How much raw food should I feed my dog?
Feeding your dog the right amount of food every day should never be a guessing game. A dog’s nutritional needs will depend on their size, time of life, and level of activity, and our raw dog food feeding calculator can provide an all-important guide based on those factors.
When it comes to raw feeding dogs, our 40+ years of feeding thousands of dogs all over the UK with our protein-rich, all-natural and nutritious recipes means we have unrivalled experience around guidance on the ideal raw food portion size. That basically means that you can feed our NAKEDDOG recipes with confidence!
How much raw food does my dog need every day?
Many owners still ‘guesstimate’ how much raw food to give to their dog, but this can be very unreliable - especially as we are more likely to be overgenerous and give them too much food rather than too little. Establishing good feeding habits at an early age paves the way for a healthier dog that’s less likely to become overweight. By the time your dog is fully grown (usually about 1 year to 18 months, depending on the breed), you should be feeding about 2-3% of their body weight in raw dog food each day.
Remember that, just like humans, some dogs will need a little less, and others a little more. For example, a working dog may need a top up if they have been particularly active. Or, sometimes your small dog might seem hungrier when the weather turns colder (those chilly winter walks can burn up extra calories). Likewise, a senior dog who prefers to spend more time lounging around than lunging on the lead may need a little less.
Here is our expert guidance. Check out this handy feeding calculator we’ve created and come back to our friendly customer service team if you have any questions:
Adult
Because it is so high in protein compared to many kibble feeds that are often bulked out with fillers, a portion of NAKED may look smaller in volume. But rest assured that our nutrition is dense. As long as your dog is getting the right amount of protein (our feeding guide and video will help you work this out), they’ll be getting all the body building goodness they need.
If you’ve made the switch from kibble, it’s also completely normal for your dog to seem a bit hungry at first. They may just need time to adjust, because bodies that get used to carbs (kibble usually contains fillers) feel hungry when switching to protein/fat as primary fuel. Raw dog food also moves through the system quicker than kibble, which can make some dogs feel empty sooner.
One recommendation is to start by splitting their daily raw intake into 2-3 smaller meals throughout the day. Slow feeders that extend mealtimes for those faster eaters can also help. Check for boredom too - sometimes dogs just act hungry out of habit and can be distracted by a quick play or a bit of extra attention!
*This is only for raw meals. *Our Adult guidance is based on 2.5% of body weight for the average medium to larger dog. Smaller dogs ideally need an amount of 3-4% of body weight as a daily ration.
Puppy
Puppies aged 0-3 weeks should be drinking their mother’s milk to obtain essential nutrients and fatty acids, enzymes and gut microbiome. However, once they hit the age of 3-4 weeks, they’ll need 3 meals a day and raw is the perfect choice for the best start in life. As a guide, you’ll want to feed around 8% of their body weight to begin with.
When your puppy is 12 weeks old, you should be able to start reducing the amount of raw food you feed to about 6% of their body weight. Again, all dogs are different - so always keep your eye on your puppy’s weight.
NAKEDDOG has a variety of expertly formulated NAKEDPUP raw dog food recipes so that you can introduce your pup to different proteins and flavours like Chicken, Beef, Rabbit and Surf and Turf. Our recipes are 90% meat, and slightly higher protein and fat than our usual NAKEDDOG Original raw food recipes to support the energy requirements of puppies. They also contain chicory root, which is great for building digestive health. NAKEDDOG puppy food is also minced very finely for little tummies, but still make sure you mash the food up thoroughly - they are beginners after all!
Our raw dog food is 100% safe for your puppy. Every tray of NAKEDDOG raw food is UK Pet Food certified, which means it reaches the very highest standard for the production of raw pet food, covering: manufacturing plant design and maintenance, supplier assurance, safe product formulation, full traceability systems, safe handling, quality checks, microbiological testing, a programme of internal auditing, HACCP, staff training, and labelling compliance.
Cold pressed
Our cold pressed dog food is made by gently compressing fresh, natural ingredients under low heat. This method locks in essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are often lost in traditional kibble production - giving your dog the healthiest meal possible. The nutrient-dense formula of our cold pressed raw dog food supports shiny coats, strong bones, healthy teeth, and sustained energy. Every bite nourishes from the inside out!
For our cold pressed recipes, we recommend feeding your adult dog approximately 12g per KG of their bodyweight.
More FAQs on how much to feed your dog
How often should dogs eat?
Most experts, including the Kennel Club and the Dog’s Trust, recommend feeding twice a day. As a general rule, we find that leaving 8-12 hours between feeds works well for most dogs. It’s essential to remember with raw never to leave food out all day as it could gather bacteria - although the likelihood of you not seeing a clean bowl after every mealtime is pretty remote! The palatability with raw food is very high, which is another reason it’s an increasingly popular feeding choice - even more so if your dog is a fussy eater.
Can I mix raw food with dry food?
NAKEDDOG Original, Superfoods, and NAKED PUP recipes are all balanced and complete, which means they contain every nutritional element your dog needs. NAKEDDOG Pure recipes are purely meat (no fruit or veg), as some owners like to add their own extras.
In an ideal world, we’d always say feed raw on its own. But we also know it isn’t always possible to feed raw full-time for a whole list of reasons. We believe that even if your dog gets a taste of raw goodness once a week, a few times a month, or every now and then, it’s a health benefit for them (and they really love the taste!).
The bottom line? Some raw is better than none at all. If you are mixed feeding though, just keep strict tabs on your quantities so that your dog does not end up overfed and overweight.
Why does my dog drink less water on a raw diet?
If you’ve noticed that your dog is drinking less on a raw diet, this is quite common. Because our food contains only raw meat (plus fresh fruit and vegetables if it’s one of our NAKEDDOG Original recipes), it has a higher moisture content than dry food - roughly 70% compared to 10%. So, because your dog is getting so much hydration from their food, you may find they drink less from the water bowl.
Always keep their water bowl topped up with clean, fresh water regardless. If you have any other concerns about their water drinking habits, we’d always recommend checking with your vet.
For more information on your dog, or pups' daily food requirements please read our feeding guide or email us at info@nakeddog.co.uk and our team will give you some feeding advice.
Explore our comprehensive guide to raw dog diets to ensure your pet's optimal health.