Calculations
Calculating to Find Optimal Nutrition for Your Dogs!
Quick Summary for Puppies:
– Hire a professional to create a growth formula for your puppy
– Feed an AAFCO formulated diet specifically “FOR GROWING PUPPIES” or “ALL LIFE STAGES” (dry, wet, etc) if you don’t wish to do raw/cooked
– Keep puppies at a healthy LEAN weight and feed for LEAN/MODERATE growth to limit structural defects in growth patterns for puppies
– DO NOT attempt to formulate a raw/cooked/DIY diet for your puppy, it is INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS as their nutritional needs are critical during growth
– Especially while growing, spending the extra money on a high quality dog food (or paying a professional for a balanced DIY) is the best investment you will make for your puppy. You can always switch to a “cheaper” diet once all the critical growth stages have been met and nutrients have fulfilled the puppy’s growth needs
– Feed puppies 3 times a day for the first min 6 months, then you can reduce to 2 times a day. Once a day is not recommended.
Quick Summary for Adults:
– Hire a professional for care free worries on a formulated diet
– Educated and learn for yourself on how to formulate diets for adult dogs
– Feed an AAFCO formulated diet (dry, wet, etc) if you do not wish to do raw/cooked or DIY
– Keep adults at a healthy adult weight and feed for LEAN body type
– Feed adults 2x a day as once a day can be hard on their GI tract
– Keep your own dog in mind and feed the dog in front of you
– Every dog is different. Dont rely on what works for others, treak feeding protocols and recipes until they meet YOUR dog’s specific needs
The first step in a balanced home prepared diet it learning what your particular dog needs to thrive and function optimally. In order to do this, you need to know what your dog’s Metabolic Weight (MW) is.
Below is a step by step in configuring the MW and your start to learning your dog’s needs for nutrient requirements. These values are needed for feeding your dog optimally and other factors that effect their nutrition.
While it’s important to first establish some “basics,” I now want to dive a little deeper into the topic of nutrition! Now that we’ve found a food for you dog, we need to next find the values which will help us feed our best friends optimally!
There is a little math, but i promise you it will take no mathematician to solve it! Just copy and paste into google, what I tell you to do and it’ll go smoothly!! Easy, Pease, Lemon Squeezy!
First you start by converting your dog’s weight into kilograms.
(In google put “what is [insert your dogs weight in lbs] X lbs in KG) Now jot this number down.
Next, take that number and apply it to the equation below. This will convert it into your dog’s Metabolic weight!
listen carefully, SIMPLY INPUT THIS EQUATION into google, exactly as you see it! (but with your dog’s weight in KG, the number you jotted down)
.
The equation is: Wt KG^.75
That means (Weight in KG) ^ (to the power of .75)
Example:
26lb dog, quick google search tells you 25lbs = 11.34g. Taking this number, we add it to the equation noted above, in place of the Wt KG portion of the equation, like so:
11.34^.75 (NO SPACES!!!)
11.34 [SHIFT ]+[#6 key]+.75 (keyboard Shortcut!)
THE ANSWER FOR MY 26 LB DOG IS 6.179.
That means my 26lb dog’s MW is 6.179. Now compare it to make sure your dog’s MW is correct.
THIS NUMBER IS OF GREATEST IMPORTANCE. You will use this number for ALL HOME PREPARED diets and for calculating caloric needs for your dog! Memorize it, it’ll make life easier 
CONGRATS YOU FOUND YOUR DOG’S METABOLIC WEIGHT!!!
Now, onto the next step:
Caloric needs
*NOTE*
It is always nice to know how to do it yourself. however, now that you have an idea of how to do it, if you wish to have an easier option, or have multiple dogs that you need to do and you dont like math, here is a link to one that will do it for you AND will give you the nutrient requirements based on your animal’s size and MW. :D.
RAW FED AND NERDY has kindly made a page and it does all the work for you!
SKIP THE WORK AND HAVE IT ALL DONE FOR YOU BY CLICKING HERE: CLICK HERE