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Raw feeding is more than putting raw meat in a bowl.
A well-planned raw diet needs to provide the nutrients your dog requires over time, including appropriate protein, fat, minerals, vitamins and essential fatty acids.
That does not mean every individual meal needs to contain every nutrient in exactly the same proportion. What matters is that the overall feeding programme is appropriate for your dog and provides nutritional balance consistently.
This guide explains what a balanced raw diet means, the different components commonly used in raw feeding, and some of the mistakes to avoid.
A balanced diet provides the nutrients a dog needs in appropriate amounts.
Dogs require more than protein alone.
Depending on the feeding method, a balanced raw diet may include:
The exact proportions depend on your dog, the ingredients being used and whether you are feeding a commercially formulated raw food or creating meals yourself.
No.
Feeding only boneless raw meat over the long term does not provide everything a dog needs.
Meat is an excellent source of protein and many nutrients, but dogs also require minerals and vitamins that may not be present in appropriate quantities if the diet consists only of muscle meat.
Calcium is a particularly important example.
This is why a raw feeding programme needs to consider the whole diet rather than simply the amount of meat being fed.
Muscle meat generally makes up a significant part of many raw feeding programmes.
It provides:
Muscle meat can come from many different animal proteins, including beef, lamb, chicken, duck, venison, possum, rabbit, hare, kangaroo and fish.
Rotating suitable proteins can help provide variety and reduce reliance on a single food source.
Organ meats are nutrient-dense and can provide vitamins and minerals that are present in much smaller amounts in ordinary muscle meat.
Common organs used in raw feeding include:
Heart is technically a muscle meat from a nutritional perspective, despite being an organ anatomically.
Liver is particularly nutrient-rich, so more is not necessarily better. Organ meat should form an appropriate part of the overall diet rather than dominating it.
Calcium and phosphorus are both essential minerals.
Raw feeding programmes often provide calcium through suitable edible bone, although other appropriately formulated mineral sources may also be used.
The goal is not simply to add as much bone or calcium as possible.
The overall calcium and phosphorus balance matters, particularly for growing puppies.
Never add calcium supplements to a diet without understanding what is already being supplied by the food.
If you feed raw bones, choose bones appropriate for your dog's size and chewing style, supervise your dog and never feed cooked bones.
Browse our Raw Bones for Dogs range.
Green tripe can be a useful component of a varied raw diet.
It provides animal protein and naturally occurring nutrients and is highly palatable for many dogs.
However, tripe is still only one ingredient. It should not be assumed to make an otherwise incomplete diet balanced.
Read our Green Tripe for Dogs NZ guide for more information.
Protein variety can be useful.
Different animal proteins have different nutritional profiles, fat levels, textures and flavours.
Depending on your dog, you may rotate proteins such as:
You do not need to feed every protein available.
The aim is sensible variety within a feeding programme that suits your dog.
Dogs with suspected food sensitivities may require a more controlled approach rather than broad protein rotation.
Our Novel Proteins for Dogs NZ guide explains alternative protein options in more detail.
Fat is not simply an energy source.
Dogs also require essential fatty acids as part of a nutritionally appropriate diet.
The type and amount of fat in raw food can vary considerably between animal species and cuts of meat.
Fish and other suitable sources of omega-3 fatty acids may be included depending on the overall diet.
Dogs that need a lower-fat diet require particular care when choosing raw ingredients, as some raw foods can be naturally high in fat.
There are several different approaches to raw feeding.
Some feeding methods include vegetables, fruits and plant ingredients, while others rely predominantly on animal ingredients.
The important question is not whether a particular ingredient fits a raw feeding philosophy.
It is whether the complete diet supplies the nutrients your dog needs.
If vegetables are included, they should complement the overall feeding programme rather than replace essential animal protein or other required nutrients.
Not automatically.
Supplements should have a purpose.
Depending on the diet and the individual dog, supplements may be useful for filling a specific nutritional gap or supporting a particular requirement.
However, adding multiple supplements without understanding the existing diet can result in unnecessary or excessive nutrient intake.
A well-formulated commercial diet may already provide what is required.
