How much raw food should I feed my dog per day?

Adult dogs typically eat 2-3% of ideal body weight per day. A 50-lb adult dog needs 1-1.5 lbs (454-680g) of raw food daily. Puppies need 2-3% of EXPECTED adult weight (or 5-10% of current weight). Use the body-weight ratio that matches breed metabolism — toys 3%, working 2%, brachy 2%.

What is the BARF ratio for dogs?

BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, coined by Dr Ian Billinghurst, 1993) uses 70% muscle meat, 10% raw meaty bone, 10% organ (half liver, half other secreting organ), 5% vegetables, and 5% fruit. Total daily intake = 2-3% of ideal body weight.

What is the PMR ratio for dogs?

PMR (Prey Model Raw) uses 80% muscle meat, 10% raw edible bone, 10% organ (half liver, half other). No plant matter. Mirrors the macronutrient profile of whole prey. Slightly more biologically ancestral than BARF; some dogs do better on it.

Is BARF better than PMR for dogs?

Neither is universally better. PMR is closer to wild ancestral diet (whole-prey). BARF adds plant fiber for gut motility and antioxidants — preferred for sensitive GIs or constipation-prone dogs. Both are complete and balanced if rotated through proteins. Choose based on the dog response over 4-6 weeks.

Can puppies eat raw food?

Yes — puppies thrive on raw if calcium-phosphorus ratio is correct (1.2:1 to 1.4:1). Large-breed puppies are most sensitive to calcium overload — too much bone causes joint disease. Start at 5-10% of CURRENT weight, transition down to 2-3% of EXPECTED adult weight as they grow. Avoid pork until 12 weeks.

What raw bones can I feed my dog?

Raw meaty bones (chicken necks, duck wings, turkey necks for medium-large dogs). Never cook bones — cooking makes them splinter. Avoid weight-bearing bones from large animals (femur, leg bones) for hard chewers — they crack teeth. Always supervise bone chewing.

Is salmonella a risk in raw dog food?

Dogs have shorter digestive tracts and lower stomach pH than humans, tolerating bacteria load that would sicken humans. Risk is to the household via stool and surfaces — wash bowls, hands, prep surfaces in hot soapy water. Immunocompromised humans should not handle raw dog food prep.

What organ meat counts toward the 10% organ requirement?

Only secreting organs: liver (must be 5% of total), and one of kidney, spleen, brain, pancreas, sweetbreads, or testicles (other 5%). Heart, lung, trachea, and gizzard are MUSCLE MEAT, not organ — they go in the 70-80% bucket.

Do I need to add supplements to raw dog food?

If you rotate 4+ protein sources weekly and follow BARF/PMR ratios precisely, supplementation is minimal. Omega-3 (fish oil or whole oily fish 2-3× per week) and vitamin E (alongside fish oil) are commonly added. Iodine via kelp powder if you do not feed whole prey or fish skin. Consult a veterinary nutritionist for medical conditions.

How long does it take to transition a dog to raw food?

Adult dogs: 7-14 days. Day 1-3: start with one protein (chicken usually), single-protein raw, no kibble mixing in same meal (different stomach pH). Day 4-7: add organ. Day 8-14: introduce a second protein. Sensitive GIs (GSD, Boxer): extend to 14-21 days. Never mix kibble and raw in same meal — they digest at different rates.

Is raw dog food cheaper than kibble?

Higher quality raw (whole-prey sourced, grass-fed beef, etc.) runs 1.5-3× the cost of premium kibble. Co-op buying from local farms or hunting/butcher byproducts can drop cost below premium kibble. Budget meat scraps from grocery and DIY raw at home is the cheapest path. PMR is slightly cheaper than BARF (no produce).

Can my dog get all nutrients from raw food alone?

Yes, if ratios are followed and proteins rotate. The FEDIAF 2021 European complete-diet guidelines list every macronutrient requirement — BARF/PMR diets meet them when rotated across 4+ animal sources. Single-protein raw for life is the risk, not raw itself. Many veterinary nutritionists support balanced raw; some prefer formulated commercial raw (e.g., from PFI-certified producers).

BARF (Billinghurst) · PMR · FEDIAF 2021 aligned

Dog Raw Food Calculator — BARF & PMR Grams Per Day

To work out how much raw food to feed a dog, take 2-3% of ideal body weight per day, then split across either the BARF model (70% muscle / 10% organ / 10% bone / 5% veg / 5% fruit) or the PMR prey-model (80/10/10). This calculator delivers per-ingredient grams across 14 AKC breed profiles, life-stage and activity tuning, and bloat-prone warnings, with sources from Ian Billinghurst's BARF (1993) and Dr Conor Brady's research.

