Most plans use an 80/10/10 split of muscle meat, edible bone and organ, fed at 2 to 3% of your dog’s ideal body weight a day. That’s a useful starting point, but homemade raw plans can miss key nutrients, so treat it as a framework to check with your vet, not a finished recipe.
What is a good raw diet meal plan for dogs?
The most common homemade framework is called prey model raw. It aims to copy the proportions of a whole prey animal:
- 80% muscle meat, including heart
- 10% edible raw bone
- 10% organ, split into 5% liver and 5% another organ such as kidney or spleen
Some feeders use a BARF version instead, with about 70% muscle meat, 10% bone, 10% organ and 10% vegetables and fruit.
How much raw food should I feed my dog?
Most adult dogs eat 2 to 3% of their ideal body weight a day. Many owners start near 2% and adjust. Go lower, around 1.5%, for gentle weight loss, and higher, around 3.5%, for weight gain. Active, lean or working dogs may need more.
| Dog weight | 2% a day | 2.5% a day | 3% a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kg | 100 g | 125 g | 150 g |
| 10 kg | 200 g | 250 g | 300 g |
| 20 kg | 400 g | 500 g | 600 g |
| 30 kg | 600 g | 750 g | 900 g |
Weigh your dog every two to four weeks and adjust by body condition, not by guesswork. Puppies are different. They eat far more for their size, and their needs change as they grow, so ask your vet for a plan made for them.
A sample week for a 20 kg dog
At 2.5%, a 20 kg dog eats about 500 g a day, or 3.5 kg a week. Across the week that works out roughly as:
- 2.8 kg muscle meat
- 350 g edible bone
- 175 g liver
- 175 g other organ
Bone and organ don’t have to appear in every meal, because most plans balance them across the week. Rotating proteins is common too. Start with one, then add others over a few weeks.
| Day | Muscle meat | Add-on |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Chicken thigh meat | Chicken wings |
| Tuesday | Beef chunks | Beef liver |
| Wednesday | Turkey meat | Chicken necks |
| Thursday | Lamb | Kidney |
| Friday | Beef heart | Chicken wings |
| Saturday | Chicken thigh meat | Beef liver |
| Sunday | Turkey meat | Spleen or kidney |
Don’t copy this blindly. Liver is rich in vitamin A, and too much can cause problems, so keep to the weekly totals above.
The catch: why homemade plans need checking
The main criticism of homemade raw diets is that many are built on opinion rather than nutrition research. Even raw feeding calculators warn that raw diets can miss calcium, iodine, copper and vitamin D, and advise a complete recipe or professional guidance for long-term feeding. PDSA doesn’t recommend homemade diets, raw or cooked, without help from a pet nutrition specialist.
A safer shortcut: complete raw meals
If all that maths sounds like a lot, a complete commercial raw recipe does the balancing for you. Check the label says it’s complete, and feed to the pack’s guide for your dog’s weight. You still need strict hygiene, but you skip the guesswork on nutrients.
Raw meal plan safety checklist
- Talk to your vet or a pet nutritionist before you start.
- Weigh the food instead of eyeballing it.
- Introduce raw gradually, with one protein first.
- Thaw in the fridge, wash hands and bowls, and disinfect surfaces.
- Avoid raw in homes with pregnant, very young, older or immunocompromised people.
- Watch weight and stools, and keep up regular checkups.
FAQs
How much raw food should I feed my dog per day?
Most adult dogs eat 2 to 3% of their ideal body weight a day, adjusted for weight and activity.
What is the 80/10/10 rule for raw feeding?
It’s 80% muscle meat, 10% edible bone and 10% organ, made up of 5% liver and 5% another organ.
Do I need to add vegetables or supplements?
Prey model feeders usually don’t, while BARF feeders add about 10% vegetables and fruit. Raw diets can still miss nutrients, so ask your vet before adding supplements.
Can I feed plain supermarket meat?
Not on its own. Plain meat isn’t balanced, and like any raw meat it can carry bacteria. Use it only as part of a properly balanced plan.
Is a raw meal plan safe for puppies?
Puppies need a carefully balanced diet. Ask your vet for a checked plan, or choose a complete raw recipe made for puppies.
The bottom line
So, what is a good raw diet meal plan for dogs? A balanced 80/10/10 plan, fed by weight, rotated across proteins and checked by a vet or nutritionist, or a complete commercial recipe. Not sure raw is right for your dog? Browse our independent dog food reviews to compare complete foods.
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