How much?

[Jantilla1986]

I was hoping somebody could help me out. I have a 5 month 60 pound mastiff who is on the raw diet. I switched him from kibble as soon as I got him from the breeder at 7 weeks. Im still unsure how much to feed him. I've been shooting for 10%. Should he really be eating 6 pounds a day?

 

[Bailey's Mom]

Welcome to the Forum Jantilla. We have many members that feed raw and there was a recent thread on that very subject. You should be able to reach it from the search engine, which may be faster for now as we are in the last days of summer and members are away on vacations; however, I expect some of our people will respond later today. Welcome!

 

[Jantilla1986]

Welcome to the Forum Jantilla. We have many members that feed raw and there was a recent thread on that very subject. You should be able to reach it from the search engine, which may be faster for now as we are in the last days of summer and members are away on vacations; however, I expect some of our people will respond later today. Welcome!

Thank You. I have read a few different threads on here. Some say 10% until 25 pounds and some say 10% until 9 months.

Here's a picture of Brutus

 

[Bailey's Mom]

What a sweety! Well, I was hoping someone would pop up, but don't fret, we all get busy, someone will be along shortly with the info that you require.

 

[Smokeycat]

I don't feed raw but I have done extensive research on it as I would like to be ready when I can eventually afford to feed raw. Meat is insanely expensive here. Most of what I read says to feed 10% until that number exceeds 3% of the projected adult weight and then switch to feeding 2-3% of the adult weight. Always watching for body condition of course.

 

[DennasMom]

What Smokeycat said.

Figure 10% of the puppies weight and start with that. Watch the waist-line and adjust as needed to keep the puppy growing LEAN.
...really... that's it.

If you start feeding a teenager (6mo-1yr old) on raw, go with the lesser of 10% of current weight or 2.5% of expected adult weight... then adjust as needed to keep the dog LEAN.

If you've been feeding the dog for 4 months... you should already know how much he needs to eat. The %-values are just starting guidelines, NOT fixed targets. It will depend on what kind of food you're feeding THAT DAY (i.e. fatty pork versus lean venison), the activity levels of the dog, the activity levels of THAT DAY, growth rates (which vary day to day), overall temperament (anxious dogs go through more calories) and genetics....

Denna is raw fed, and she gets about 1.5% of her adult weight. She's a low-energy dog with an efficient digestive system! And really small poops!

 

[Bailey's Mom]

I am so glad the DennasMom was able to respond. She's the Best, but total Kudos to Smokeycat for bringing the info.

 

[DennasMom]

Sorry to be slow... had to spend a week on a Cruise ship. No internet! Terrible, I know.

 

[Bailey's Mom]

Sun, Sun, Sand and Hurricanes....FUN