How strictly do I need to adhere to your feeding guidelines for my dog?

We recommend feeding adult dogs (12 months +) 2% of their body weight daily. We recommend puppies (generally 12 months and younger), pregnant and lactating dogs or working dogs 4% of their body weight daily. This is based on the nutritional content of our foods.

However, our feeding guidelines are a guide and your pets’ metabolism, breed, size, age and activity level may affect their overall nutritional requirements. Many people wish to replace a raw meal with an appropriate serve of meaty bones for dental health which is an important part of ensuring a healthy raw fed pet. Also taking into account treats as part of the daily energy from food being provided to your pet has an impact.

The important thing to focus on ultimately is that your pet is within a healthy weight range.

It is fine for younger animals (especially puppies) to have extra fat (aka puppy fat) sub 6 months of age. As they grow into adults, it’s more important to fine tune their diet to suit a healthy weight. A healthy weight can be measured in a number of simple physical ways. Ribs shouldn’t be prominent but should be able to be felt with a thin covering of fat over the top. There should be a visible abdominal tuck and when you look at your pet from above, they should have a visible waist. If the ribs can be seen, increase their daily food allowance, if they no longer have a waist and look like a log from above, decrease their daily food allowance until their waist returns.