How much food your raw fed dog needs on a daily basis depends on a few factors; how active your dog is, how old he/she is, how high his or her metabolism is and how high the fat content of his/her diet is.
Raw fed dogs need between 2-3% of their ideal body weight. For instance, a dog whose ideal body weight is 50 lbs. would be fed 2% if it needs to lose weight, about 2.5% to maintain its weight and approximately 3% to help it gain weight.
However, each dog is different and depending on their activity levels and metabolisms they require more or less. While some dogs would only need 2.5% to maintain a healthy weight, active dogs might need as much as 3% to maintain their weight.
Puppies are an exception and need to be fed 10% of their current weight until the amount fed per day meets 2-3% of their expected adult body weight. For example, if a puppy weighs 10 lbs. and is expected to grow to 100 lbs. you would feed 10% of their current weight and increase that amount as they grow until you reach around 2.5% of 100 lbs.
Read: How much fat your dog needs in his diet.
Young puppies are very good at self-regulating their food intake, so there’s no need to be concerned if they don’t finish everything you give them (as long as there are no symptoms of discomfort). Simply pick up any leftovers and feed them later.
Puppies grow at a slower, more regulated rate when fed a raw diet. If your puppy is the only one out of his/her littermates on a raw diet, you’ll notice them a bit behind their brothers and sisters, growth wise. This greatly reduces the chance of developing bone and joint problems. Your puppy will eventually grow to his/her intended size, yet in a more natural, healthier manner.
Follow these guidelines and adjust percentages until your dog reaches an ideal weight. How do you know if your dog is his or her ideal weight? Generally, you should be able to see the outline of the last few floating ribs closest to your dog’s stomach, but should not be able to see all of your dog’s ribs or his/her hip bones or vertebra of the spine. Your dog should have a defined waist if you’re standing over him/her looking down at them. They should also have a nice tucked stomach beginning where their rib cage ends.
Remember that all dogs are built differently, yet even the stockiest of Rott
weilers can and should have these defined features.