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I have switched my 2 Golden Retrievers to a raw diet. I am rotating between protein sources and brands of frozen raw. I use Primal, Stella and Chewy’s, and Stewarts. I have used the calculators on the web sites as a guide for the amount of food to feed. However, I am not getting it right because both dogs have gained weight. Do calories count? I notice there can be a big difference in the calories per ounce between brand and proteins. Both dogs are within the normal range of activity. They are both currently getting a little less than a pound of food a day (about 14 ounces). So, I guess the question is, do I watch calories or amount?
Calories definitely do count. You are correct that there can be a big difference between different proteins and the different brands. I would check the calorie counts on everything you feed and feed the amount by a calorie basis. Ex: 1 large patty of S&C Duck Duck Goose has 285 cal while the Surf & Turf has 470 cal. Your dogs could be getting way more calories than they need which could explain the weight gain. I would try to determine how many calories you need to feed them per day to maintain the right weight and feed that. You’ll end up feeding more of one food and less of another.
Over on the review side there is a dog food calculator. Keep in mind that it is only a guestimate and not a hard fast number.
To give you an idea, I feed my 150lb almost 8 year old male Great Dane about 1700 calories/day and my mom’s 6 year old, 75lb male pit bull about 900 calories/day. Both dogs are very inactive. They lay around the house most of the day and go on a couple short walks. My sister has a 55lb very active, senior, female boxer mix that needs 1000-1100 calories/day. The more active the dog the more calories they’ll need.
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