How Much Raw Food to Feed a Dog

Adult dogs eat 2 to 3 percent of their body weight in raw food each day. That one rule, adjusted for age and activity, gives you the daily amount in grams. Here is how to apply it, with a table for every common dog weight.

Updated 31 October 2026
5 min read
Reviewed against UK brand feeding guides

2 to 3% of body weight, every day

The percent of body weight rule

Raw feeding does not use cups or calories on a bag. It uses a share of the dog's own weight:

2% for sedentary dogs, dogs on short lead walks, or dogs that need to lose weight
2.5% for a typical pet dog with about an hour of exercise a day
3% for active dogs that run off lead for 2 hours or more
3.5% and above for working dogs, sled dogs and dogs in sport
Seniors: take 0.5% off the adult figure, with a floor of 1.5%
Puppies: 3 to 10% of current weight depending on age, covered in the puppy guide

The maths is weight in kg, times 1000, times the percentage:

20 kg × 1000 × 0.025 = 500 g a day

The calculator does this for you and splits the result into meat, bone and organ.

Daily raw amounts by dog weight

Grams per day, rounded to the nearest 5 g. Find your dog's ideal weight in the first column.

Weight	Sedentary (2%)	Normal (2.5%)	Active (3%)	Working (3.5%)
5 kg	100 g	125 g	150 g	175 g
7.5 kg	150 g	190 g	225 g	265 g
10 kg	200 g	250 g	300 g	350 g
15 kg	300 g	375 g	450 g	525 g
20 kg	400 g	500 g	600 g	700 g
25 kg	500 g	625 g	750 g	875 g
30 kg	600 g	750 g	900 g	1050 g
40 kg	800 g	1000 g	1200 g	1400 g
50 kg	1000 g	1250 g	1500 g	1750 g

Click a weight to open the calculator with that dog loaded. Dogs over 50 kg are usually fed nearer 2% because the percentage scales badly at the top end: a 60 kg Mastiff at 3% would be 1.8 kg a day, which is too much for most.

Worked examples

Jack Russell, 7.5 kg, busy

Active small dog, 3%: 225 g a day. PMR split is 180 g muscle meat, 25 g bone (about 55 g of chicken wings), 10 g liver, 10 g other organ. Two meals of about 110 g.

Cocker Spaniel, 14 kg, normal walks

2.5%: 350 g a day. 280 g muscle meat, 35 g bone (about 80 g of chicken wings or 95 g of chicken necks), 20 g liver, 20 g kidney. That is 2.45 kg a week and 10.5 kg a month.

Labrador, 30 kg, tends to gain weight

Use 2%, not 2.5%: 600 g a day instead of 750 g. 480 g muscle meat, 60 g bone, 30 g liver, 30 g other organ. Review after 2 weeks and drop to 1.8% if the waist still is not showing.

Border Collie, 19 kg, agility 3 times a week

Split the difference between active and working at 3.25%: 620 g a day, rounded to 5 g. Working dogs can go to 4% on heavy days.

Want the amount worked out and portioned for you?

Complete raw brands balance the ratios so you only feed the total. Bella + Duke portions per dog and delivers. Natures Menu and Nutriment are stocked in shops and online.

Affiliate disclosure: links to brands here are affiliate links. If you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change the calculator results or the order brands appear in. How this works.

Adjusting the amount

Percent of body weight is a starting point. Dogs of the same weight can differ by 30 percent in what they need. The check is body condition, done every 2 weeks:

Ribs: you should feel them easily under a light covering of fat, but not see them.
Waist: visible from above, behind the ribs.
Tummy tuck: the belly slopes up towards the back legs when viewed from the side.

If weight is going the wrong way, change the daily amount by 10 percent and check again in 2 weeks. Do not change it by more than that at once. In cold weather, outdoor dogs can need 10 to 20 percent more.

Splitting the day

Two meals a day is the standard for adults. Many raw feeders give the raw meaty bone portion in one meal and the boneless meat and organ in the other, because bone and organ together can cause loose stools in some dogs. Liver is best spread across the week rather than fed in one lump: 5 percent of 500 g is only 25 g a day, so a 175 g piece of liver can be cut into 7 and frozen.

What the amount is made of

Once you have the daily total, it is split into components. The two common models are prey model raw (PMR) at 80/10/5/5 and BARF at 70/10/5/5/10. The only difference is the 10 percent of vegetables, fruit and seeds in BARF. Read BARF vs PMR for which to use. If you feed a complete raw product, this is done for you and you just weigh out the total.

If cost is a concern, the cheapest raw dog food guide shows what 350 g, 500 g and 750 g a day costs per month with real UK prices. New to raw altogether? Start with the transition guide.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is 2 percent or 3 percent right for my dog?

Start at 2.5 percent if your dog is a healthy weight with an hour or so of exercise a day. Use 2 percent for dogs that mostly walk on a lead or need to lose weight, 3 percent for dogs that run off lead for 2 hours or more, and 3.5 percent or above for working dogs. Check body condition after 2 weeks and move in 10 percent steps.

Should I use current weight or ideal weight?

Ideal weight. If your dog is 25 kg but should be 22 kg, calculate on 22 kg. Feeding a percentage of an overweight dog's current weight keeps them overweight. For puppies, use current weight and recalculate every 2 weeks.

How many meals a day?

Two meals a day for adults is the norm and reduces the risk of bloat in deep chested breeds. Puppies under 4 months do best on 4 meals, 4 to 6 months on 3, then 2 from 6 months. Some adult dogs do well on one meal a day, but split the raw meaty bone portion out so it is not all in one sitting.

Does the percentage change if I feed a complete raw product?

No. Complete raw products such as Natures Menu or Nutriment are already balanced, so you feed the same 2 to 3 percent total and skip the ratio maths. Check the brand's own feeding guide too, because some recipes are higher in fat and the brand may suggest a slightly lower amount.

My dog is always hungry on raw. Should I feed more?

Not automatically. Raw portions look smaller than kibble by volume once you remove the carbohydrate filler. Judge by body condition, not appetite. If ribs are easy to feel with a light covering and there is a visible waist from above, the amount is right. Add a raw meaty bone as a chew if your dog wants more to do rather than more to eat.

Keep reading

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