Raw Feeding. How Much - Page 1

6 month old male GSD. Approx 50lb (will weigh when my husband gets home for accuracy) he is being fed RAW came to us with no instructions, owner speaks little English. How much do I feed him?  I found a calculator that said 2% of body weight per day but I know you add more for puppies. I just don't know how much. 

It looks like he will be with us for about a month while owner is out of town. 

Thanks in advance. 

2-3% of estimated adult body weight.

Oops double post

Even for a puppy? I thought the percentage was higher for a young dog. He is only six months old. One pound just does not seem like enough.

His estimated adult weight, not his current weight.

I would think it would depend on what's in the raw food? is it mostly tripe and "odds and ends"? or is it organ meat?and mostly beef ? is it fortified with vitamins and some frozen "meat" also has some grain(s) added.. On the raw diet I've used - a 6 month old would get about 1 1/2 cups twice a day - that would be about 2 pounds per day - spread over the 2 meals. if he's very big maybe 2 cups at each meal - but not likely more than that. and 2% of an 80 pound dog would be 1.6 pounds the way I do math - so that's about right-- 1.5 - 2.0 pounds per day. hope that helps.

All sounds OK above, however, how does the dog look and feel?  YOu need to be able to feel ribs and even see the last 2 ribs; BUT you want to still be sure he or she gets the nutrients they need.  SO given that info how does your dog look?

Be sure that you are giving enough yogart, cottage cheese, raw egg yolks or you can give the complete hard boiled egg, shell and all is best.

Organ meat either  a couple tablespoons per day or give 2-3 times per week (the size of the palm of your hand).  Chicken backs/necks wings and quarters are OK; just be sure he can handle quarters as there is a lot of large gone.  NEVER FEED ANY COOKED BONES TO YOUR DOG. 

Here are some options for you to consider.  You can give any type ground meats to fill in meat amounts, beef, lamb, pork, turkey,  chicken, anything ground.

If you give fish while he is growing up, I would litely poach for safety without bones.

Any beef, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken,  muscle meats need to be given daily or every other day.  You can also use, deer, antelope, bison, or any type of game meat if available to you, or any type game bird meats also.  Rabbit OK also; squirrel and othe rodents I have never used.

I would check with these web's for more info;  Jane Anderson's PWB's.  Save our Shepherds has a good amont of reading on raw diet for the shepherds;  and I really like Von Lotta's web on raw feeding puppies;  gives you lots of options and lots of ideas with nutritional requirements from 0-18 months of age.

Best of luck to you with the puppy,  Nan

Also, here is another option for you.  You can use any one of the prepared frozen raw diets, Bravo, K9 Kravings, Natural Instinct, all have different ingredients all are pretty good  until you get the raw down for your puppy.  It seems a little overwhelming at first but once you get the hang of it seems much easier and always fresh meat, always fresh water available during feeding.

I used Bravo beef with organ mixture;  like it as beef is sort of expensive and it already had the organ meats ground in.  That was convenient;  Also there is Honest Kitchen diets; already have a 30/30/30 blend of vegi, meat, carb's balanced with vit/minerals so it helps at first to take the guess work out of the equation.

Just food for thought,  Nan

PS: By the way it is Jane Anderson's Portugese Water Dog site (so PWD not PWB) wanted to be sure you could pull up the site in case you want to read and by the way is mostly about Prey model raw feeding which we city people ususally have a hard time doing.  So good luck  N

Thanks so much. This was very helpful. The dog came to us looking great. In great shape not over or under weight. His manners are another story. It looks like he is with us for awhile so we are working on that.