A Practical Guide to Raw Feeding Your Dog (Without Losing Your Mind)
Disclaimer: I am not a vet or a canine nutrition expert. This is simply what I’ve learned through personal research, experience, and feeding my own dogs. Raw feeding is a debated topic, and many veterinarians do not recommend it. I have my own opinions on the bias they have and how that colors their recommendations.
At the end of the day, what you feed your dog is a personal and highly individual decision. In my experience, when done thoughtfully and responsibly raw feeding can work very well. My dogs have thrived on it, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for every dog or every owner, especially if your dog has particular medical needs. Do your own research, ask questions, and make the decision that’s right for you. And if that decision ends up being kibble, that is perfectly fine too!
If you’ve spent any time on dog social media, you’ve probably seen those bowls. You know the ones, with perfectly arranged quail eggs, duck heads, blueberries, goat kefir, spirulina, and a kangaroo paw just for good measure along with two exotic meat grinds from animals you didn’t know were legal to eat.
It certainly makes for an impressive picture. And it also makes a lot of people think, “Well, if that’s what raw feeding is, then there’s no way I can do it.”
But raw feeding does not look like that for most people. You don’t need to get a second job just to afford dozens of different proteins and supplements. Raw feeding can be simple, consistent, and a lot less stressful than the internet makes it seem.
What Is Raw Feeding?
At its core, raw feeding just means feeding your dog a diet based on uncooked animal products (primarily meat, bones, and organs) instead of kibble.
There are two main frameworks people talk about, and understanding them helps take a lot of the mystery out of things.
The first is Prey Model Raw, which is the simpler of the two, tries to mimic a whole animal. That typically looks like about 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, and 10% secreting organ (with half of that being liver).
The second is BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food), which includes many of the same ratios as Prey Model, but has 70% muscle meat, and 10% non-meat add-ins like fruits, vegetables, among other things. The idea is to build a nutritionally complete diet using a wider range of ingredients.
What We Actually Do
In practice, we land somewhere in the middle. If I were pressed, I might call it “Lazy BARF”, or “Prey Model with Bonuses”.
We use prey model as the base, because it’s simple and easy to stay consistent with. Then we layer in BARF-style extras when it makes sense. This includes dog-safe fruits, vegetables, eggs, yogurt or whatever we happen to have around.
That means most meals are built on a reliable foundation, and then sometimes dressed up depending on what’s in the fridge. Some days it’s a pretty bowl. Some days we throw chicken quarters and some organ grind in the bowl and we move on with our night. The dogs are thrilled either way.
Once you get past the initial learning curve raw feeding is pretty straightforward. The percentages can look intimidating at first, but after you work it out once it becomes easy to eyeball.
A general guideline is feeding based on a percentage of your dog’s ideal body weight:
Adult dogs: ~2–3%
Puppies: up to ~10%
For our adult male (about 120 lbs), that works out to roughly 3 pounds of food per day.
Our Base Meal
Our base protein is chicken quarters. They’re affordable, easy to find, and their meat-to-bone ratio is about 75:25, which is a bit higher in bone than the prey model calls for, but we’ll usually add in a grind or boneless meat of some kind to get the the correct ratio.
For feeding once a day, a typical base meal for Crockett looks like:
2 chicken quarters
A heaping tablespoon of organ grind
Leftover ground beef from our dinner
A couple scoops of Native Pet Daily Supplement
A splash of goat milk with Pet Nutri-drops (to cover some essential vitamins and minerals that might be sporadic otherwise)
On alternating days:
1 Egg, shell and all
1 tin of sardines in water split among the dogs, or a couple pumps of fish oil meal topper
This is not perfectly measured down to the gram each day. Some quarters are bigger, some are smaller, and I’m not going to be trimming off slivers of meat to get it exactly right each day. A heaping tablespoon” and a “splash” of milk is about as scientific as it sounds. But over time, it balances out and that’s what matters.
Easy Add-Ins (When We Have Them)
From there, we add variety where it’s convenient, not because we feel like we have to.
This can look liked adding whatever you happen to have around, so long as it is dog-safe
Whatever protein is on sale at the store
Frozen veggies from the back of the freezer
Leftover scraps from dinner (unseasoned)
A handful of berries or greens that need to be used
A spoonful of yogurt or pumpkin
And then there’s the slightly more controversial one:
Sharing small amounts of dog-safe human snacks. Things like nuts, chips, popcorn, or whatever we didn’t finish on our dinner plates that’s not worth putting away (in moderation)
We might lose some people with that last one, so we’ll explain.
Feeding small amounts of what you’re already eating can be an easy way to add variety and expose your dog to a broader range of nutrients over time. It’s not about turning them into a living garbage disposal, but being a little less rigid when the food is appropriate.
Not everyone agrees with this approach, and that’s fine, but we believe that sharing food in a controlled way (not while you eat, away from the kitchen or dining area) can actually strengthen your bond with your dog. And if you want to be a little tongue-in-cheek about it, this is basically how we got here in the first place. Some ancient human tossed their scraps to a wolf, and so the wolves decided to stick around. And with LGDs, the caveman dynamic isn’t so far off from what shepherds were doing with their dogs anyways.
So sometimes the bowl is a little more built out with bells and whistles. Sometimes it’s just the basics. Both are fine.
