Raw Feeding Calculator – How Much Raw Food Should I Feed My Dog?
Enter your dog's weight to get daily grams, split into muscle meat, bone and organ, with amounts per meal.
Speak to your vet before switching diets, especially for puppies, pregnant dogs or dogs with a health condition. Home-made raw diets need care to stay balanced.
Your dog's daily raw plan
500 g a day
2.5% of 20 kg • 250 g per meal across 2 meals
- Muscle meat
- 400 g a day
- Raw edible bone
- 50 g a day
- Liver
- 25 g a day
- Other secreting organ
- 25 g a day
How raw feeding amounts are worked out
Unlike complete dry food, raw diets are calculated as a percentage of body weight rather than from calories. Most adult dogs settle somewhere between two and three per cent of their ideal body weight each day. Two per cent suits a steady, laid-back dog; three per cent suits a lean, busy dog who burns it off. Start in the middle at two and a half per cent, then let body condition decide the final figure.
Worked example: a 20 kg adult dog
Twenty kilograms is 20,000 grams. At 2.5 per cent, that is 500 g of food a day. Following the 80/10/10 split, you would feed 400 g of muscle meat, 50 g of raw edible bone, 25 g of liver and 25 g of another secreting organ such as kidney. Across two meals, that is 250 g at breakfast and 250 g at teatime.
Puppies are different
Puppies are building a skeleton, so they eat a much larger share of their body weight – roughly eight per cent at eight weeks, six per cent at four months, five per cent at six months and around three per cent by their first birthday. Crucially, puppy amounts are based on current weight and need recalculating every couple of weeks as they grow. Calcium and phosphorus balance matters enormously in growing dogs, especially large breeds, which is why we ask you to involve your vet.
What the 80/10/10 split means
- 80% muscle meat – including heart, which counts as muscle rather than organ.
- 10% raw edible bone – soft bones such as chicken wings or necks, never cooked.
- 5% liver – rich in vitamin A, so don't exceed it.
- 5% other secreting organ – kidney, spleen or pancreas.
Handling raw food safely
- Defrost in the fridge, never on the worktop, and use within 24 hours.
- Keep separate boards, bowls and utensils, and wash hands thoroughly.
- Pick up uneaten food after twenty minutes.
- Take extra care if anyone in the house is pregnant, elderly, very young or immune-suppressed.
Signs the amount needs adjusting
Check body condition every couple of weeks. Ribs getting harder to feel means cut back by around ten per cent; a visible ribcage and a tucked tummy means feed more. Very white, crumbly stools usually mean too much bone; loose stools often mean too much organ or a change made too quickly. Persistent vomiting, diarrhoea or weight loss is a vet appointment, not a recipe tweak.
Frequently asked questions
How much raw food should I feed my dog?
Most adult dogs eat 2–3% of their ideal body weight a day. Start at 2.5% and adjust up or down based on body condition after a few weeks.
How much raw food does a puppy need?
Puppies need far more – around 8% of current body weight at eight weeks, dropping to about 5% at six months and 3% by a year old. Because their needs change weekly, raw feeding a puppy should be planned with your vet.
What is the 80/10/10 rule?
Eighty per cent muscle meat, ten per cent raw edible bone and ten per cent organ, of which half is liver and half another secreting organ such as kidney or spleen.
Can I feed cooked bones instead?
Never. Cooked bones splinter and can cause choking, broken teeth and gut perforation. Only raw, appropriately sized edible bone is used in raw feeding.
Is raw feeding safe?
It can be done well, but raw meat can carry salmonella, campylobacter and parasites, and unbalanced home-made diets cause deficiencies over time. Handle it like raw chicken in your own kitchen, and speak to your vet before switching – particularly with puppies, pregnant dogs or anyone immune-suppressed in the household.
How do I switch my dog to raw?
Change gradually over one to two weeks, starting with a single protein such as chicken or turkey and watching the stools. Sudden changes often cause upset tummies.
How many meals a day?
Adults usually do well on two; puppies need three or four. Defrost in the fridge and never leave raw food sitting out.
Estimates only – not a substitute for advice from your vet.
Last reviewed: 22 September 2026