NATURE FIRST · FEEDING & AMOUNT
How Much BARF Does Your Dog Need?
Amounts, components and the right ratio, explained clearly.
The most important question at the start is: how much goes in the bowl? The good news is that the amount can be estimated well with a simple rule of thumb. You then fine-tune it afterwards by observing your dog.
At a glance
- Rough guide: about 2 to 3 percent of body weight per day
- Puppies and active dogs need more
- Split: around 80 percent animal, 20 percent plant
- Fine-tune via weight and stool appearance
Working out the daily amount
As a rough guide, an adult dog with normal activity eats about two to three percent of its body weight per day. A calm dog tends towards two percent, a very active dog above that. For a dog weighing 20 kilograms, that is roughly 400 to 600 grams a day.
You can calculate the exact daily and weekly amount, including the split, in seconds with our BARF calculator. After that, watch your dog’s weight and figure and adjust the amount if needed.
The components in proportion
A balanced ration is made up of fixed building blocks. The percentages are rough guides that should add up over the week.
Muscle meat
The base of the ration and the most important protein source.
Raw meaty bone
Provides calcium. Always raw, never cooked, suited to the dog’s size.
Organ meat
Vitamins and trace elements, of which about half is liver.
Vegetables & fruit
Pureed as a source of fibre, the plant share.
Rough orientation: 80 percent animal, 20 percent plant. Plus small additions such as oils.
Balance over the week, not per meal
Each individual meal does not have to be perfectly composed. As with people, what counts is balance across several days and weeks. That keeps everyday feeding relaxed: you can spread the components across the week instead of planning every bowl to the gram.
How often you feed depends on the dog. Many adult dogs get one to two meals a day, puppies correspondingly more.
Adjust the amount when
- the dog gains or loses weight
- activity changes significantly
- the stool is persistently too soft or too hard
- life stage or health require it
Work out your amount in seconds
Enter the weight, choose the life stage, get the finished daily and weekly amount.
Sources & further reading
- Ian Billinghurst: Give Your Dog a Bone.
- Kymythy Schultze: Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats.
- Carina Beth Macdonald: Raw Dog Food: Make It Easy for You and Your Dog.
Note: The amounts given are rough guides and do not replace veterinary advice. For puppies, pregnant or sick dogs, and special life stages, please consult your veterinarian.
The right gear for every dog day, from the bowl to the favourite spot: our recommendations.