Raw & Well

A raw diet is balanced when it supplies every essential nutrient at or above the NRC 2006 recommended allowance, and below the safe upper limit where one exists, measured per 1,000 kcal your dog eats. A ratio such as 80/10/10 describes the bowl. It does not measure what is in it.

This 12-slide guide from Raw & Well, reviewed by Dr. Sarah Missaoui, DVM, covers:

• What NRC 2006 is, and how its targets work: per 1,000 kcal, a recommended allowance and a safe upper limit, and separate figures for each life stage.
• The adult targets: 1.0 g calcium and 0.75 g phosphorus per 1,000 kcal, and a calcium-to-phosphorus range of 1:1 to 2:1 (FEDIAF 2024).
• Calcium by chicken cut: back and wing are both 44% bone, yet back carries about 45% more calcium (estimated values).
• The common mistake of adding eggshell powder or bone meal to meals that already contain bone.
• When to stop calculating and call your vet: growing puppies, kidney or parathyroid disease, or a dog that is unwell.

Sources: NRC 2006 (Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats), FEDIAF 2024, USDA FoodData Central, Stockman et al. (JAVMA 2013), Dillitzer, Becker & Kienzle (Br J Nutr 2011).

Educational information only, not veterinary advice.