The answer is usually between 2% and 3% of your dog’s ideal body weight per day.
That is the simple version.
The slightly longer version is that dogs are inconveniently individual. Their age, activity level, metabolism and body condition all affect how much food they actually need.
Still, 2–3% gives you a sensible place to start.
No personality quiz.
No DNA test.
No need to tell us whether your dog prefers long walks, meaningful eye contact or jazz.
Just their weight and some basic maths.
The quick raw dog food calculation
To calculate your dog’s starting portion, multiply their ideal body weight in kilograms by:
- 20g for a 2% daily portion
- 25g for a 2.5% daily portion
- 30g for a 3% daily portion
For example, a 20kg dog would eat:
- 400g per day at 2%
- 500g per day at 2.5%
- 600g per day at 3%
Most healthy adult dogs can begin at around 2.5% before you adjust the portion according to what happens to their weight and condition.
The 2–3% approach is a widely used raw-feeding starting guide, including across the meat for dogs range, but it is still only a starting point. Dogs’ energy requirements can vary considerably according to activity, age, breed, environment, temperament and health.
Raw dog food feeding chart
The table below shows the approximate daily portion for adult dogs at 2%, 2.5% and 3% of body weight.
| Dog’s ideal weight | 2% per day | 2.5% per day | 3% per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5kg | 100g | 125g | 150g |
| 10kg | 200g | 250g | 300g |
| 15kg | 300g | 375g | 450g |
| 20kg | 400g | 500g | 600g |
| 25kg | 500g | 625g | 750g |
| 30kg | 600g | 750g | 900g |
| 35kg | 700g | 875g | 1,050g |
| 40kg | 800g | 1,000g | 1,200g |
| 45kg | 900g | 1,125g | 1,350g |
| 50kg | 1,000g | 1,250g | 1,500g |
These figures show the total amount for the whole day, not the amount for each meal.
Otherwise, your 30kg dog could end up eating 1.8kg of meat per day and developing the general dimensions of a coffee table.
Should I feed 2%, 2.5% or 3%?
Start with the percentage that most closely matches your dog.
Start closer to 2% when your dog is:
- Older and less active
- Prone to gaining weight
- Already slightly above their ideal weight
- Neutered and finding it harder to maintain a healthy weight
- Spending more time investigating the sofa than climbing mountains
Start around 2.5% when your dog is:
- A healthy adult
- Moderately active
- At their ideal weight
- Getting a normal amount of daily exercise
Start closer to 3% when your dog is:
- Very active
- A working or sporting dog
- Naturally lean
- Struggling to maintain weight on a smaller portion
- Apparently powered by a small internal nuclear reactor
Activity can make a substantial difference.
The important word here is start.
The percentage gives you an opening portion. Your dog’s body condition tells you whether it is right.
Use your dog’s ideal weight, not necessarily their current weight
If your dog is already at a healthy weight, use their current weight for the calculation.
If they are overweight or underweight, calculate the portion using the weight they should ideally be.
For example, imagine your dog currently weighs 24kg but should weigh closer to 20kg. Calculating 3% of their current weight would produce a daily portion of 720g.
That is unlikely to help with the whole losing-weight situation.
Instead, calculate the portion using the 20kg target weight and monitor their progress carefully.
Dogs that are significantly overweight, underweight or affected by a medical condition should have their feeding plan discussed with a vet or suitably qualified canine nutrition professional.
How do you know whether the portion is right?
Your dog cannot tell you.
Well, they can tell you they want more food. They can do that immediately after eating food. Some dogs could finish Christmas dinner, lick the plates and still report that nobody has fed them since 2019.
Appetite alone is therefore not a particularly scientific measurement.
Look at their weight and body condition instead.
At an ideal body condition:
- You should be able to feel the ribs without pressing hard
- The ribs should not be dramatically visible
- Your dog should have a visible waist when viewed from above
- Their abdomen should rise slightly behind the ribcage when viewed from the side
Check your dog regularly rather than waiting until someone politely asks whether they have swallowed another dog.
How often should I adjust the feeding amount?
Give the starting portion enough time to produce a pattern.
Weigh your dog when you begin, then check their weight and body shape regularly. Monthly weighing is a useful habit for a healthy adult dog, although more frequent monitoring may be sensible during weight loss, growth or a significant dietary change.
If your dog is gaining too much weight, reduce the daily amount slightly.
If they are losing weight or becoming too lean, increase it slightly.
Small changes are usually better than wildly moving between portions every time your dog looks at the cupboard.
A change of roughly 5–10% is normally enough to test whether the portion needs adjusting.
For example, if your dog is eating 500g per day:
- A 5% reduction would take them to 475g
- A 10% reduction would take them to 450g
- A 10% increase would take them to 550g
Make the change, monitor the result and adjust again if necessary.
That is feeding.
It is not an exact science, but it also does not require a laboratory coat.
How many meat for dogs packs will my dog need?
Every meat for dogs pack contains 450g of raw food.
This makes the maths pleasantly simple for some dogs and mildly irritating for others.
An 18kg adult dog eating 2.5% of their weight would need:
18 × 25g = 450g per day
That is exactly one pack.
A 20kg dog eating 2.5% would need around 500g per day. You could divide packs across several days rather than attempting to explain to the dog that the final 50g has been delayed due to administrative complications.
