Raw feeding your puppy: a practical guide
When puppies can start raw, how much to feed, how often, and how to get the nutrition right while they grow. We stock the full Paleo Ridge range, including their complete puppy recipes, alongside puppy food from all our other suppliers, and we deliver locally.
Can puppies eat raw food? Yes. Puppies can eat raw from weaning, as long as the food is complete and balanced for growth. Puppies need different nutrient levels from adult dogs, so look for a food made for puppies rather than assuming any adult recipe will do.
If your puppy has a health condition, or you are worried about their growth, speak to your vet before changing their diet.
Getting a new puppy? Register with a local vet before you bring them home. Our directory of vets near Horley lists practices, opening hours and emergency options.
When can a puppy start on raw?
Most puppies begin trying solid food at around three to four weeks old, alongside their mother’s milk, and are fully weaned by about eight weeks. Where you start depends on your puppy’s age and what they are eating now.
Weaning (3 to 4 weeks)
Start with something soft and finely minced that is easy to lap up. Paleo Ridge’s Puppy Weaning Paste is made for this stage. Increase the amount of solid food gradually until the litter is eating independently.
Around 8 weeks
Most puppies are now ready for a complete raw puppy food as their main diet, split into several small meals through the day. Use the pack’s feeding guide as your starting point.
Already raw fed by the breeder
Ask which recipes, amounts and meal times they are used to, and keep that routine going while they settle in. Then bring in new recipes gradually, keeping an eye on appetite, stools and weight.
Coming from dry or wet food
Don’t change everything the day they arrive. Let them settle first, then move across to a complete raw puppy food gradually. See our switch to raw guide for the steps.
What should a raw fed puppy eat?
A complete and balanced raw diet made for growth. Puppies need the right amounts and proportions of energy, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals while their bones, muscles and organs develop. For most owners a complete raw puppy food is the simplest and safest foundation.
Complete puppy meals
Designed to provide everything a puppy needs each day. Check the label says complete and suitable for puppies or growth. Not every complete adult recipe meets a growing puppy’s needs.
Complementary foods
These do not provide every nutrient on their own, so they need to be fed alongside something that completes the diet. For new raw feeders, complete meals are the easier route.
Bones, treats and extras
Good for chewing, training and enrichment, but keep them a small part of the diet. Too many extras crowd out the complete food and upset the balance.
Homemade raw diets
Making puppy food from scratch needs proper formulation, particularly for calcium and phosphorus. A simple meat, bone and offal ratio is not enough for a growing puppy. Do your research thoroughly before going down this route.
How much should I feed?
As a starting point, Paleo Ridge’s guidance is around 5 to 6% of your puppy’s current body weight per day, split across several meals. The right amount varies with age, breed, expected adult size, activity level, growth rate and the food itself, so always follow the feeding guide on the pack you are using.
Weigh your puppy regularly and check their body condition rather than relying on the percentage alone. Growth spurts may need a little more food, and overfeeding over time leads to excess weight gain, especially in large and giant breeds. Adjust portions gradually as they grow.
Example: a 10kg puppy at 5 to 6% would start at roughly 500 to 600g a day, divided between their meals.
How often should I feed?
Puppies have small stomachs and big nutritional needs, so feed several small meals rather than one or two large ones. Divide the daily allowance evenly between meals, and cut the number of meals gradually as they grow.
These are general guidelines. Breed, size, health and development all make a difference, so introduce changes slowly and keep watching appetite, weight and body condition. Avoid hard exercise straight before or after meals.
Switching your puppy to raw
If your puppy is already raw fed, stick with the food and routine they know and add new recipes gradually. If they are on dry or wet food, choose a complete raw puppy food, work out the daily amount first, then change over. Some puppies take a direct switch in their stride, others do better with a gradual change over several days. Avoid changing several things at once.
Softer or looser stools during a diet change are common. Contact your vet if your puppy has vomiting or diarrhoea that doesn’t settle, refuses food, seems lethargic or is otherwise unwell.
Calcium, phosphorus and healthy growth
Calcium and phosphorus build healthy bones and teeth, but more is not better. Puppies need them in the right amounts and the right balance, alongside suitable levels of energy, protein, fat and vitamins.
Too many calories, or extra calcium, can push a puppy to grow too fast and strain a developing skeleton. This matters most for large and giant breeds, which should grow steadily and stay lean. A complete raw puppy food made for growth should already have the mineral balance right when fed as directed, so avoid adding calcium powder, bone meal or other supplements unless your vet or a qualified canine nutritionist advises it.
Safe handling and storage
Keep raw food frozen until you need it and defrost it in a covered container in the fridge. Follow the storage and use-by instructions on the pack, wash your hands after handling, clean bowls and surfaces, and keep raw pet food away from food for people. Throw away anything left out too long.
Paleo Ridge puppy food at Dogs Life Raw Food
We stock the full Paleo Ridge range, including their complete puppy recipes in 500g trays (lamb, beef tripe and duck, turkey and chicken) and the Puppy Weaning Paste for the first stage of weaning. If you are not sure which to pick, start with one complete puppy meal and bring in other proteins once your puppy is settled and eating well.
You will find puppy food from our other suppliers too, so you can browse the whole puppy range in one place.
We deliver across Horley, Crawley, Redhill, Reigate, Horsham, Copthorne and Smallfield. See our delivery page for details.
Puppy raw feeding questions
Can an eight week old puppy eat raw food?
Yes. By around eight weeks most puppies are fully weaned and can eat solid food on their own. Choose a complete raw food suitable for puppies or growth, and think about keeping to the routine they had with their breeder while they settle in.
How many times a day should a raw fed puppy eat?
A good starting pattern is four meals a day up to four months, three meals from four to six months, and two meals a day from around six months. Divide the total daily amount between those meals.
Can puppies eat adult raw dog food?
Not automatically. Puppies need food that is complete and made for growth, or clearly labelled as suitable for all life stages. A food made only for adult maintenance may not have the nutrients in the proportions a growing puppy needs.
Does my raw fed puppy need extra calcium?
A puppy eating a complete raw food made for growth shouldn’t normally need any. Calcium powder, bone meal and other mineral supplements can upset the balance of an otherwise complete diet. Excess calcium and too many calories are particular concerns for large and giant breed puppies.
How do I move my puppy from dry or wet food to raw?
Keep their current food familiar while they settle into the new home, then introduce a complete raw puppy food. Some puppies change over quickly, others need several days. Don’t make several changes at once.
What if my puppy has loose stools?
Diet changes can temporarily affect stools. Check whether you changed too quickly, whether portions are too big, or whether several new foods went in together. Call your vet if it carries on, is severe, or comes with vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, blood, or any sign your puppy is unwell.
How should I store and defrost raw puppy food?
Keep it frozen until needed and defrost in a covered container in the fridge. Follow the pack’s use-by guidance, wash hands and bowls thoroughly, and keep it separate from human food.
When does my puppy move on to adult food?
It depends on breed and expected adult size. Smaller breeds may mature from around eight to twelve months, while some large and giant breeds keep growing for 18 months to two years. Follow the product guidance, and ask your vet if you are unsure.
Ready to get your puppy started?
Work out a daily amount, pick a complete puppy recipe, and bring it in at a pace that suits your puppy. If you would rather talk it through first, get in touch and we will help.
