# How much to feed (raw)



## jasperspoo (Feb 25, 2011)

Hi,

I'm feeding my boy pre-made raw (frozen- well thawed when he gets it) He's just under 50 lbs right now. I started feeding him 2% of his body weight, but he was eager for more, so I upped it to 3%. When he was groomed a few days ago, he really looks like he's lost weight since being on the raw (and he's a skinny boy on top of it) I've now upped him to 4%, and I'm wondering if that's normal, or if I should be worrying about some other kind of underlying thing. His stools are normal, no sign of worms, but I'm worried that he's getting too skinny. The funny thing is that when he was on kibble, he'd barely touch the stuff, and now he's eating like a horse...

Does anyone have any advise about how much to feed my active, yet skinny guy?


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

We have to feed calories, not pounds or percents. We can't answer the question without knowing the calorie density of the food you are feeding your dog.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Here's what I do.

Dog seems skinny: feed more.
Dog seems fat: feed less.

:laugh: I know that's a bit too casual for some, and I admit sometimes I feel a twinge of guilt when I read the replies that are all about percentages of this and specific amounts of that, but perhaps over the years (been feeding raw since '97) I've developed a feel for it. I feed Prey Model Raw and include organs and tripe regularly, but I really am pretty laid back about it all. :hippie: That approach isn't for everyone, so if you feel more comfortable with specifics, I bet the other raw feeders here will chime in.

--Q


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## PoodlePowerBC (Feb 25, 2011)

Quossum said:


> Here's what I do.
> 
> Dog seems skinny: feed more.
> Dog seems fat: feed less.
> ...


Exactly as above, except I have only been feeding raw since 2011! He also gets Deer/elk/beef rib bones as treats. And I dehydrate my own liver, heart,wild duck breast & Salmon for treats. Gosh ... he eats better than me :alberteinstein:


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Quossum said:


> Here's what I do.
> 
> Dog seems skinny: feed more.
> Dog seems fat: feed less.
> ...


Exactly what I do!


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## Olie (Oct 10, 2009)

You can go outside the average - some dogs may eat 6-8% of their weight. This depends a lot on their activity level. I feed 5 dogs raw and I have to feed my female much less than the males (go figure)

You can bet that after a few months being thin will go the other direction! Suri was underweight at one point because every kibble we tried was making her digestive problems worse. She now needs to lose about 8lbs:afraid:! 

How tall is your dog?


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Olie said:


> You can go outside the average - some dogs may eat 6-8% of their weight. This depends a lot on their activity level. I feed 5 dogs raw and I have to feed my female much less than the males (go figure)


So true! My 9 lb. Italian Greyhound and 21 lb. Corgi eat the same amount. You would think that one was being grossly underfed and / or the other grossly underfed, but the iggy has that enviable "skinny thing" metabolism, whereas the corgi...has MY metabolism! :biggrin:

--Q


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

2-3% of *ideal body weight* is a good place to start, but is not any type of hard and fast rule. I used that guideline to help me get an idea of the amount my dogs need to eat, but I feed based on what amount allows then to maintain their ideal body weight. That means that my 48 lb. female eats (Currently) approx. 12-14 oz. daily. My 44 lb. male eats 2 lbs. daily! The female needs to lose weight (and is slowly and steadily at this amount of food) and the male needs to gain weight, which is why there is more than a 1 lb. discrepancy in how much my dogs eat, even though their current weights are similar.

If your dog is losing weight, it probably means you just need to feed more.  

Also, many pre-made raw foods are veggie/fruit inclusive which means the diet is likely going to be lower in overall calories than say a prey model diet that includes all meat, bone and organ.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

A good weight for Carley is 50lbs. I weigh her once a month. Last month she was down to 48lbs, so I increased her food. This month she weighed 50lbs. Just like I like her.


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## jasperspoo (Feb 25, 2011)

Thanks for all of the replies and input. It really appreciate it. I was worried that upping the amount I was feeding was simply masking some other issue that was causing him to lose weight.
CharismaticMillie, what I've upped Jasper to is about the same mass as you're feeding your male, and you make an excellent point about the fruit/veggie content. The type I feed him has some veggie in it.
I guess I'll just see how it goes on the increased amount.

Thanks again, everyone!


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## Hektor (Apr 16, 2011)

When I started feeding Naomi raw, she also lost weight, as I went with the 3% of her total body weight (20-21 kg). So I increased her meal to allmost 1 kg (a small chicken per day)!!! At that time she was 9 months old, and she started gaining weight.
When she was 20kg she stopped eating too much, and left meat, so I realised that she didnt want so much food.
You can calculate the amount of food you give to your dog (for example 800gr) and then weight the amount that he left. So you know how much does he wants to eat.


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

temperance lost weight when i switched to raw. she's already a skinny gal so i've increased how much she eats. seelie boy eats a bit more than her and i've been supplementing some kibble. my goal is to get them 100% off kibble when this bag is gone. 

i'm still trying to figure out a good amount for her. my cairns and eva are maintaining and i'm pleased.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

jasperspoo said:


> Hi,
> 
> I'm feeding my boy pre-made raw (frozen- well thawed when he gets it) He's just under 50 lbs right now. I started feeding him 2% of his body weight, but he was eager for more, so I upped it to 3%. When he was groomed a few days ago, he really looks like he's lost weight since being on the raw (and he's a skinny boy on top of it) I've now upped him to 4%, and I'm wondering if that's normal, or if I should be worrying about some other kind of underlying thing. His stools are normal, no sign of worms, but I'm worried that he's getting too skinny. The funny thing is that when he was on kibble, he'd barely touch the stuff, and now he's eating like a horse...
> 
> Does anyone have any advise about how much to feed my active, yet skinny guy?


So much depends on the activity level of the dog, too. I am currently feeding Sunny 4% premade raw (lower fat variety) and he still seems hungry, but he does munch some Acana kibble, too. I have been concerned since his activity level is less than when he was with his breeder. On one version of premade raw he seemed to be gaining weight, so I recently switched to a new brand, K-9 Kraving which my small independent store carries, and I really like it so we'll see. Everyone you speak to has a different opinion --- my vet, the online calculators which incorporate activity level, etc. so I'd suggest to let him be your guide!!!


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## jasperspoo (Feb 25, 2011)

I do not feed him IAMS. When I fed kibble, I fed grain-free Acana.


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## bura4 (Jul 25, 2010)

Can you share any online raw feeding calculators?? I am trying to become more organised as to feeding my boy Igor


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