Adult dogs have a built-in safety valve: feed them slightly too much calcium on Tuesday and their gut simply absorbs less of it. Puppies under six months don't have that brake yet. Passive intestinal absorption pulls excess calcium straight into growing long bones — which is why winging DIY puppy bowls by eye is one gamble I never take.
What Percentage of Body Weight Should a Raw-Fed Puppy Eat Each Month?
Feed weaned puppies 8% to 10% of their current weight at 2–3 months (4 meals daily), 6%–8% at 4–5 months (3 meals), 5%–6% at 6–8 months (3 meals), and 4%–5% at 9–12 months (2 meals). Large and giant breeds taper to 3%–3.5% between 12 and 18 months.
Weigh your puppy every Sunday morning before breakfast. A Golden Retriever pup can jump 900 grams in seven days during month four; leaving last month's numbers taped to the fridge silently starves their growth spurt.
Alternatively, many veterinary nutritionists cross-check puppy bowls by calculating 2.5% to 3% of the puppy's expected adult weight — both curves meet around month six.
| Puppy Age | % of Current Weight | Meals / Day | Pure Bone Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 – 12 Weeks (2–3 mos) | 8% – 10% | 4 meals | 10% – 12% balanced daily |
| 4 – 5 Months | 6% – 8% | 3 meals | 10% – 12% balanced daily |
| 6 – 8 Months | 5% – 6% | 3 meals | 10% – 11% balanced daily |
| 9 – 12 Months | 4% – 5% | 2 meals | 10% balanced daily |
| 12 – 18 Months (Large/Giant) | 3% – 3.5% | 2 meals | 10% strict Ca:P 1.2–1.5:1 |
Why Must Large-Breed Puppies Balance Bone Every Single Day?
Unlike adult dogs who can balance bone and organs across a week, puppies under 9 months lack mineral reserves and cannot block passive calcium absorption. FEDIAF (2024–2025) restricts large-breed puppy diets to roughly 1.5–1.8 g calcium per 1,000 kcal with a strict 1.2:1 to 1.5:1 Ca:P ceiling.
Never feed 'all-bone Mondays and all-meat Tuesdays' to a Cane Corso, Great Dane, or Shepherd puppy. Every single day's tub — ideally every meal — needs its exact meat, edible bone, liver, and DHA supply.
Keep Growing Giant pups lean enough to feel their last two ribs easily without pressing. Slow, steady skeletal growth beats heavy puppy fat for hip and elbow health every single time.
Do Raw-Fed Puppies Need Extra DHA for Brain and Eye Development?
Yes — NRC and FEDIAF growth standards specifically require preformed docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which poultry and beef fat barely supply. Adding measured wild sardine or salmon oil (or microalgae DHA oil) daily supports retinal sharpness and trainability through 12 months.
Skip cod liver oil for puppies, though. Liver at 5% of the bowl already packs plenty of retinol (Vitamin A), and doubling up with cod liver oil risks hypervitaminosis A.