How Often To Feed Dogs a Raw Food Diet

Can I Feed My Dog a Raw Food Diet Once Daily?

“Can I feed a raw food diet just once a day? Thanks!” – Dr. Adrian

In most cases, dogs can be fed once per day. There are exceptions, though, so I do say “in most cases” because some dogs need to be fed more than once. The exceptions would be puppies, tiny dogs who can become hypoglycemic if fasted, giant dogs who are built so they’re prone to gastric-dilatation and need to be fed smaller meals, and dogs with a medical condition like diabetes, which requires more frequent feeding.

A medium-sized adult dog in good condition can be fed once daily.

In fact, research shows that dogs fed only once daily have fewer GI diseases, orthopedic problems, and problems with their internal organs like the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. (1) The dogs in this study may have been fed kibble, however. Unfortunately, there is still no research on feeding a whole raw food diet once a day.

If you decide to feed your dog only once a day, he should have enough food at that time so he is not hungry the rest of the day. This is very easy to do with a meat-based diet and very hard to do if your dog is eating mostly carbohydrates (such as that needed for the production of processed dry dog food). The food components that are used in making up dry dog foods are not very satiating, and dogs need to eat a lot more to feel full. This one of the big causes of the obesity epidemic in dogs in most Western countries. Fifty-nine percent of all dogs are now considered overweight or obese. (2)

How Much Should I Feed My Dog?

Almost all dogs fed a whole food diet with adequate fats feel full and stop eating when they have eaten enough fat to meet their caloric requirements. If you feed too much, they might take the excess and bury it somewhere in the yard, so the best thing you can do is limit the amount presented to them.

Start out by offering about 2 percent of their body weight in the whole diet once a day. If they are still hungry, you can offer a little more, but you need to keep an eye on their initial weight and then compare it to how they are doing. After about a month, you should be able to feel their ribs but not see them, and your dog should have an obvious waist. If you cannot feel their ribs and they have a big abdomen, feed less, but they are too thin feed a little more.

Do not follow the feeding recommendations made on dry dog food bags. Those companies are trying to sell their product and are going to recommend you overfeed so more dog food will be sold.

Veterinary clinics often sell processed dog foods, and large veterinary organizations do not support feeding a dog whole foods, even though almost everyone understands that whole foods are healthier than dry processed dog foods. There are 12 main reasons why a whole food raw meat diet is healthy for dogs.

Sources

1. Bray EE, Zheng Z, Tolbert MK, McCoy BM; Dog Aging Project Consortium; Kaeberlein M, Kerr KF. Once-daily feeding is associated with better health in companion dogs: results from the Dog Aging Project. Geroscience. 2022 Jun;44(3):1779-1790. doi: 10.1007/s11357-022-00575-7. Epub 2022 Apr 28. PMID: 35484470; PMCID: PMC9213604. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9213604/
2. German AJ, Woods GRT, Holden SL, Brennan L, Burke C. Dangerous trends in pet obesity. Vet Rec. 2018 Jan 6;182(1):25. doi: 10.1136/vr.k2. PMID: 29305476; PMCID: PMC5806590. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5806590/

This article is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from your veterinarian. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

© 2024 Mark dos Anjos, DVM