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Raw Puppy Feeding Guide

How much raw food to feed a puppy at every age — the 5–10% body weight method, feeding schedule, and what changes as your puppy grows.

Use the dog raw food calculator with "Puppy" selected to get your puppy's daily gram amount. The schedule below tells you how to structure meals throughout the day.

How Much Raw Food Does a Puppy Need?

Unlike adult dogs (2–3% body weight), puppies eat 5–10% of their current body weight in raw food per day. This higher percentage supports rapid growth. The percentage decreases as the puppy approaches adult size — by 12 months most dogs transition to the adult 2–3%.

Small breeds

Switch to adult at

12 months

Under 10 kg adult

Medium breeds

Switch to adult at

12–14 months

10–25 kg adult

Large breeds

Switch to adult at

14–18 months

25–45 kg adult

Giant breeds

Switch to adult at

18–24 months

Over 45 kg adult

Raw Puppy Feeding Schedule by Age

Age% body weightMeals/dayRaw bone?Notes
8–12 weeks8–10%4×/dayNo (too young)Boneless mince only. Introduce one protein.
3–4 months8%3–4×/daySoft (chicken necks)Add raw meaty bone. Introduce second protein.
4–6 months6–8%3×/dayYesAdd liver very gradually. Begin organ variety.
6–9 months5–6%2–3×/dayYesReduce percentage as growth slows. Weigh weekly.
9–12 months4–5%2×/dayYesTransitioning toward adult percentages.
12+ months2–3%2×/dayYesAdult schedule. Weigh monthly and adjust.

Weigh your puppy weekly and recalculate daily amounts. Growing puppies change quickly.

Giant Breed Puppy Warning

Giant breed puppies (Mastiff, Great Dane, Saint Bernard, Irish Wolfhound) are at risk of developmental orthopaedic disease (DOD) from excess calcium and excessively rapid growth. Keep giant breed puppies at 5–6% of body weight rather than the 8–10% used for small breeds. Avoid supplementing calcium separately — raw meaty bone provides sufficient calcium when fed at the correct 10–15% of the daily total. Consult your vet or a DACVN if you are raw feeding a giant breed puppy.

Calcium and Bone for Puppies

Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is critical during bone development. Standard adult edible bone at 10% of the diet may be slightly low for rapidly growing puppies. Many raw feeding nutritionists recommend 12–15% edible bone for puppies under 6 months to ensure adequate calcium intake. Edible bone sources for puppies:

  • •Chicken necks — soft enough for puppies 8 weeks+ to chew and consume safely
  • •Chicken wings — slightly larger, good from 3–4 months
  • •Chicken backs and frames — good calcium-rich option for medium breeds
  • •Duck necks — slightly firmer, suitable from 4 months

Do not supplement with additional calcium powder unless directed by a vet — calcium toxicity from supplementation on top of raw bone is a real risk in puppies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Puppies eat 5–10% of their current body weight per day in raw food — significantly more than adult dogs (2–3%) because they are growing rapidly. The exact percentage depends on age and breed size. Very young puppies (8–12 weeks) eat closer to 8–10%; as they approach adult size, the percentage decreases toward the adult 2–3%. Giant breed puppies should stay at 5–6% to avoid excessively rapid growth, which contributes to developmental orthopaedic disease.
Yes — puppies can begin raw food at weaning (typically 3–4 weeks of age) under the supervision of the breeder. At weaning, start with very finely minced or scraped muscle meat mixed with the dam's milk or puppy milk replacer. Solid pieces and raw bone are introduced later (6–8 weeks) as teeth develop and the puppy can chew. Most puppies adopted at 8 weeks can eat a full beginner raw diet under guidance.
Puppies under 3 months: 4 meals per day. 3–6 months: 3 meals per day. 6–12 months: 2–3 meals per day. 12+ months: 2 meals per day (adult schedule). More frequent feeding is necessary because puppies have small stomachs and fast metabolisms — they cannot hold enough food in 2 meals to sustain growth. Fixed mealtimes also make it easier to monitor appetite, which is an early indicator of illness.
Switch to adult percentages (2–3% BW) when your puppy reaches approximately 80% of their expected adult weight. For small breeds this is around 8–10 months; medium breeds 10–12 months; large breeds 12–18 months; giant breeds 18–24 months. Continuing high puppy percentages after this point will cause overfeeding and excessive weight gain.
Raw feeding is possible for puppies but carries higher risk than for healthy adults. Puppy immune systems are not fully mature, increasing susceptibility to bacterial infection from raw meat. The calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in the diet is critical for bone development — an imbalanced diet can cause bone deformities or metabolic bone disease. If you choose to raw feed a puppy, have the diet reviewed by a veterinary nutritionist and source from reputable raw food suppliers.
Chicken is the recommended starting protein: mild, lean, widely available. Begin with boneless chicken mince or scraped muscle meat. Introduce raw meaty bone (chicken necks or wings) at 8–12 weeks as teeth develop. Add a second protein (turkey, beef) after the first 2–4 weeks of successful adaptation. Avoid very fatty proteins (lamb, pork belly) and high-organ concentrations until the gut is established. Oily fish (sardines) 2–3 times weekly once the puppy is eating a variety of proteins.

About This Guide

Puppy feeding percentages are derived from growth-phase energy requirement data in NRC 2006. Giant breed DOD guidance references WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines and AAHA Puppy Nutritional Guidelines. Calcium requirements reference Hazewinkel & Tryfonidou (2002).

Raw feeding puppies carries higher risk than adults. A vet or DACVN review of your puppy's diet is strongly recommended.

Related

Dog Raw Food Calculator

Set to Puppy mode for age-appropriate amounts.

Raw Feeding Ratio Guide

The 80-10-10 rule and component breakdown.

Raw Food for Senior Dogs

What changes when your puppy grows old.