The raw feeding
guide.
Most "raw feeding" content online is written by people selling supplements, not by people who feed working dogs. This is the breeder's version. It's the same protocol we run in our own kennel — no fluff, no upsell, just the math and the protocol that actually works.
What raw actually means.
Raw feeding is a protein-first diet built around uncooked muscle meat, organ, and bone — in a ratio that mirrors what dogs evolved to eat. The shorthand is 80/10/10: 80% muscle meat, 10% organ (half of that liver), 10% raw meaty bone. Some variants run 70/15/15 or include green tripe as a fourth slot.
What it isn't: not BBQ leftovers, not cooked chicken with rice, not "human food" mixed with kibble. Cooked bone is dangerous. Mixed diets confuse the gut microbiome. The point of raw is biological consistency — give the dog the inputs the digestive system was designed for.
It's also not new. It's what dogs ate for the entire history of the species before kibble was invented in the 1950s. Kibble is convenient. Raw is what the body is built for.
The 80/10/10 framework.
The ratio matters because each component does specific work:
80% muscle meat
Provides amino acids, B vitamins, iron, and the bulk of caloric energy. Beef, lamb, turkey, chicken, pork, fish, venison — any unprocessed muscle protein qualifies. Variation across the week is good; protein rotation builds metabolic flexibility.
10% organ (half liver)
Liver is non-negotiable: it provides vitamin A, copper, B12, folate, and the trace minerals dogs can't synthesize themselves. The other 5% is "secreting organ" — kidney, spleen, brain, pancreas, thymus. Heart, gizzard, and tongue are technically muscle meat, not organ.
10% raw meaty bone
Calcium and phosphorus, plus dental abrasion. Soft, edible bones from young animals: chicken backs, turkey necks, duck frames. Never weight-bearing bones from adult ruminants — those splinter. Never cooked bones, ever.
The Revival Raw BLT Blend hits 80/10/10 with beef, liver, and green tripe — green tripe replaces the bone slot for digestibility and adds gut-supportive enzymes.
How much to feed.
Feed 2–3% of ideal body weight per day for healthy adult dogs, split into 1–2 meals. Adjust by body condition, not by what other people's dogs eat.
Quick reference table:
- 30 lb dog: 12 oz/day · 6 oz per meal
- 50 lb dog: 20 oz/day · 10 oz per meal
- 60 lb working dog: 24 oz/day (1.5 lb)
- 80 lb dog: 32 oz/day (2 lb)
- 100 lb Cane Corso: 40 oz/day (2.5 lb)
Adjust up for working dogs (3–4%), intact males, growing puppies, underweight dogs, or dogs visibly losing condition. Adjust down for seniors, neutered females, or dogs putting on fat.
Puppy math is different: 5–8% of current weight, split into 3–4 meals/day until 4 months, then 2–3 meals until 12 months.
Three transition protocols.
Don't dump kibble and feed raw the same day without a plan. Here's how to do it right depending on your dog.
Protocol A — Cold turkey
For healthy adults (1–7 years) with no GI issues. Skip the next meal, offer raw at the meal after. Most dogs handle this without symptoms.
Protocol B — Seven-day gradual
For sensitive stomachs or low-quality kibble backgrounds. Days 1–2: 25% raw / 75% kibble. Days 3–4: 50/50. Days 5–6: 75/25. Day 7+: 100% raw. Important: kibble and raw don't digest at the same rate, so the mixing window is a bridge, not a destination.
Protocol C — Fourteen-day slow roll
For dogs on prescription kibble (Hill's i/d, Royal Canin GI), recovering from illness, or with documented IBD. Same ratios as Protocol B but each step is two days instead of one.
What to expect in 14 days.
Days 1–3: smaller poops (raw has no fillers), possibly mild loose stool, sometimes hesitant first meal. Don't replace with kibble — pick the bowl up after 15 minutes, refrigerate, offer at next mealtime.
Days 4–7: hunger reset, energy shift, firm dry stool. White chalky poop = too much bone; loose poop = too much organ. Adjust ratios if multi-protein blend.
Days 8–14: coat changes (less dander, oilier feel, more pigment), better breath (no kibble bacterial biofilm), drinking less water (raw is ~70% moisture).
The six common mistakes.
- Mixing raw and kibble long-term. Kibble's slow digestion holds raw in the stomach too long. Use the bridge protocol or feed at separate meals 6+ hours apart.
- Feeding cold from the fridge. Sensitive dogs refuse it or vomit it. Sit raw 10–15 min at room temp before serving.
- Skipping organ meat. Liver is non-negotiable. Muscle-meat-only blends require organ supplementation.
- Adding "boosters" the first month. Bone broth, kefir, fish oil — all great, but introduce one change at a time.
- Free-feeding raw. Calorie-dense; free-fed kibble dogs get fat fast on raw. Scheduled meals only.
- Quitting at the first soft stool. Days 1–3 GI changes are normal. Hold the line; going back to kibble resets the clock.
When to call a vet.
The transition itself isn't dangerous, but call a vet if any of these happen: vomiting more than twice in 24 hours, diarrhea past 72 hours, blood in stool (more than a streak), refusing food beyond 36 hours, lethargy not improving after a meal, or visible abdominal discomfort.
Most dogs experience none of these. But you know your dog. If something feels off, call.