Here are some approximate examples:
| Dog’s weight | Daily amount at 2.5% | Approximate 450g packs per week |
|---|---|---|
| 10kg | 250g | 4 packs |
| 15kg | 375g | 6 packs |
| 18kg | 450g | 7 packs |
| 20kg | 500g | 8 packs |
| 25kg | 625g | 10 packs |
| 30kg | 750g | 12 packs |
| 40kg | 1,000g | 16 packs |
Our standard boxes contain 16 × 450g packs, giving you 7.2kg of meat, bone and offal for £28.
Should I split raw food into two meals?
Most adult dogs can have their daily portion divided between two meals.
A dog eating 500g per day could therefore have:
- 250g in the morning
- 250g in the evening
Some owners prefer one meal. Others find two smaller meals easier for their dog and their routine.
Puppies normally need their food spread over more frequent meals because they are growing and have smaller stomachs. Dogs with particular health conditions may also need a feeding schedule recommended by their vet.
The important part is that the figures in the feeding table represent the whole day’s allowance.
How much raw food should I feed a puppy?
Puppies are growing, so they generally need a larger portion relative to their current body weight than adult dogs.
A starting guide of around 5–6% of current body weight per day is used across the meat for dogs range. However, puppy feeding also depends on age, breed, expected adult size and growth rate.
Puppies should not simply be given unlimited food because they appear hungry. Overfeeding can cause excessively rapid growth, which is particularly concerning for large and giant breeds. Regular weighing and monitoring against an appropriate growth curve are recommended.
We will cover puppy portions properly in a separate guide because “feed them more than an adult” is not quite enough information when the dog is attempting to double in size every few weeks.
Do treats count towards the daily amount?
Yes.
Your dog may strongly disagree, but treats still contain calories even when handed over during training, walks, grooming, emotional negotiations or because they looked particularly nice for a moment.
The general recommendation is that treats, chews and table scraps account for no more than approximately 10% of a dog’s daily calorie intake, with the main meal reduced accordingly.
That does not mean weighing every crumb with forensic equipment.
It means recognising that a dog receiving several treats, a chew and half of someone’s toast may need slightly less in the bowl.
The toast did happen.
Your dog remembers it.
Can I use the same portion as their old dog food?
Not necessarily.
Different foods contain different amounts of moisture, fat, protein and energy. A 300g portion of one food is not automatically equivalent to 300g of another.
This is why comparing dog food purely by weight can be misleading.
When switching to raw, begin with the raw-feeding calculation rather than copying the gram amount printed on the previous food. Monitor your dog’s weight and condition after the change and adjust from there.
How to Switch to Raw the Easy Way
The easiest way to calculate raw dog food
For the people who sensibly skipped the middle and came looking for the answer again:
- Find your dog’s ideal weight in kilograms.
- Multiply it by 20–30g.
- Start most healthy adult dogs at approximately 25g per kilogram.
- Divide the total between their daily meals.
- Monitor their weight and body condition.
- Adjust the portion when necessary.
A 10kg adult dog will usually start at around 250g per day.
A 20kg adult dog will usually start at around 500g per day.
A 30kg adult dog will usually start at around 750g per day.
That is it.
No powders.
No scoops.
No need to describe your dog’s lifestyle to an algorithm.
Just weigh the meat, feed the dog and keep an eye on them.
Frequently asked questions
How much raw food should a 10kg dog eat?
A 10kg adult dog will usually start with between 200g and 300g per day. Around 250g is a sensible middle starting point for a healthy, moderately active adult.
How much raw food should a 20kg dog eat?
A 20kg adult dog will usually start with between 400g and 600g per day. At 2.5%, the daily amount would be 500g.
How much raw food should a 30kg dog eat?
A 30kg adult dog will usually start with between 600g and 900g per day. At 2.5%, the daily amount would be 750g.
Should I weigh raw dog food frozen or defrosted?
Portions can be weighed either frozen or defrosted, provided you are consistent and can separate the amount safely. Many owners divide defrosted packs across meals and keep the remaining food covered in the fridge.
Always follow the storage and handling instructions on the pack.
What happens if I feed too much raw dog food?
Regularly feeding more energy than your dog uses can cause weight gain, regardless of whether the food is raw, cooked, wet or shaped like a tiny brown bone.
Reduce the portion slightly and monitor your dog’s weight. Speak to your vet when weight gain is rapid, significant or unexplained.
What happens if I feed too little?
Your dog may lose weight and body condition. Increase the portion gradually and monitor them.
Unexpected weight loss can also indicate an underlying health problem, so contact your vet if your dog is losing weight despite eating an appropriate amount.
Feed the dog in front of you
The feeding chart is useful.
The calculator is useful.
The percentage is useful.
But the dog matters more than all three.
Start with 2–3% of their ideal body weight, monitor what happens and make sensible adjustments.
Some dogs need more.
Some dogs need less.
All dogs think they need more.
Fortunately, calculating the right amount is much easier when the food is simply meat, bone and offal rather than a collection of pellets supported by a 34-page marketing brochure.
Meat. Bone. Offal.
Food that actually looks like food.
This guide provides general feeding information for healthy dogs. Dogs with medical conditions, significant weight problems, allergies or unusual nutritional requirements should be assessed by a veterinary professional. Growing puppies require particularly careful monitoring.