Question 1

How much raw food should I feed my dog per day?

Accepted Answer

Most adult dogs eat between 2% and 3% of their ideal body weight in raw food per day. Active dogs and puppies need more (sometimes 3–5%); sedentary or weight-loss dogs need less. This calculator shows the grams per category at any % from 1.5 to 4 — plus a calorie-based estimate using the NRC 2006 RER formula for cross-reference.

Question 2

What is the 80/10/10 ratio for raw dog food?

Accepted Answer

The 80/10/10 ratio (also called PMR or Prey Model Raw) is 80% muscle meat, 10% raw meaty bone, 5% liver, and 5% other secreting organ. It mirrors the composition of whole prey a wild canid would eat. No plant matter is included. This calculator outputs grams per category for an 80/10/10 plan at your dog's calorie target.

Question 3

What is the difference between PMR and BARF?

Accepted Answer

PMR (Prey Model Raw, 80/10/10) excludes plant matter — it mirrors whole prey. BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) includes ~10% vegetables, fruit, and seeds alongside the meat, bone, and organ. Both are common raw-feeding philosophies; this calculator supports either, plus NRC-formulated and fully custom ratios.

Question 4

How do I calculate my dog's daily calorie needs?

Accepted Answer

Daily calorie needs come from the NRC 2006 RER formula: RER = 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75. Multiply by an activity multiplier — 1.2 for sedentary, 1.6 for a typical adult, up to 5.0+ for working dogs. Always calculate against ideal body weight, not current weight, so the target is correct if your dog is over- or under-conditioned. This calculator does the math for you in Step 2.

Question 5

What is a Body Condition Score (BCS)?

Accepted Answer

Body Condition Score is the vet-standard 1–9 scale describing how lean or heavy a dog is. Score 5 is ideal: ribs palpable without excess fat, waist visible from above, abdomen tucked from the side. Each point above 5 represents roughly 10% over ideal weight; each point below represents 10% under. Step 1 of this calculator uses BCS to estimate ideal weight from current weight.

Question 6

Does a raw diet meet all my dog's nutrient needs?

Accepted Answer

Raw feeding ratios (PMR, BARF) are starting points — they get macronutrients right but home-prepared raw diets commonly fall short on micronutrients like zinc, manganese, iodine, vitamin D, and the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Whether your specific recipe meets all 41 NRC 2006 nutrient targets requires checking it against real ingredient data, which RawPawIQ's paid product does.

Free Raw Feeding Calculator

Body condition → ideal weight

Daily calorie target

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