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I spent a lot of time on Facebook today, TOO much time actually. But, while I was there, I visited The Benefits of Raw Feeding Group where a link to the Personal Dog Feeding Guide spreadsheet below was posted.
Not so much a secret I guess, as a tool to help you figure out how much to feed your dog with respect to raw meaty bones.
The spreadsheet here on the blog is not editable so don’t get your knickers in a bunch, but you can scroll to see how the fields populate with the 50 lb value I’ve input.
Clicking on this link however will prompt the download of the Excel spreadsheet file to your own computer.
Once downloaded, you can plug in your dog’s weight to get an estimate of the amount of raw meaty bones you should be feeding your little (or big) carnivore.
Note: AVG Antivirus found no viruses when I downloaded the file, but for your own safety and peace of mind, I’d recommend that you virus scan the file before opening.
It’s Really Not That Difficult, Really!
This spreadsheet might be a good tool in determining how much to feed your dog if you’re just starting out feeding a RMB diet. I’m just worried that some people might come to the conclusion that, “if I need a spreadsheet to feed my dog, this is way to much hassle for me“, when in fact it’s really easy to figure out how much to feed your dog.
Monitor your dog’s weight, if he looks like he’s getting fat, cut it back. If his ribs are a little bit too prominent, feed a little bit more.
Here’s a quote (quesion and answer) that I found at PetEducation.com;
Q. “… I asked her what her secret was that allowed her to feed her dogs in such a way that they were always the perfect weight.”
A. “when they are skinny I feed ‘em more and when they get fat I feed ‘em less.”
Pretty basic stuff eh?
What Does Jim Do?
I’ve always used the 2-3% of RMBs per pound of body weight (for adult dogs) as guideline for feeding my guys.
Zeus is about 50 lbs, so I know that I have to feed him roughly 1 – 1 1/2 lbs of food per day. I either eyeball it, or in most cases the foods that I buy for my dogs have the weight printed right on the package, since I buy their meaty bones and offal from the same super market that I buy my own food from.
Honestly, don’t get too caught up in needing exact numbers. We don’t eat that way, we don’t feed our kids that way, and we don’t have to worry about whether or dogs get 1 lb of food per day, or 1 1/4 lbs of food per day. Balance over time.
If you’re new to raw feeding, do you think this spreadsheet will be useful for you just starting out?
If you’re an experienced raw feeder, do you just eyeball it like me, or do you weigh out your dog’s portions?
I'm a dog guardian to Sweety, my 15 year old Border Collie & Zeus a stray American Pit Bull Terrier that I rescued in October of 2009. I write about canine health and nutrition focusing mainly on topics relating to feeding a raw meaty bones diet.
