# Puppy on raw, how much to feed?



## Marta Wajngarten (Jul 30, 2006)

I'm switching my pup to raw, he's currently on Honest Kitchen. He's just under 5mo and about 35lbs. How much food should he be getting?

• As much as he will eat? He's got quite the appetite and I'm not so sure that would be a good idea.
• 3-5% of his adult weight which I am assuming at about 70lbs, so 2.1-3.5lbs
• or I've also heard 5-10% of his current weight, that would be pretty close to the above at 1.75-3.5lbs but would obviously change as he gets older and at some point would need to switch to the adult weight formula


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## Jackie Lockard (Oct 20, 2009)

Marta Wajngarten said:


> I'm switching my pup to raw, he's currently on Honest Kitchen. He's just under 5mo and about 35lbs. How much food should he be getting?
> 
> • As much as he will eat? He's got quite the appetite and I'm not so sure that would be a good idea.
> • 3-5% of his adult weight which I am assuming at about 70lbs, so 2.1-3.5lbs
> • or I've also heard 5-10% of his current weight, that would be pretty close to the above at 1.75-3.5lbs but would obviously change as he gets older and at some point would need to switch to the adult weight formula



However much keeps him at a decent weight and growing...


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Jackie Lockard said:


> However much keeps him at a decent weight and growing...


I agree. The guidelines listed are just that .... rough guidelines.


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## Brian Anderson (Dec 2, 2010)

Marta we feed our dogs according to how they look and individually. I dont think there is a set amount per sey. Just feed him and watch him if he is plumping up to much cut back a bit. If he starts looking lean bump it up a bit until you get a happy medium. The raw diet it seems to me is faster to show when they lean out than a kibble diet. Could just be me though on that one.


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## Erika Ackerland (Oct 27, 2011)

Growers I usually feed 10% of current weight as a guideline. As they start reaching their adult size obvously this is too much food and they start looking fat. This is when i scale back to the 2% guideliine. I don't have any dogs eating raw that fit the 2%, some need more some need less depends on metabolism, age, energy ect. Raw is easy. If your dog is getting chubby, feed less, thin... feed more.


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## Marta Wajngarten (Jul 30, 2006)

Brian Anderson said:


> Marta we feed our dogs according to how they look and individually. I dont think there is a set amount per sey. Just feed him and watch him if he is plumping up to much cut back a bit. If he starts looking lean bump it up a bit until you get a happy medium. The raw diet it seems to me is faster to show when they lean out than a kibble diet. Could just be me though on that one.


I know what you mean because there are days when he's a fatty in the morning and by the end of the day looks normal/skinny. Ok I'm going to start with the higher end and see how it goes, thanks guys! It mostly helps me to have an amount for the purposes of planning how much food to buy/freeze/thaw out, etc between all the dogs.


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## Brian Anderson (Dec 2, 2010)

Marta Wajngarten said:


> I know what you mean because there are days when he's a fatty in the morning and by the end of the day looks normal/skinny. Ok I'm going to start with the higher end and see how it goes, thanks guys! It mostly helps me to have an amount for the purposes of planning how much food to buy/freeze/thaw out, etc between all the dogs.


Yep I know exactly what your getting at! It can be a PITA sometimes but its worth it


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## Annamarie Somich (Jan 7, 2009)

I'm on my third puppy feeding raw. All have been mals. 

The advice I got from Tracey Rentcome who owns Bones2Go in Houston is 5 to 10% of their weight while they are growing. Break it into three meals because it is alot of food. If you work, feed the second meal when you get home and the third meal at night. Same food that you feed your adults but making allowances for size of bones. Include organs and frozen green tripe in this daily amount. 

So if you have a pup that is 45 pounds, that would be 2.25 to 4.5 pounds food per day. You will need to weigh your pup on a regular basis. 

Watch when he eats his bones. Watch poops. Watch water intake. Feel and check body fat and skin hydration. All the stuff you do for your adults.

I also take the meat and organ portions of his meals and use it for training around the house. Just wash hands and clicker and wipe down door handles afterwards.


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## Ricardo Ashton (Jun 3, 2010)

Marta always remember,with raw feeding quality is always more important than quality. 10%-8%-6%-4% is how I usually scale it down.


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## Marta Wajngarten (Jul 30, 2006)

Ricardo Ashton said:


> 10%-8%-6%-4% is how I usually scale it down.


What does that mean?


