The Bradlands guide to getting started
New to raw?
Start with
the essentials.
A simple raw feeding guide: choose a suitable food, work out a starting portion and make the change at your dog’s pace.
How to transition to raw ↓Complete meals · Thoughtful variety · Practical feeding advice
How much raw food should I feed?
Raw feeding calculator
Enter your dog’s current weight for a daily starting range.
Daily estimate, not per meal: divide between meals and follow your food’s feeding guide. Energy content, activity and body condition affect portions. For weight management, ask your vet which target weight to use.
As puppies grow: a younger puppy might start around 7%, then need a lower percentage as growth slows towards the adult 2–3% guide. There is no fixed age for every breed. This calculator’s 5–7% may overestimate an older puppy’s needs: follow the manufacturer’s growth guide and monitor body condition. Grams may still increase as body weight rises.
01 / Choose the right starting food
Look for “complete”.
Then check the recipe.
For beginners, choose a commercially prepared food labelled complete for your dog’s life stage. “Raw” describes preparation; “complete” means the food supplies the required nutrients when fed as directed.
80:10:10 raw diets
80% meat · 10% bone · 10% offal
Many foods using this ratio are complementary. They need a balanced feeding plan, which may include an appropriate supplement.
80:20 raw diets
Check what each manufacturer includes.
In some ranges, this means 80% animal ingredients with 20% plant and other ingredients. Definitions vary by manufacturer; some recipes are labelled complete.
A ratio alone does not prove completeness. Neither adding vegetables nor rotating meats guarantees balance. Check the current label and get professional help with a home-prepared or complementary feeding plan.
02 / Make the change at their pace
How to transition
your dog to raw.
Keep other food changes to a minimum during the transition. These approaches are for healthy adults; get individual advice for puppies or dogs with health conditions.
Option 1 / Discuss with us first
Plain tripe first.
A short introduction to raw meat for dogs changing from a lower-meat diet.
- Choose plain tripe. Pick a plain tripe meal with no added offal. The aim of this approach is a gentle introduction to raw meat; individual tolerance varies.
- Days 1–7: feed & monitor. Feed plain tripe and monitor your dog’s stools, appetite and energy. Check that your dog is comfortable and coping with the change.
- From day 8. Move to a suitable complete raw diet, with timing and introduction agreed for your dog.
Use this short-term approach only where individually advised; plain tripe is not a complete diet. It is not a general plan for puppies, pregnant or nursing dogs, or dogs with medical needs.
Option 2 / Mix & monitor
Change one meal
at a time.
- Days 1–7: morning and evening. For a healthy adult eating twice daily, offer a portion of complete raw food in the morning and the current food in the evening.
- Replace, rather than add. Use each food’s feeding guide to provide part of the daily allowance. Raw and dry food are not interchangeable gram for gram.
- From day 8, if settled. Move to complete raw meals throughout the day. Take longer if needed and follow your chosen manufacturer’s advice.
This approach uses separate meals. Dogs eating more often, especially puppies, need a plan matched to their feeding schedule.
Watch the dog, not just the calendar. Monitor appetite, energy, stools and weight. Do not dismiss vomiting, blood in stools, persistent diarrhoea, lethargy or refusal to eat as a normal transition—contact your vet. Keep fresh drinking water available.
03 / Once they are settled
Variety, with
a little thought.
Different recipes offer a choice of ingredients and textures. Once your dog is settled, you can explore what suits them and your routine.
Variety is optional, not a guarantee of extra health benefits. A suitable complete food can also be fed consistently.
- Introduce one change at a time. Add new recipes gradually so you can see what your dog tolerates.
- Check the whole ingredient list. A named meat may be combined with other sources of bone, organs or oils.
- Compare the feeding guides. Calories and recommended portions can differ between brands.
- Keep prescribed diets consistent. Follow your vet’s plan for allergies or an exclusion diet.
Find your next recipe
Raw dog food brands
at Bradlands.
Open a brand for a short introduction and a link to a recipe or guide.
DAF / Durham Animal Feeds
A broad selection of minces, freeflow bags and dinner recipes, including poultry, meat and fish combinations.
Southcliffe raw dog food
Our Southcliffe selection includes 454g packs in beef, lamb, chicken and mixed-meat recipes, plus fish combinations.
