Hello Raw experts.

We have decided to take the plunge and go raw! My male puppy Basil is 10 weeks old, currently on the rubbish kibble he was on at the breeders and weighs 3.08lb. I think he is going to end up at about 7.5lbs.

I am a bit confused as to how much I should be feeding him, some sources say up to 10% of his current weight, which would be almost 140grams but the up to part bothers me! where do you start?! Others say 2% of his expected weight which is about 69grams. I was thinking of starting him off in the middle at about 100grams per day which is about 3.5oz. Is this about right? Plus he is so damn fluffy that I can't do the visual check of seeing his ribs, I can feel them though He's just a bigger chi and not overweight.

I have a chicken breast for him and will pop out and pick up these tiny chickens they stock in french supermarkets and feed him on those for the next two weeks, then I can add in other meats and organs right? The french have a much more diverse meat taste than us Brits so getting hold of bones and insides is very easy here!

Even though I have read a ton, I think I am just waiting for the Okay on my plan from some one with more experience!

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You are making the best choice for your puppy. I know others will have great advice. here is a good website that explains pmr.

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When Stella was just a wee pup, I just let her eat as much raw as she could in one sitting. She never got fat or even rolly, she was always running around too much for that! Haha! I think it taught her to self-regulate, too, as she doesn't eat just to eat like one of my other dogs will. She knows when she's full and she stops.

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I think your plan sounds really good! If he's been on poor kibble up to this point, you may also wan to give him a probiotic for the first couple months. My personal experience has been that when I transfer dogs over to raw, giving them a probiotic helps keep their poo much more solid as their body adjusts. That being said, however, pups seem to get the hang of this diet much more quickly than adults, no matter how you do it.

As far as how much to feed, I've always heard 3% of the predicted adult weight or 8-10% of the pup's current weight, which should amount to roughly the same. Start with an amount that feels right (3.5 oz for a 3lb pup sounds reasonable to me), and keep tabs on his body shape/weight. Adjust as needed to keep him trim and slim, but not overly skinny.

Welcome to raw!

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Its great to hear you are crossing over tothe raw side!

I usually allow Simone to eat until she is full, as she is not one of the greedy ones. My others eat a pre measured amount, not sure of the weight but its a little bigger than the size of a golf ball. Their weight is on point, how ever i may have to ajust Olivias amount because she doesn't run as much as thee others and tends to gain weight easily.
Your making a good choice, raw is the best choice imo.

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This may help you out a bit.... Dog Food Calculator

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I would start at around 3% and adjust from there. Because it is all good stuff without carbs and fillers he isn't going to get fat like a kibble fed pup could.
Chicken is a great place to start, perfect puppy sized bone-in meals, you will want to be a little bone heavy to begin with to keep the stool firm. The little wing tips are perfect to give him as a snack if the stool becomes too soft. Once he is doing well on chicken you can add a second protein, I would go for a red meat. Just a few bites to begin with, build up gradually. You can still use your chicken sections to add bone. You will have so much fun introducing all the different yummy meats to him, he is a lucky little puppy.

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Thanks so much for all your help! I genuinely am excited to be exploring this. I am really keen on whole foods for myself so see no reason why the pup should be having terrible nutrition!

Can I ask how I would give him a probiotic, does it come in the form of a suppliment or will probiotic yogurt work? Thanks again

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