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## Ricardo Ashton (Jun 3, 2010)

Percentage of body weight. 10% of body weight in food/3 times a day, 8% of body weight in food/3 times a day, etc till you wind down to 1 or 2 daily feedings.


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## Ryan Venables (Sep 15, 2010)

I'm gonna chime in here just for a quick piece of advice, as it's on point, and Marta, you'll be here soon enough. We started feeding The Honest Kitchen - Embark, as well... we feed raw, but give them a little of THK - Preference w/ each meal.

Our pup is just about 9 months... at what age do you scale it down? Or do you always just go by looks? What age will he stop growing like a weed?

I've just had to up it again as I think he's going through another growth spurt. He's been getting about 18 oz of meat/day... now just upped it to about 26 oz as I think he may be going through his final growth spurt

Thanks.


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## Marta Wajngarten (Jul 30, 2006)

Ryan Venables said:


> I'm gonna chime in here just for a quick piece of advice, as it's on point, and Marta, you'll be here soon enough. We started feeding The Honest Kitchen - Embark, as well... we feed raw, but give them a little of THK - Preference w/ each meal.
> 
> Our pup is just about 9 months... at what age do you scale it down? Or do you always just go by looks? What age will he stop growing like a weed?
> 
> ...


You're giving your guy 18oz so that's just over a pound of meat per day plus HK? He's what 8 months? About 60lbs??

Athos is eating close to 4lbs of meat and he's just under 5mo and just under 40lbs. When I had him on just HK Embark he was going through 3-4cups dry/day.


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## Jen Henriksen (Dec 21, 2010)

Aura is 7.5 months old and just over 40lbs. She's getting 26oz a day in two meals. I don't expect her to be too big though maybe 50-55lbs full grown. I've been doing 3% of expected adult weight, and it seems to be working just fine.


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## Tracy Davis-Sullivan (May 10, 2010)

I always try to feed my growing youngsters a little more in the meal before their biggest rest (typically dinner) that way they have the longest period of time to bank that meal. 

But I generally go with 10% of current weight and break it up into 3 meals (or 2 meals and 2 hearty "snacks" as with my last puppy b/c I was home a lot). Once they are about 8 months old, they can go down to 2 meals with a hearty snack right before dinner if they are looking skinny.

Hell, my Lurcher will swim and swim and swim and then 2 days later, looks super skinny. Then he gets a snack before dinner. Something that's whole grain carbs and plenty of fat. Like a piece of bread and some peanut butter.

HK users - Have you guys tried Love? I have a friend with a racing whippet that was really struggling with the quantity of HK that she had to feed so he wasn't too skinny. She got the new higher fat/beef, Love, and really liked her dog's look and performance when he was eating it.


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## Zakia Days (Mar 13, 2009)

Marta Wajngarten said:


> You're giving your guy 18oz so that's just over a pound of meat per day plus HK? He's what 8 months? About 60lbs??
> 
> Athos is eating close to 4lbs of meat and he's just under 5mo and just under 40lbs. When I had him on just HK Embark he was going through 3-4cups dry/day.


Be sure to check for and/or administer a wormer, so that the pups getting fed and not the worms.;-)


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## Ryan Venables (Sep 15, 2010)

Marta Wajngarten said:


> You're giving your guy 18oz so that's just over a pound of meat per day plus HK? He's what 8 months? About 60lbs??
> 
> Athos is eating close to 4lbs of meat and he's just under 5mo and just under 40lbs. When I had him on just HK Embark he was going through 3-4cups dry/day.


Yep... I actually just weighed him yesterday, and he's almost 9 months and 55 lbs. He was getting about 18-20oz and now he's getting 26oz plus about a 2/3-3/4 cup of HK- Preference, plus a couple squirts of herring oil. He's pretty lean right now, hip bones are sticking out, which is why I'm giving more food. I'm pretty sure my guy doesn't have worms, he never had any at birth, and I've never seen any.

When Mako was that young, I think we were giving just over 2 cups of food a day of HK- Embark


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Marta Wajngarten said:


> Athos is eating close to 4lbs of meat and he's just under 5mo and just under 40lbs. When I had him on just HK Embark he was going through 3-4cups dry/day.


4 lbs sounds like quite a lot Marta to me. Phin now gets between a pound - pound and 1/2 when he was growing close to 2+ in 2 meals and some food (minimal) during training during the day. 

When was the last time you wormed Athos?


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