Bella & Duke raw dog food
Explore 500g adult recipes such as beef, chicken, duck and lamb, alongside a separate Puppy Chicken option.
Dougies raw dog food
Dougies offers 560g 80:10:10 recipes and Superfoods options with vegetables in our range.
Naked Dog raw food
Browse Original, Pure, Superfood and puppy options. Our listings include familiar meats and less common choices such as kangaroo; ingredients and suitability differ by recipe.
Naturaw raw dog food
Our 500g Naturaw selection includes All Lamb, mixed-meat recipes and the Forage range.
Natures Menu raw dog food
Choose from frozen nuggets, mince blocks and freeflow formats. We list adult and puppy options alongside complementary ingredients, so check the specific product’s purpose.
Nutriment raw dog food
Our selection includes 500g chicken, beef, duck and turkey recipes, plus puppy and specialist options. Specialist diets should be selected with professional advice for your dog.
Paleo Ridge raw dog food
Explore recipes across the range, including 500g Essentials dinners and 1kg meat combinations.
Winstons raw dog food
Winstons offers 454g packs with 80:10:10-labelled recipes including beef, chicken, lamb, turkey and tripe combinations.
Bulmer / Bulmers, now DIBO
The familiar 454g packs cover meat, tripe and mixed recipes. Find the current names and compare the exact recipe with your usual purchase in our DIBO guide.
DIBO Freeflow / Totally Natural
Formerly Totally Natural, this part of the DIBO selection offers 1kg frozen mince bags. The freeflow format lets you take out a portion while leaving the remainder frozen.
DIBO Finest / The Dog’s Butcher
Our DIBO Finest selection includes 1kg 80:10:10 minces and meat chunks for planned raw feeding.
Natural Instinct raw dog food
Natural, Working Dog and puppy recipes give you several ranges to explore. Selected foods come in 1kg or two 500g tubs; Simply Green Tripe has a different, complementary role.
Explore a complete-food range
Cotswold RAW
at Bradlands.
Two 1kg recipes from our Cotswold RAW selection, listed as 80/20 complete raw dog foods.
04 / Everyday essentials
Store safely.
Handle hygienically.
Raw food can contain harmful bacteria. Freezing does not reliably remove that risk. Discuss suitability with your vet; raw feeding is best avoided in households with people at higher risk of infection, including very young, pregnant, elderly or immunocompromised people.
- Keep frozen; thaw in the fridge. Use a covered, leakproof container away from human food. Follow the pack’s storage and use-after-thawing instructions.
- Wash and clean after every meal. Wash hands and thoroughly clean bowls, utensils and preparation surfaces. Keep children away from raw food and feeding areas.
05 / Additions with a purpose
Raw feeding
supplements.
Choose an addition for a specific need. Do not automatically add both products or combine supplements with complete food: check suitability with the manufacturer or your vet.
Raw Aid
for Cats & Dogs
Our recommendation to consider for complementary raw feeding. GWF designs Raw Aid to help complete a natural raw diet, including 80:10:10 feeding, with vitamins and minerals in small 2mm pellets.
Mix into food at the manufacturer’s recommended daily amount.
Shop Raw Aid 500g →
Dorwest Herbs
Keeper’s Mix
An optional herbal addition. Dorwest’s blend contains eight herbs, including kelp, nettle and psyllium, and is marketed for general dietary support.
Keeper’s Mix is not a substitute for a formulated vitamin-and-mineral balancer, and should not be relied on to make an 80:10:10 meal complete.
Shop Keeper’s Mix 250g →Before you order
Two final questions.
Should I fast my dog before changing food?
A fast is not part of the transition approaches on this page. Follow the chosen food manufacturer’s guidance and get individual advice for puppies or dogs with medical needs.
Can I order frozen raw food nationwide?
Bradlands offers nationwide frozen delivery with a minimum of 8kg of frozen products. Check delivery options and charges at checkout and read our delivery information.
Ready to choose their first recipe?
Browse our raw food selection or ask the Bradlands team for product help.
For every food or supplement, refer to the current pack and manufacturer for exact ingredients, suitability and feeding amounts. Reviewed 1 November 2026.
Further reading: UK Pet Food: raw feedingPDSA: raw diets & hygieneNatures Menu: meal-by-meal transitionContact Bradlands