Article — Raw Dog Food (BARF) Calculator
Raw dog food calculator: how much BARF to feed
A raw dog food portion is 2–3% of body weight per day for adults, 3–4% for puppies, and 2–2.5% for seniors. A 50-lb adult dog needs 1–1.5 lb of raw food daily, split into two meals. The classic BARF split is 75% muscle meat, 10% raw meaty bone, 5% liver, 5% other organ, and 5% vegetables.
The number above is the answer most owners come looking for. The longer answer involves picking a life stage, dialing in for activity, and watching the dog's ribs over the first two weeks. Below is everything you need to do that without guessing.
What is raw dog food (BARF)?
BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, a phrase coined by Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst in 1993. The idea is to feed dogs the kind of whole-prey diet they would eat in a hunting context: muscle meat, bone, organs, and a small amount of plant matter. Modern BARF guidelines from the Raw Feeding Veterinary Society and AAHA agree that, when balanced for calcium-to-phosphorus and key vitamins, raw diets can meet AAFCO maintenance standards.
BARF differs from "prey model raw" (PMR) in one detail: PMR drops the vegetables and uses an 80/10/10 ratio. Both work. This calculator follows the BARF model with 5% veg because it tends to be easier on dogs new to raw and adds fiber for stool quality.
The 70 × BW^0.75 formula behind resting energy requirement comes from Kleiber's foundational metabolic-scaling work in the 1930s. It works for everything from a Chihuahua to a Great Dane within ±15%.
The raw dog food percent rule
The percent-of-body-weight rule is the fastest way to find a starting portion. Take ideal adult weight (not current weight if the dog is overweight) and multiply by the percent for the life stage. A 30-kg adult dog at 2.5% gets 750 g of raw food per day. Split it across two meals, weigh both, and feed.
The rule is a starting point, not a destination. After two weeks of feeding the same amount, check the ribs. If you can feel them with light pressure and see a tucked waist from above, the portion is correct. If the ribs are buried, drop 10%. If they're sharp and visible, add 10%. Repeat every two weeks until weight stabilizes.
Puppy 4–12 mo 3–4%Adult 1–7 y 2–3%Senior 7+ y 2–2.5%Working / sled 3–5%BARF ratios: meat, bone, organ, veg
The total weight is split into five buckets. Muscle meat is 75% and supplies protein and most B-vitamins. Raw meaty bone (chicken necks, duck feet, lamb ribs) is 10% and supplies calcium and phosphorus in the right ratio. Liver is exactly 5% — more risks vitamin A toxicity. Other organ (kidney, spleen, pancreas, heart) is another 5%. Vegetables and a small amount of fruit make up the last 5% for fiber and antioxidants.
Variety matters more than perfection on any single day. Rotate three protein sources weekly — for example beef, chicken, and lamb — so the amino acid profile averages out. Liver from cow versus chicken supplies the same vitamin A but slightly different trace minerals.
Raw dog food by life stage
Puppies grow fast and need more food per pound of body weight, more calcium for bones, and more frequent meals to stabilize glucose. Aim for 3–4% of current weight, recalculated weekly, split into 3–4 meals until 6 months and 2 meals after.
Adults are the simple case: 2–3% of ideal weight, two meals, daily. Working dogs (sled teams, herders, hunting dogs) can climb to 3–5% during peak season and drop back to 2% during the off-season.
Seniors slow down. A 10-year-old Labrador needs about 80% of the food a 5-year-old of the same weight needs. Drop to 2–2.5%, watch for arthritis-driven weight gain, and consider a fish-oil supplement for joint support.
- 10 lb dog (4.5 kg) at 2.5% = 113 g / 0.25 lb per day
- 25 lb (11.3 kg) at 2.5% = 284 g / 0.63 lb
- 50 lb (22.7 kg) at 2.5% = 567 g / 1.25 lb
- 75 lb (34 kg) at 2.5% = 850 g / 1.88 lb
- 100 lb (45.4 kg) at 2.5% = 1,134 g / 2.5 lb
- Puppy 20 lb at 3.5% = 318 g / 0.7 lb
Switching to a raw dog food diet
A 14-day ramp works for most dogs. Days 1–3: 25% raw, 75% old food. Days 4–7: 50/50. Days 8–10: 75/25. Days 11–14: 100% raw. Stop and hold a level for an extra week if stools turn loose. Some dogs handle a same-day switch fine, but the gradual approach reduces the chance of vomiting and diarrhea.
Cooked bones splinter into sharp shards that can perforate the intestine. Raw bones bend and crush. If you cook the meat, remove all bone first.
Common raw dog food mistakes
The biggest mistake is feeding too much liver. Five percent is a hard cap because liver is densely packed with vitamin A — chronic excess causes bone deformities. The second mistake is forgetting bone. A boneless diet leaves dogs calcium-deficient within months. If you can't source raw meaty bones, add a calcium supplement: 900 mg calcium per 1 lb of boneless meat.
Third mistake: feeding current weight when the dog is overweight. Always use ideal weight for the percent rule, then watch the ribs.
Freeze raw food in single-meal portions. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours, never at room temperature. Feed within 48 hours of thawing.
Raw dog food safety
Salmonella and E. coli are present at low levels on many raw cuts. Healthy dogs handle them well — stomach pH below 2 kills most bacteria — but immunocompromised dogs and households with very young children or elderly members face real risk. Wash hands, bowls, and counters with hot soapy water after every meal. The FDA has documented raw pet food recalls and warns against feeding raw to dogs with chronic illness.
If you can't source quality raw locally, commercial frozen BARF blends (Stella & Chewy's, Primal, Steve's Real Food) are AAFCO-balanced and HPP-treated for pathogen reduction. They cost 3–4× more than DIY but eliminate the sourcing problem.