How Raw Diet Percentages and Portions Work

What Is Raw Feeding and How Much Do You Feed?

Raw feeding is a diet method that portions uncooked muscle meat, edible bone and organs as a percentage of the animal's body weight. Adult dogs eat 2-3% of body weight in raw food daily. Puppies eat 5-10% of current body weight, and adult cats eat 2-4%. A 60 lb adult dog fed at the 2.5% maintenance rate receives 1.5 lb of raw food per day, which equals 24 oz or about 680 g.

The percentage method replaces the kcal-per-cup label found on commercial kibble, because raw rations carry no feeding chart. The math is one multiplication: body weight times the percentage equals the daily amount. The raw feeding calculator runs this multiplication and cross-checks the result against your dog's calorie requirement, which matters because two raw mixes with identical weights carry different energy.

• Adult dogs: 2-3% of body weight per day (2% sedentary or dieting, 2.5% maintenance, 3% active)
• Puppies: 5-10% of current body weight, tapering as growth completes
• Adult cats: 2-4% of body weight per day

BARF Ratios: Muscle, Bone and Organ

The BARF ratio allocates 80% muscle meat, 10% raw edible bone, 5% liver and 5% other secreting organ, commonly written 80/10/5/5. The prey model (PMR) uses 80/10/10 with no plant matter, while BARF adds roughly 5-10% vegetables on top of the animal components. Both templates split the organ portion so that half of it is liver.

Each component carries a specific nutritional job. Raw edible bone provides dietary calcium, and without it a meat-only ration runs a severe calcium deficit within weeks. Liver supplies vitamin A and copper at concentrations muscle meat never reaches, which is why liver is capped at 5%: excess vitamin A is toxic over time. Muscle meat delivers protein, phosphorus and B vitamins. A BARF meal plan with weekly amounts shows how these ratios translate into a shopping list.

Percent of Body Weight by Goal (Table)

The feeding percentage adjusts for weight goal and activity: 2% for weight loss or sedentary dogs, 2.5% for maintenance, 3% for active or hard-working dogs. A 60 lb dog therefore receives 1.2-1.8 lb of raw food daily depending on the goal. Cats run 2-4% and puppies 5-10% of current weight by age band.

The table below shows daily raw amounts for three adult dog weights across the three goals. Detailed adult numbers live in the raw amounts guide for dogs, and the raw feeding chart by age and activity extends the same math to puppies, seniors and working dogs.

Cross-Check Percentages with Calories

Percent-of-body-weight portions are validated by calorie math. Raw food contains about 1.2-2.0 kcal per gram depending on fat content, so the same 680 g ration delivers anywhere from 816 to 1,360 kcal. The percentage is a heuristic; the calorie formula is the check: RER = 70 x (kg^0.75), multiplied by 1.6 for a neutered adult.

Worked example: a 60 lb (27.2 kg) neutered dog needs about 1,340 kcal per day (70 x 27.2^0.75 x 1.6). Feeding 2.5% gives 680 g; at 1.8 kcal/g that ration supplies about 1,224 kcal, close enough to start. A lean mix at 1.3 kcal/g supplies only 884 kcal from the same weight, so lean mixes require a higher percentage. Weigh the dog every 2 weeks and adjust the percentage in 0.25-point steps based on body condition score; puppies follow the separate growth percentages covered in the raw portions guide for growing puppies.

Balance and Safety Basics

Ratio-based raw diets risk micronutrient gaps without variety. AAFCO completeness standards still apply to raw rations, and 80/10/10 alone runs short on zinc, vitamin D, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids unless the menu rotates proteins, includes fish or eggs, or adds targeted supplements. Balance is achieved over a weekly window, not in every single meal.

Raw meat handling requires the same food-safety hygiene as raw meat prepared for humans: freeze before use, thaw in the refrigerator, sanitize surfaces and bowls, and wash hands after every preparation. Veterinary organizations including WSAVA and AVMA document pathogen risks such as Salmonella and Listeria in raw diets, for the pet and for the household. Homes with immunocompromised members, small children or elderly residents should discuss the tradeoff with a veterinarian first. Cats follow their own percentages and stricter rules, covered in the raw feeding amounts guide for cats; the raw feeding calculator portions a balanced raw ration for either species.