |
660g (2 ⅔ patties) |
|
12 |
480g (2 patties) |
240g (1 patty) |
720g (3 patties) |
|
13 |
520g (2 patties) |
260g (1 patty) |
780g (3 ⅓ patties) |
|
14 |
560g (2 ¼ patties) |
280g (1 ⅓ patties) |
840g (3 ¼ patties) |
|
15 |
600g (2 ½ patties) |
300g (1 ¼ patties) |
900g (3 ⅔ patties) |
|
16 |
640g (2 ½ patties) |
320g (1 ¼ patties) |
960g (3 ¾ patties) |
|
17 |
680g (2 ¾ patties) |
340g (1 ⅓ patties) |
1020g (4 patties) |
|
18 |
720g (2 ¾ patties) |
360g (1 ½ patties) |
1080g (4 ¼ patties) |
|
19 |
760g (3 patties) |
380g (1 ½ patties) |
1140g (4 ½ patties) |
|
20 |
800g (3 ¼ patties) |
400g (1 ⅔ patties) |
1200g (4 ¾ patties) |
|
21 |
840g (3 ¼ patties) |
420g (1 ⅔ patties) |
1260g (5 patties) |
|
22 |
880g (3 ½ patties) |
440g (1 ¾ patties) |
1320g (5 ¼ patties) |
|
23 |
920g (3 ½ patties) |
460g (1 ¾ patties) |
1380g (5 ½ patties) |
|
24 |
960g (3 ¾ patties) |
480g (2 patties) |
1440g (5 ¾ patties) |
|
25 |
1000g (4 patties) |
500g (2 patties) |
1500g (6 patties) |
|
26 |
1040g (4 ¼ patties) |
520g (2 ¼ patties) |
1560g (6 ¼ patties) |
|
27 |
1080g (4 ¼ patties) |
540g (2 ¼ patties) |
1620g (6 ½ patties) |
|
28 |
1120g (4 ½ patties) |
560g (2 ¼ patties) |
1680g (6 ¾ patties) |
|
29 |
1160g (4 ½ patties) |
580g (2 ⅓ patties) |
1740g (7 patties) |
|
30 |
1200g (4 ¾ patties) |
600g (2 ½ patties) |
1800g (7 ¼ patties) |
|
31 |
1240g (5 patties) |
620g (2 ½ patties) |
1860g (7 ½ patties) |
|
32 |
1280g (5 patties) |
640g (2 ½ patties) |
1920g (7 ¾ patties) |
|
33 |
1320g (5 ¼ patties) |
660g (2 ⅔ patties) |
1980g (8 patties) |
|
34 |
1360g (5 ½ patties) |
680g (2 ¾ patties) |
2040g (8 ¼ patties) |
|
35 |
1400g (5 ½ patties) |
700g (2 ¾ patties) |
2100g (8 ½ patties) |
|
36 |
1440g (5 ¾ patties) |
720g (3 patties) |
2160g (8 ¾ patties) |
|
37 |
1480g (6 patties) |
740g (3 patties) |
2220g (9 patties) |
|
38 |
1520g (6 ¼ patties) |
760g (3 patties) |
2280g (9 ¼ patties) |
|
39 |
1560g (6 ½ patties) |
780g (3 ⅓ patties) |
2340g (9 ½ patties) |
|
40 |
1600g (6 ½ patties) |
800g (3 ¼ patties) |
2400g (10 patties) |
This is recommended as a guide only and no one knows your dog better than you. Consistent monitoring of your dogs weight is important, and adjustments to the volumes might be required. Remember just like you or I, every dog is different, has different energy requirements, and metabolisms. What is right for one dog may not be right for the other.
Please ensure you monitor your dogs’ weight, and adjust their feed accordingly if you notice weight gain or weight loss. Other important factors to take into account might be
• Current life-stage (Age)
• Exercise levels
• Climate (temperatures)
An important feeding consideration is the feeding of Raw bones – which we thoroughly recommend. A Raw bone is your dogs natural toothbrush, which helps to keep dogs teeth clean, but also offers your pet a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals, including calcium, responsible for healthy teeth and bones. This is also a cost effective way to RAW feed - find a good local source of cheap, soft, RAW Meaty Bones and include daily in as part of your dogs diet. Great bones to include are brisket bones (pork, lamb or beef), turkey neck and wings, salmon heads and sardines, lamb flap and of course the old favourites - chicken necks, wings and frames.
Bones also supply your dog a natural digestible energy source, and this should be taken into consideration when feeding. Simply reduce the amount of grams off the Big Dog Barf patties, Edge, Active or Breeders Choice BARF Diets (or other RAW foods).
Example – if you have a 20 kg Healthy Adult dog – as a starting point it would require 400g per day of RAW Foods. If you give them a chicken wing in the morning for breakfast and the chicken wing weighs approx 150g then for the evening meal he would require 250g of a RAW Food diet.
Example 2 – if your dog is overweight and weighs 30kg but should weigh 27kg – using the above guide you could adjust the feeding to 540g per day.
Whether to feed one meal or several is another hot topic of debate. Again there is no right or wrong and it should be what fits in with your life style and the dog’s individual considerations. We find most people like to feed morning and night and we recommend a raw meaty bone in the morning and a BARF Diet in the evening.
If you are not confident in how your dogs’ appearance should be, it is recommended to seek advice from a respected authority.
Comments (12)
Just like human health, detailed info is needed for better understanding of keeping dogs healthy..
Thanks,
Dave
We're now feeding her *only* Big Dog BARF and I'm afraid to ever give her a bone again for fear she'll lose any remaining tooth. Even one would now be a huge sacrifice for what I hope will be a long and healthy life.
I also have a kitten which is feed barf and I give her chicken necks to clean her teeth. I try to do the best I can for the animals in my care.