Portion math is the question we get more than any other: "how much do I actually feed my dog?" The honest answer is that there isn't a single perfect number — the right portion depends on your pet's target weight (not necessarily their current one), their life stage, and how active they are day to day. Once you know those three numbers, the math is simple. We'll walk through it below, then show you how the build-your-plan quiz does it for you automatically.

There's an interactive calculator on this page too — scroll down once you've read the formula so you actually understand what the calculator is doing.

The base formula

daily lb = target_weight_lb × pct_body_weight × activity_multiplier
daily oz = daily lb × 16

That's it. Two multiplications and a unit conversion. The work is in picking the right percentages, which is what the next two tables are for.

Body-weight percentages

The "pct body weight" number is the share of their target body weight they should eat each day, in raw food. It varies by life stage because growing animals need more energy per pound than adults, and seniors need less.

Life stage	Dog %	Cat %
Puppy / kitten	5–8%	5–6%
Adult	2–3%	~3%
Senior	1.5–2%	~2.5%

Use the lower end of each range if your pet is slightly overweight or low-activity, the higher end if they're underweight or constantly moving. Cats sit higher than dogs across the board because they have a faster metabolism per pound.

Activity multipliers

Apply this on top of the body-weight percentage. It's how you tell the formula whether your dog is a "weekend hiker" or a "couch supervisor."

Couch potato (rarely runs, mostly indoor) — 0.9
Average (a couple of walks a day, normal play) — 1.0
Active (daily long walks, hikes, fetch sessions) — 1.15
Working / sport (agility, herding, sled, hunt) — 1.3

If you're between two categories, pick the lower one and adjust after two weeks based on body condition.

Worked examples

These three should cover most of what you'll see in our Denver customer base:

24 lb adult Cavalier, average activity → 24 × 0.025 × 1.0 = 0.60 lb/day → about 9.6 oz per day, split into two meals.
10 lb adult cat, average activity → 10 × 0.03 × 1.0 = 0.30 lb/day → about 4.8 oz per day, ideally three small meals if you can swing it.
70 lb working Lab, agility weekends → 70 × 0.025 × 1.3 = 2.27 lb/day → about 36.4 oz per day, which is our Medium Box plus the Large-Dog Add-On.

If you have a multi-dog household, do the math per pet and add them up — don't try to estimate from a combined weight.

What about overweight pets?

This is where most owners get it wrong. If your dog is 80 lb and should be 70 lb, feed for 70 lb, not 80. You're feeding the body you want, not the body you have. If you keep feeding 80-lb portions, you'll plateau at 80 lb forever.

A reasonable approach: drop one activity tier (couch instead of average) AND use the lower end of the body-weight range AND set the target to the goal weight. That's about a 20% reduction from "normal" portions, which most pets handle without complaining.

Reweigh every two weeks. If they've lost a pound, you're on track. If they've lost more than two pounds, dial back the cut a bit — too-fast weight loss isn't healthy either.

Try the calculator

The interactive calculator below uses the exact same math. Adjust your pet's weight, activity, and goals to see daily oz update live.

(Calculator embeds here on the live page.)

Or skip the math entirely

The build-your-plan quiz asks you for the same three inputs and recommends a plan that already covers the right monthly volume. It's faster than the calculator if you're ready to actually subscribe — and it handles multi-pet households cleanly.

Skip to the quiz → · See plans →

Raw Food Portion Calculator (Dogs & Cats)