If you are building a complete raw diet yourself, professional nutritional guidance can be useful, especially for puppies or dogs with medical conditions.
There are two broad approaches to raw feeding.
Commercial raw products can make feeding easier because ingredients are prepared, portioned and combined for you.
However, not every raw product is a complete diet.
Some products are designed as individual ingredients, meat-and-bone blends, organ mixes or complementary foods.
Always understand what the product is intended to provide.
DIY feeding gives you more control over ingredients and protein rotation.
It also places more responsibility on the owner to ensure the overall diet is appropriate.
Simply following a percentage formula does not automatically guarantee nutritional balance.
Read the product information carefully.
Look for whether the manufacturer describes the food as:
These terms matter.
A product containing excellent ingredients can still be designed to form only one part of a dog's overall diet.
If you are unsure, ask the manufacturer exactly how the product is intended to be fed.
Boneless meat alone does not provide a complete long-term diet.
Organ meat is nutritious, but excessive quantities are unnecessary and may unbalance the diet.
More bone does not mean a better diet.
Excessive bone can also contribute to very firm stools or constipation.
More supplements do not automatically produce better nutrition.
A dog's food requirements change with age, activity, weight and lifestyle.
Feeding calculations are starting points.
Your dog's body condition tells you whether the amount you are feeding is actually appropriate.
Rules such as 80:10:10 can provide a useful framework for some adult dogs, but a percentage formula alone does not guarantee that every vitamin, mineral and essential nutrient requirement is being met.
The commonly used 80:10:10 approach generally refers to approximately:
It is a popular raw feeding framework.
However, it should not automatically be interpreted as a complete nutritional formulation for every dog.
Dogs have individual nutritional requirements, and ingredient choice matters just as much as percentages.
The needs of a growing puppy are also different from those of a healthy adult dog.
Puppies require particular care because they are building bones, joints, muscles and other tissues.
Calcium, phosphorus, energy intake and overall nutrient balance are especially important during growth.
A puppy should not simply receive a smaller portion of an adult DIY raw diet without considering their growth requirements.
Read our Raw Feeding Puppies NZ guide for more detailed puppy feeding information.
Small dogs require the same attention to nutritional balance as larger dogs, but portion sizes can be much smaller.
Because they eat less food overall, even small extras can represent a significant percentage of their daily intake.
Our Raw Dog Food for Small Dogs NZ guide covers portioning, bones, meal frequency and weight management for smaller breeds.
Raw feeding may need to be modified for dogs with certain health conditions.
Speak with your veterinarian or a suitably qualified canine nutrition professional if your dog has:
A diet that suits one healthy dog may not be appropriate for another.
We offer a wide range of raw dog food, animal proteins, organs, bones, tripe and prepared meal options to make raw feeding easier.
Whether you prefer prepared meals or building your dog's diet from individual ingredients, the goal is the same: appropriate nutrition, sensible variety and a feeding programme that works for your dog.
Explore our Ready-Made Raw Meals
Read our Raw Dog Feeding Guide
Explore Novel Proteins for Dogs NZ
No. Raw meat alone does not provide every nutrient a dog needs over the long term.
Not necessarily. Nutritional balance can be achieved across an appropriately planned feeding programme, depending on the feeding method being used.
Organ meats can provide important nutrients and are commonly included in raw feeding programmes.
There is no universal amount suitable for every dog. Bone intake should form part of an appropriately balanced diet and depends on the feeding method and ingredients being used.
It is a useful raw feeding framework, but the ratio alone does not guarantee that all nutritional requirements are being met.
Not necessarily. Supplements should be used to address a specific requirement rather than added automatically.
Yes, but diets for growing puppies require particular attention to energy, calcium, phosphorus and overall nutritional adequacy.
Raw feeding does not need to become an exercise in measuring dozens of nutrients every time you prepare your dog's bowl.
What matters is understanding what different ingredients contribute and ensuring the overall diet provides what your dog needs.
Focus on quality ingredients, appropriate variety, sensible portions and your dog's body condition.
And if you are unsure whether a homemade feeding programme is nutritionally appropriate, getting professional advice is a much better option than guessing.
Read our Raw Dog Feeding Guide