Feed your adult dog about 2-3% of their body weight in raw mince daily, adjusting for activity: less for sedentary dogs (closer to 2%) and more for highly active ones (up to 4-5%). For a 10kg dog, that's roughly 200-300g daily, split into 2 meals. Puppies, seniors, or underweight dogs may need slightly different percentages, so monitor your dog's condition and consult your vet.
Adult Dog Raw Feeding Guide
Feed 2-3% of your dog's weight in raw food daily. For example, if your dog is 20kg. Therefore, you would feed between 400g and 600g to your dog per day. I would advise starting with 500g (2.5%) and then adjusting accordingly if necessary.
While feeding dogs raw meat is not recommended, other raw foods like certain fruits and vegetables are safe and even healthy for dogs. Your dog may enjoy any number of fresh fruits and vegetables, like bananas, carrots, apples and more.
How much raw food to feed an adult dog? For an adult dog, we advise feeding between 2% to 3% of their body weight per day of healthy, raw food. For example an adult dog weighing 10kg may require 200g – 300g per day.
RAW IS NOT BEST!!!! Key points about cooking meat for dog food: Kills bacteria: The cooking process destroys potentially dangerous pathogens like salmonella and E. coli that can be present in raw meat. Better digestion: Cooked meat is easier for dogs to digest compared to raw meat.
We also wouldn't recommend buying meat or cheaper raw products from the supermarket or butcher that are meant for human consumption. These are meant to be cooked before eating, so are likely to have higher levels of bacteria than recommended for raw feeding.
You should feed an adult dog at least two measured meals a day to prevent obesity. Puppies should be fed a balanced growth diet two to four times a day, depending on their breed and age. Larger-breed puppies may require more meals a day than smaller-breed puppies.
Vets generally don't recommend raw diets due to significant risks of pathogenic bacterial contamination (like Salmonella, E. coli) that harm pets and humans, the difficulty in ensuring a complete and balanced diet, and the danger of physical injuries from bones (fractures, blockages). The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) highlights these risks, noting bacteria can shed from pets and infect immunocompromised individuals, making proper hygiene crucial but challenging.
Look at your dog if their waist is extremely exaggerated instead of a gradual slope your dog might be underfed. If you can see or feel the ribs and they don't seem to have any fat on them your dog is probably underfed. If your dog is losing patches of hair there may be an issue with the nutrition.
Can I mix raw food and kibble? Mixing kibble with raw food in the same bowl could potentially cause a stomach upset in more sensitive dogs. Feeding kibble in the morning and raw in the evening as part of the 7-day transition helps to clear your dog's stomach of any previous meals before they eat the next one.
Three toxic types of meat for dogs include fatty, processed meats (like bacon, sausage, ham) due to salt/fat causing pancreatitis and sodium issues; seasoned meats with onions/garlic (allium) that damage red blood cells; and cooked bones, which splinter and cause internal damage or blockages, potentially requiring surgery. Raw meats can also carry harmful bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli.
Health benefits of raw feeding
Here's a general way to prepare a raw meal for your dog:
One rule of thumb is to feed 2-4% of the pet's body weight.
Ground beef should be an occasional addition to your dog's diet, not their primary source of nutrition. Dogs thrive on a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods. Too much beef could add extra fat and calories.
Symptoms of Overfeeding Your Dog
The 3-3-3 rule for dogs is a guideline for the adjustment period after adoption, outlining three phases: 3 Days (decompression, feeling overwhelmed/scared), 3 Weeks (starting to settle in, learning routine, personality emerges), and 3 Months (feeling secure, bonded, and truly at home). It helps new owners manage expectations and be patient as their rescue dog transitions, emphasizing calm energy, routine, and space in the early days to build trust.
The 95% Rule in dog food labeling, set by AAFCO, means a product named after a specific ingredient (e.g., "Chicken Dog Food") must be at least 95% that ingredient by weight (excluding water) and 70% including water, with the ingredient listed first and comprising more than 95%. If two ingredients are named ("Chicken & Beef"), they must total 95% (minus water), with the first ingredient being more abundant and both making up at least 3% each. This rule ensures transparency, indicating foods with a very high concentration of the named ingredient.
A malnourished dog will have visible rib bones, extreme weight loss, and a frail body with little body fat left. Their muscle mass shrinks, making movement difficult, and their immune system struggles to fight infections. At this point, a dog's body condition score is dangerously low.
The results demonstrated that a dog fed on homemade food featuring fresh, quality ingredients, when compared directly to a dog fed an industrially produced canned food, lived more than 32 months longer. That's nearly three years of additional joyful, active life simply through the power of fresh nutrition.
The worst dog foods often contain cheap fillers like corn, wheat, and soy; unspecified "meat meals" or by-products; excessive sugar; and artificial colors/preservatives, with brands like Kibbles 'n Bits, Beneful, Gravy Train, and some Purina/Iams varieties frequently cited for low nutritional quality and questionable ingredients. Focus on avoiding poor-quality protein sources (unspecified meat meals), fillers, artificial additives, and dangerous human foods like chocolate, grapes, onions, and xylitol.
The numbers stand for percentages referring to meat, organ and bony material. The diet is composed of 80% (usually by volume, but can be by weight) muscle meat. 10% organ meat, usually the solid organs like liver and kidney. 10% bone is then added for minerals, teeth cleaning and bulk.
The "10 10 10 rule" for dogs refers to two main concepts: a potty training method for puppies (10 mins outside, 10 ft space, 10 mins supervision/reward) and the 80/10/10 guideline for raw feeding (80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 10% organ), both offering structure for training or diet. Another interpretation is the 10% rule for treats, limiting them to 10% of daily calories to maintain a balanced diet, ensuring most nutrition comes from complete dog food.
Back before kibble was invented, dogs lived on table scraps. And guess what? Some breeds lived up to 19 YEARS.
You'll know you're feeding your dog enough if they maintain a healthy weight with visible waistline, ribs that can be felt but not seen, steady energy, and firm stools. Use food label guidelines as a starting point, then adjust based on your vet's advice.