Raw Dog Food Calculator
Daily raw / BARF portions from your dog's body weight, split into BARF (70/10/10/5/5) or prey model (80/10/10) components — plus a transition schedule and raw feeding cost estimate.
1. Daily raw portion
Enter weight (use ideal weight for weight-loss), pick a life stage / goal, and the calculator converts the standard body-weight percentage into grams per day.
Starting point only — adjust up or down based on your dog's body condition over 2–4 weeks. Not veterinary advice.
2. BARF vs prey model split
Pick a raw feeding model. The calculator breaks your dog's daily grams into each component — with the day's and week's grams per component.
| Component | Per day | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| Calculate a portion above to see the split in grams. | ||
Quick reference chart
Daily raw grams for common weights (computed by this page's engine — not hand-typed).
| Weight | Adult maintenance 2.5% | Weight loss 1.5% | Puppy <6 mo 8% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kg | 125 g | 75 g | 400 g |
| 10 kg | 250 g | 150 g | 800 g |
| 15 kg | 375 g | 225 g | 1200 g |
| 20 kg | 500 g | 300 g | 1600 g |
| 30 kg | 750 g | 450 g | 2400 g |
| 50 kg | 1250 g | 750 g | 4000 g |
Transitioning to raw: 7–10 day schedule
Don't switch overnight — a sudden change disrupts gut bacteria no matter what the new food is. A widely used gradual schedule:
- Days 1–3: 75% current food, 25% raw (one protein only, e.g. chicken).
- Days 4–6: 50% current food, 50% raw.
- Days 7–9: 25% current food, 75% raw.
- Day 10+: 100% raw.
Some dogs need 14 days — go by stool quality and how the dog responds, not the calendar. Introduce new proteins, organs and bone only after the first protein is tolerated. Not veterinary advice — confirm the plan with your vet, especially for puppies, seniors, or dogs with health conditions.
Raw food safety & nutritional balance
- Handle raw meat like you would for humans: wash hands, bowls and surfaces after contact; thaw in the fridge, not on the counter; refrigerate or freeze promptly. Raw meat carries bacteria (e.g. Salmonella) that can affect the people in the house as well as the dog.
- Never feed cooked bones — cooking makes bones brittle and prone to splintering. Raw meaty bones only, always supervised.
- Balance is the hard part: published analyses of homemade raw recipes routinely find them short on calcium, zinc, copper, iodine or vitamin D. Ratios give you a starting structure, not a guaranteed-complete diet.
- Long-term raw feeding: if you plan to feed raw for months or years, have your recipe checked by your veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. That single step is what separates raw feeding that works from raw feeding that quietly causes deficiencies over a year or two.
- Toxic foods to keep out of any raw mix: grapes and raisins, onion and garlic, chocolate, macadamia nuts, xylitol (birch sugar), alcohol.
Frequently asked questions
How much raw food should I feed my dog per day?
The standard starting point for an adult dog is 2-3% of ideal body weight per day. A 20 kg moderately active adult dog at 2.5% needs 500 g/day (250 g per meal over 2 meals); the 2-3% range for that dog is 400-600 g/day. Very active dogs may go to 3.5%, low-activity seniors to 2%. These are starting points — adjust by body condition over 2-4 weeks.
What is the BARF ratio for dogs?
The commonly used BARF breakdown is 70% muscle meat, 10% raw meaty bone, 10% vegetables & fruit, 5% liver and 5% other secreting organ. For a dog eating 500 g/day that is 350 g muscle meat, 50 g raw meaty bone, 50 g vegetables & fruit, 25 g liver and 25 g other secreting organ.
What is the prey model raw (80/10/10) ratio?
Prey Model Raw mimics whole-prey proportions with no plant matter: 80% muscle meat, 10% raw meaty bone, 5% liver and 5% other secreting organ. For a dog eating 500 g/day that is 400 g muscle meat, 50 g raw meaty bone, 25 g liver and 25 g other secreting organ.
How much raw food does a puppy need?
Puppies need far more than adults relative to weight: roughly 5-10% of current body weight. A 10 kg puppy under 6 months at 8% needs 800 g/day (266.7 g per meal over 3 meals), while a 12 kg puppy of 6-12 months at 5% needs 600 g/day. Reduce gradually toward the 2-3% adult level as growth slows.
How much raw food should I feed a dog that needs to lose weight?
Feed 1.5-2% of IDEAL body weight (the target weight, not the current weight). A dog targeting 25 kg at 1.5% needs 375 g/day. Weigh every 2 weeks, aim for 1-2% body-weight loss per week, and consult your vet before any weight-loss plan.
How do I transition my dog to raw food?
Transition gradually over 7-10 days: days 1-3 mix 75% current food with 25% raw (one protein only), days 4-6 go 50/50, days 7-9 go 25/75, and day 10+ feed 100% raw. Some dogs need up to 14 days — judge by stool quality, not the calendar. Add new proteins, organs and bone only after the first protein is tolerated.
Is raw dog food safe? What about bacteria?
Raw meat carries bacteria such as Salmonella that can affect the people in the house as well as the dog. Handle it like food for humans: wash hands, bowls and surfaces after contact, thaw in the fridge (never on the counter), and refrigerate or freeze promptly. Keep raw-fed dogs away from immunocompromised people, and supervise all bone chewing.
Will a homemade raw diet be nutritionally complete long-term?
Not automatically. Published analyses of homemade raw recipes routinely find them short on calcium, zinc, copper, iodine or vitamin D — ratios give you a starting structure, not a guaranteed-complete diet. If you plan to feed raw for months or years, have your recipe checked by your veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary nutritionist.
Can dogs eat cooked bones?
No — never feed cooked bones. Cooking makes bones brittle and prone to splintering, which can injure the mouth, throat or gut. Only raw meaty bones (for example chicken necks or duck wings) are used in raw feeding, and always supervised.
Which foods are toxic to dogs in raw diets?
Keep these out of any raw mix: grapes and raisins, onion and garlic, chocolate, macadamia nuts, xylitol (birch sugar) and alcohol. Fruit must be seedless where seeds are a hazard (e.g. apple seeds), and never feed cooked bones.
How is this different from your pet food or dog calorie calculators?
This tool covers raw food portions and BARF / prey-model component ratios only. For kibble or wet-food portions in grams and cups, use our pet food calculator; for daily calorie math with the veterinary RER/MER formula, use our dog calorie calculator; for fish-oil dosing, use our omega-3 for dogs calculator. Each tool answers a different question.
Is this calculator a substitute for veterinary advice?
No. This calculator provides educational estimates based on widely published raw-feeding guidelines. It is not veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Puppies, seniors, pregnant or nursing dogs, and dogs with health conditions have special needs — always consult your veterinarian before changing diets.
Free tool by NRTechStudio