Can Small Dogs Eat Raw Meat?

It’s a question we get asked a lot: Can small dogs eat raw meat? Yes! Small and even toy breeds can thrive on raw dog food just as much as larger breeds can. You probably still have questions, so keep reading to learn more about raw food for small dogs.

Can Little Dogs Eat Raw Meat?

It’s easy to look at a large dog chomping down on a rabbit head, turkey neck, or chicken back and think to yourself, “My small dog could never eat a raw diet.” In fact, you can buy or make raw dog food for pups of all sizes, including toy breeds!

If you’re worried about your small dog choking on bones, We Feed Raw makes it easy by including finely ground bones (as well as secreting organs, muscle meat, and added vitamins and minerals) in our raw patties, so even pooches with small mouths or bad teeth can enjoy the benefits of a raw diet for dogs.

Learn more about why you should choose We Feed Raw here.

Can Small Dogs Eat Raw Chicken?

Yes, small dogs can eat raw chicken! In fact, chicken wings are the perfect size if you want to incorporate raw meaty bones into your small dog’s diet. At We Feed Raw, chicken is one of our most popular—and affordable—recipes.

Is Raw Food Good for Small Dogs?

Yes, raw dog food is great for small dogs! Studies have shown that dogs who eat a raw dog food diet live up to 3 years longer than dogs who eat kibble. Some of the many benefits of a raw food diet for dogs include:

• •Smaller, firmer, less frequent, and less smelly poop

• •Better digestion

• •Improved nutrient absorption

• •Fewer allergy symptoms

• •Healthier skin and shinier coat

• •Lower risk of urinary problems due to increased moisture in the diet

• •Maintaining a healthy weight, or losing weight if a dog starts off obese

• •Cleaner teeth and better overall dental health

• •Stronger immune system

• •More mealtime excitement

Can Small Dogs Get Sick From Eating Raw Meat?

Since humans are warned not to eat raw meat, it’s natural to worry that it could make your dog sick, too. Luckily, dogs still have the same strong stomach acid and digestive processes as their wild wolf ancestors which make them less susceptible to food-borne illnesses that plague humans, such as salmonella and E. coli.

Still worried about the risk of diseases from raw meat? We Feed Raw uses high-pressure processing to neutralize potential pathogens, making our nutritionally complete and balanced patties the safest raw dog food diet you can find.

Find out how much it would cost to get your small dog started on We Feed Raw here.

Does Raw Meat Make Small Dogs Aggressive?

There’s a common misconception that raw dog food can make dogs “bloodthirsty.” While some dogs may display food aggression or resource guarding with ANY food they enjoy, a raw diet may actually make dogs act less aggressively since their body is finally getting appropriate nutrition, making them feel better than they possibly ever have before.

How to Feed Small Dogs Raw Food

A raw dog food diet for small breeds should look similar to that for larger breeds and include a mix of muscle meat, secreting organs, and bones. While some people choose to feed their small dogs a homemade or DIY raw diet, it’s easy to miscalculate how much bone, organ, or muscle meat your pup is getting and accidentally cause vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

We Feed Raw makes it easy to feed small dogs raw food. Our patties are perfectly proportioned with approximately 80% muscle meat (and associated fat and connective tissue), 10% secreting organs, 10% finely ground bone, and an added vitamin and mineral mixture for a recipe that exceeds AAFCO nutritional requirements for dogs of all life stages, including small breeds.

How Much Raw Food Should You Feed Small Dogs Per Day?

While most adult dogs should eat 1.5-3% of their ideal weight each day, smaller dogs actually require a higher percentage. Keeping in mind that young, skinny, and active dogs should eat more than older, overweight, or lazy dogs, here are the general percentages of body weight you should feed small dogs:

• •Dogs up to 5 lbs: Feed 5-6% of ideal adult weight per day.

• •Dogs 6-10 lbs: Feed 4-5% of ideal adult weight per day.

• •Dogs 11-14 lbs: Feed 3-3.5% of ideal adult weight per day.

• •Dogs 15-19 lbs: Feed 2.5-3% of ideal adult weight per day.

When you sign up for a meal plan with We Feed Raw, we do the math for you! You tell us about your dog’s breed, weight, age, activity level, and body condition, and we’ll tell you how much We Feed Raw to feed daily. Most of our customers choose to feed their dogs twice a day, but you can choose how often to feed your dog based on a schedule that works for you and your pup.

Where Can You Buy Raw Food for Small Dogs?

If you choose to make a raw dog food diet for your small or toy breed, you can often find the ingredients you need at a local supermarket or butcher. But why add another errand to your list when you can have a perfectly proportioned We Feed Raw dog food delivery shipped directly to your door?

Take our quiz now to find out how much it would cost to get your small dog started on We Feed Raw or check out our blog to learn more about raw feeding. We especially recommend reading Raw Dog Food for Beginners: What You Need to Know if you still aren’t certain a raw diet is right for your pup.