[So_many_chis]

I'm just starting on raw feeding and we're all really enjoying it but obviously I have lots of things to think about and ask!

Do you find that it seems very little food in comparison to what you were feeding before?

I'm feeding on 2% body weight and the portions, split between two meals, seem very small.

Have you found this also?

Many thanks

 

[pupluv168]

I'm just starting on raw feeding and we're all really enjoying it but obviously I have lots of things to think about and ask!

Do you find that it seems very little food in comparison to what you were feeding before?

I'm feeding on 2% body weight and the portions, split between two meals, seem very small.

Have you found this also?

Many thanks

It seems like very little food. That is why it is better to weigh the food, if you do it by sight you tend to overfeed.

It should be 2-3% of your dogs adult weight, so if that's what you're doing, that's right, even if it seems tiny.

 

[Onyx]

Yep, it can seem like you're starving the poor things huh? Raw is very nutrient dense though so they are packing in the nutrition in that tiny amount of food.

Small dogs tend to need to go up a little higher in the percentage. Usually small dogs are fed the 3% as opposed to large dogs usually only needing the 2% unless they are active. This is because small dogs typically have fast little metabolisms.

My Chi, Onyx is fed 2.5% of her weight daily and she was very overweight. On this amount, she has lost almost all of the weight, she only has a pound to go. I feed her as if she were her correct weight and stick to 2.5% as to avoid more weight gain. 2.5% is usually a good starting point. Adjust up or down depending on if your dog loses or gains weight.

 

[Smith]

It is a comparatively small amount of food, especially if you're splitting it into two meals. When I first switched to raw, I felt the same way. I found, for myself and my dogs, one meal a day was actually better because they got one big portion which seemed to be more satisfying than two small ones. It seemed a little counterintuitive at first, but ultimately, it's what's worked best for me.

That being said, if you have very small dogs or a dog prone to hypoglycemia, feeding multiple meals is better. You do get used to the smaller portions after you've done it for a while!