The goal isn’t to make every single meal perfectly curated, it’s to create variety over time. As long as you’re mixing things up regularly, you can be reasonably confident your dog is getting the range of nutrients they need.
Sourcing Without Overcomplicating It
We don’t go out of our way to chase exotic ingredients. We just build things into what we’re already doing:
If chicken feet show up at the grocery store we grab a few and dole them out over the course of a few weeks.
If we’re at an Asian market we pick up harder-to-find cuts/organs
If we’re ordering organ grind we add extras to hit free shipping
If we ordered a half or full cow and have a lot of bones around, we’ll make and can large batches of bone broth to add to meals
That’s it. Yes, having extra freezer space makes this a lot easier, but it’s not a scavenger hunt every week to hunt down ten different protein. Just work it into your normal life, and with some planning and thought your dog will do just fine.
Sourcing Ingredients
Grocery stores - Wal-Mart carries 10lb bags of chicken quarters for rock bottom prices. We use this as the bulk of our meal. You can get whatever cuts happen to be on special for variety. You can also consistently find beef and chicken liver to build out your organ percentages. Depending on your area and time of year, you can also find things like chicken feet, pig trotters and turkey necks to name a few.
Local butchers and processors - Some of them sell trimmings, bones and organs up front and some are even wise to the whole “weird people are buying raw meat for their dogs” thing and sell them to customers explicitly for that purpose. Others, especially if they process on sight, you may need to call in advance so they can put it aside for you.
Ethnic markets - Often the best place for variety, especially with organs. Asian grocers will usually have cuts and organs of pork and duck in abundance. Carnicerias will usually have less common cuts of beef as well as offal and tripe.
Local connections - Ideal if you have access. Hit up your local Facebook group and ask for any freezer burned meat people want to give away. If you live rurally you can often catch hunters clearing their freezers before the season hits, or local farms that do their own processing for their scraps.
Online raw suppliers - Good for bulk or specialty items, but shipping cost can be prohibitive. We like to stock up a couple times a year from some suppliers.
Raw Feeding Miami - We like their Monster Mash Organ Grind for convenience. They offer free shipping with $150+ orders, which is easy to hit if you’re ordering in bulk.
My Pet Carnivore - Great Variety. Shipping cost is hard to swallow if you live far from them, but they do offer some Free Shipping Bundles, which we utilize for Green Tripe.
It can be helpful to find raw suppliers that are somewhat local to you, as it can lessen the shipping cost significantly. There are smaller outfits all over the country, you will just need to find the one closest to you.
Raw Feeding Co-Ops - A lot of areas will have Facebook groups dedicated to making group bulk buys of meat for raw feeding to get better pricing. Some even have special deals with producers and stores for group discounts. These can be hit-or-miss depending on your area, but they’re worth looking into.
DIY vs. Pre-Made
If you want the most cost-effective way to raw feed, doing it yourself is usually the way to go. However, this does take effort. You’re sourcing, portioning, storing, and thinking about balance. That kind of mental load can be a lot for busy people with a lot on their plate.
That’s where pre-made raw can be a good option. Brands like Primal Pet Foods, Steve's Real Food, Northwest Naturals, and Answers Pet Food offer complete meals that take all the guesswork out and offer the same sort of dump and forget convenience of kibble . Brands like Viva Pets even offer subscriptions to make it even more convenient. And with how mainstream raw feeding has become many people are able to find these brands in-person at pet stores and even some grocery stores. They are more expensive, no question, but if you’ve got more money than time or mental bandwith, the convenience and peace of mind are worth it.
And don’t feel pressured to commit wholly to one or the other. You can DIY when you have time, and opt for pre-made when life gets busy. That’s a perfectly reasonable approach.
Food Safety & Handling
This is one of the biggest concerns you’ll hear from vets, and to give credit, it’s a fair one. Raw meat can carry bacteria, and improper handling can create risks for both dogs and humans.
That said, in practice, this really just comes down to basic food safety. Just use the same standards you’d use when handling meat for yourself.
We’re not doing anything over the top here, just:
Keeping food properly frozen or refrigerated
Thawing meat safely (not leaving it out all day)
Washing hands after handling
Keeping prep areas and bowls clean
Not letting food sit out for extended periods
In other words, treat your dog’s food the same way you’d treat raw chicken you’re about to cook for dinner. Dogs are generally much more tolerant of bacteria than we are, but that doesn’t mean you should be careless. A clean routine goes a long way in minimizing risk.
Final Thoughts
The biggest lesson is raw feeding only works if it works for you.
If it’s complicated, expensive, or stressful, you’re not going to stick with it or you’re going to cut corners and possibly compromise your dog’s health. A simple, repeatable system beats a perfect one you abandon in two weeks.
Your dog does not care if their meal is Instagram-worthy. They care that they’re fed, that it tastes good, and that it supports their health. Whether that is with raw or with kibble, most dogs will happily eat either.
So if raw is something you want to explore start simple. Keep it manageable. Add variety where it makes sense. And if your dog occasionally gets a bowl that looks like it came from a Michelen starred restaurant? Great!
If it looks like “meat in a bowl”? Also great!
They’re going to eat it like it’s the best thing they’ve ever had either way.