[pacer1978]

Hello All,

I haven’t been on in a while, but I recently switched one of my dogs to a 100% raw diet (over time of course). However, I’m just not sure how much I should be feeding. I started it 3 weeks ago, supplementing with Dinovite, because of severe paw licking (to the point she has bad sores). We are guessing she is over 10-13 years old since we took her in about 4 years ago. She is a little “porky” to begin with, but I’m wondering if she just has a wide chest. I’m not really sure if she is overweight or just “girthy” for her size. I’ve noticed her waist tapering a little, but I want to ensure that I’m also not underfeeding her. She was last weighted in about 40 lbs. when I took her to the vet and I’ve been told by vets she was a little overweight. She is considered a medium size dog. The best guess I can give is either part Corgi and terrier. I don’t see any place to submit a photo otherwise I would do so. I’m not really sure how much she should weigh, but I’m thinking if I’ve been told she was overweight, then she can afford to lose 5-10 lbs. If that is the case, how much raw should I be feeding for a 30-40 lb medium dog per day (preferably in oz)? Anyway, I feed my dogs twice a day so they are eating smaller meals (my other two are Weimaraners and they suggest this for bloat). Thank you!

[theBCnut]

Between 10 and 12 oz. to start with. Adjust as needed.

“A little overweight” is usually a vet trying to not hurt an owner’s feelings. After all 10 extra lbs for a dog that should only weigh 30 lbs is not a little, it’s 1/3 of a new dog. Good luck on your dog’s diet. She will feel so much better when she gets the extra weight off.

[pugmomsandy]

You can share photos from photobucket here in the forum. I’d also recommend looking up “body condition score” and find what where your dog is at on that scale. This feeding guideline is from primalpetfoods dot com:

Feeding Percentages
1.5% Weight Loss
2.0% Non-Active
2.5% Maintain Weight **
3.0% Slight Weight Gain
3.5% Significant Weight Gain
4.0% Kittens/Puppies (8 weeks-1 year)
4.5-8.0% Kittens/Puppies (4-8 weeks)
4.0-8.0% Pregnant/Lactating

[Melissaandcrew]

I’d a vet told me a little overweight I would ask for a baseline amount.

[Dori]

A better way to know if your dog needs to lose or gain weight is by feel. You don’t need a scale for this. Feel your dogs body especially her rib cage both sides. Can you easily feel her ribs or do you really have to push in on her flesh to feel them. You should be easily able to feel her ribs but not to the point where you can actually feel too easily the space in between each rib. Also while she is standing still look straight down on her. You should be able to see a waist line. If you you don’t, then just keep adjusting her weight downward until you can. Same with the ribs. Also don’t forget that in feeding raw you feed much less than you would if you were feeding a dry or canned food. By regularly feeling her body you can then always adjust her meals by a little more or a little less once she gets to what feels right.

Also, as BC said. 5 – 10 lbs. overweight on a dog is a huge deal. Once she looses the weight you’ll be surprised as to how more active she’ll be. It’s best for all her internal organs and musculoskeletal system to be a little on the slim side. Much healthier all around.

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