Daily feeding portion

How Much To Feed Your Adult Dog or Cat

Every dog and cat has an optimum body weight at which it is healthiest and performs at it’s best. To determine how much food your dog requires daily, it is important to know that weight. Consult literature on breed standards and ask your veterinarian for help. Generally, a healthy dog or cat should be fed approximately 2-3% of their body weight, depending on their activity level. Use the following formula to calculate the approximate daily portions.

 

 

Activity Level Factor:
7– Low 9 - 11 – Medium 14 – High

For dogs over 50 lbs, divide the portion into two meals – e.g. morning and evening.

The estimates for daily portions above are meant as guidelines. Each animal has a unique metabolism that will dictate the appropriate daily food amount. Start with the amount derived from the formula above and monitor your animal. A good way to assess for this is to check your animal’s ribs. At an ideal weight, you should be able to feel the ribs easily but not see them. If the ribs are visible then increase the daily food portion (e.g. increase activity factor by 2) and feed for a week, monitoring for weight gain. If the ribs are hard to feel, then decrease the portion (e.g. decrease activity factor by 2) and monitor until your pet reaches their ideal weight.

Note that the food portion includes any meaty bones or treats that you give your pet. So if you give your dog a meaty beef bone one day (e.g. turkey neck weighing approximately 300g) then decrease their raw food portions by that amount. See more about bones in section below.

Bones – Recreational and consumable

Bones are a very essential part of the diet for dogs and cats and serve several beneficial purposes. First, chewing on bones provides excellent mental stimulation and keeps their teeth and gums healthy and clean. In addition to their recreational value, bones can be chewed and swallowed, and contain a fair amount of meat and fat can provide a range of nutrients and fulfill daily calcium requirements , especially on days when feeding boneless, red meats. Examples of these are chicken necks, chicken carcasses, ostrich necks, turkey necks, wings and wingtips, and lamb, goat, and venison necks. For example, if your dog usually consumes 900 grams (2 lbs) of food per day, then you can feed them 450 g (1 lb) of consumable bone and 450 g (1 lb) of ground meat and veggies.

Raw Food Shelf Life

Once thawed, raw food should be refrigerated when not being fed and should be used within two days. Do not leave raw food out in your dog’s bowl for more than 10-20 minutes. Raw dogs do not graze – any food that has not been consumed within that time should be refrigerated for the next mealtime.

Safe Handling

When feeding your dog or cat a raw diet, please take the same precautions as you would when handling any other raw meat product. Raw meat may contain bacteria that could cause people illness if mishandled. Keep all raw meat separate from other foods; wash your handles, working surfaces, and utensils with hot soapy water after each feeding.

Calcium and Phosphorus

Calcium and phosphorus are essential minerals in the body. They work together in the body to maintain growth and structure of the skeletal system. Calcium is the most abundant and required mineral in the body. It is essential for many body functions including bone formation, blood coagulation, muscle contraction, and nerve impulse transmission. Bones, dairy products, and leguminous plants contain large amounts of calcium. Phosphorus also required in a relatively high amount ( slightly less than calcium) can be obtained from meat or organ meats.

It is important that the diet we feed our dogs and cats contains a sufficient amount of these minerals and is in the appropriate ratios - around 1.2 part of calcium for every 1 part of phosphorus. Achieving this can be a bit tricky because many foods, such as meats, that are low in calcium are high in phosphorus, and in addition, many foods high in calcium are also high in phosphorus. Therefore extra care and attention is required in order to provide the proper ratios in the diet.

To provide our animals with a sufficient amount of calcium, we recommend a combination of the following strategies:

  1. Consumable raw meaty bones 4-5 times a week.
  2. Meals with bones such as chicken or turkey 3 times a week – you will need to feed other non-poultry bones 2 times per week in addition to this, to avoid feeding excessive amounts of poultry.
  3. Daily plant-based calcium supplements.

The following links contain further information about the calcium/phosphorus balance: