2010
8
Jun
How much should I feed my dogs on a raw food diet?
Hello, I have already decided to feed my dogs a raw food diet. I have done research on exactly what types of protein and vegetables are good for them, and what they cannot have. I can’t find anywhere how much food exactly I should give them. . . I mean in ounces or pounds, and how many times a day I should feed them this. Their meals will mainly consist of chicken, lamb, potatoes, carrots, and rice. They are two female adult Golden Retrievers, one a little small for her breed. Any suggestions? Thanks
June 8th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
i wish someone would answer this….
i need this info too
Shoen_dude Says:
June 8th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
Give it to them before you cook it, that might help:)
FairlyErica Says:
June 8th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Most dogs will eat about 1.5-3% of their body weight per day. My dogs are between 70 and 80 pounds and get between 1.5 and 2 pounds a day. It still varies based on dog since one of my dogs is skinny and needs a little over 2 pounds per day and one gets chubby on more than 1.5 while the third dog gets somewhere in between. They get this once per day and it is NOT measured out perfectly every day — some days they might get a bigger meal that is 3 pounds and the next day a smaller chunk of something that is only 1 pound. The important thing is balance over time, just like I don’t measure out everything I eat every day.
You can save the veggies for treats… they aren’t necessary in a raw diet (or any other) as dogs aren’t built to digest them in a useful manner. I’d also recommend some more variance in the meat sources and you really need to include some bone and organ in order to provide sufficient nutrition — there’s no calcium source in the foods you listed, for example.
Congratulations on making the switch — we switched last year and I’ve never looked back. It’s scary at first but boy is it worth it once you get through those first humps.
Misha M Says:
June 9th, 2010 at 12:48 am
How much food? Enough to make them not to fat, and not too skinny
That’s both a simple, and the best answer for you. I feed my 50 pound dog a raw food diet, and I go for about 1 pound a day. However, I never weigh her food.. I just shop for her the same time that I shop for myself, and put down food for her. If I’m doign chicken thighs, I might throw down three. If I’m doign pork shoulder, I might through down 1 large chunk. I keep an eye on her weight.. and give her more food if she’s looking thin, and then cut back if she starts getting chunky.
I also only feed her once a day.
Just an FYI- dogs don’t need vegetables- that mostly passes through their system. You’ll notice it in their poop. Feed vegetables if you want to, but it’s more natural for their system to just have meat and bones.