BARF ratio

70/10/10/5/5

PMR ratio

80/10/10

Breeds

14 AKC

Body weight

2-3% / day

Raw plan inputs

Raw model

BARF adds 10% plant matter (veg + fruit); PMR mirrors whole-prey.

Breed

Weight

Unit

Life stage

Baseline 2-3% by breed

Activity level

Quick presets

Breed raw note

POMC satiety mutation — bulk meals with low-cal raw veg.

Organ tip: Beef liver works well; avoid pork liver (higher fat).

BARF ratio donut

Fill in weight, breed, life stage and activity, then press Build Raw Daily Plan.

Body-weight % reference table

Daily raw grams for adult dogs at the standard 2-3% body weight rule.

Body weight (lb)	kg	2% (g/day)	2.5% (g/day)	3% (g/day)
5	2.3	45	57	68
10	4.5	91	113	136
15	6.8	136	170	204
20	9.1	181	227	272
30	13.6	272	340	408
40	18.1	363	454	544
50	22.7	454	567	680
65	29.5	590	737	885
80	36.3	726	907	1089
100	45.4	907	1134	1361
130	59.0	1179	1474	1769
175	79.4	1588	1984	2381

Want kibble math instead? See our dog food calculator or the dog calorie calculator.

The formula

daily_g = weight_kg × 1000 × breed_BW_pct × life_mult × activity_factor

Worked: a 70-lb adult Lab on BARF, normal activity. 70 lb = 31.75 kg. Lab BW ratio 2.5%, life 1.0, activity 1.1 → daily = 31.75 × 1000 × 0.025 × 1.0 × 1.1 = 873 g/day. Split: muscle 611g · liver 44g · other organ 44g · bone 87g · veg 44g · fruit 44g.

How to build your dog's raw plan

Choose BARF (70/10/10/5/5 with plant matter) or PMR (80/10/10 prey-model).
Pick breed — body-weight % rate auto-tunes (2% for sled/giant, 2.5% medium, 3% toy).
Enter weight, life stage and activity. Lactating mothers and puppies get the largest uplift.
Click Build Raw Daily Plan. The donut shows ingredient ratios and grams per day.
Use the weekly rotation panel to plan 4+ protein sources per week.

Why this calculator exists

In 2026, a typical owner deciding to switch to raw faces a forum-fragmented landscape: some sources say 2%, others 3%, some include heart as organ, others don't. The result is unbalanced meals that miss the calcium-phosphorus target (1.2-1.4:1 NRC) or over-feed the organ slot (causing soft stool and vitamin A excess from liver). This calculator turns the BARF 70/10/10/5/5 and PMR 80/10/10 frameworks into per-ingredient grams, breed-tuned by AKC profile, with rotation and supplement guidance from current raw-feeding research.

The BARF model was published by Australian veterinarian Dr Ian Billinghurst in 1993 in "Give Your Dog A Bone". He argued that the modern kibble-fed dog was nutritionally mismatched to the species' evolutionary food profile. The 70/10/10/5/5 was his attempt to mimic the macro and micronutrient mix a wild canid would consume across a week. The PMR model is even more ancestral — it skips plant matter entirely on the theory that wild canids consume plants only incidentally (via stomach contents of prey).

Dr Conor Brady's 2020 book "Feeding Dogs" consolidated 20+ years of raw-feeding research and clarified two persistent confusions. First: heart is muscle meat, not organ — it is high in taurine but does not count toward the 10% secreting-organ slot. Second: green tripe is digestive enzyme rich and counts as muscle, suitable for sensitive GIs. Both clarifications are encoded in this calculator's ingredient breakdown.

Breed matters for the body-weight rate. Sled-efficient breeds (Husky, Malamute) convert food to work approximately 25% more efficiently than average — pet huskies overfeed at 2.5% and hold weight stubbornly. Brachycephalic breeds (Frenchie, English Bulldog) have suppressed thermogenesis and lower metabolic rate — 2% is the maximum. Toy breeds (Yorkie, Chihuahua) have the highest kcal/kg requirement of any size class and benefit from 3% body weight in 3-4 small meals.

Bloat (GDV) is the single biggest preventable risk in deep-chested raw-fed dogs. The Purdue 2003 cohort showed splitting meals reduces GDV risk by ~30%. Great Dane and Standard Poodle owners must feed 3 small meals on a floor-level bowl. Salmonella risk to dogs themselves is over-stated (shorter GI tract, lower stomach pH) but household hygiene matters — immunocompromised humans should not handle raw prep.

Pair this tool with the dog food calculator (kibble math), dog BCS calculator (body-condition target), and the dog calorie calculator to cross-check daily energy. Most raw plans land at 25-40 kcal per kg body weight per day.

Last reviewed: 2026-05. Aligned with Billinghurst BARF model (1993), Dr. Conor Brady (2020), NRC 2006, WSAVA 2021, and FEDIAF 2021.

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