What Is the Raw Dog Food Calculator?

The Frenchie Nova Raw Dog Food Calculator is a free, easy-to-use online tool that calculates exactly how much raw food your dog should eat every day — broken down by meal, week, and month — based on your dog’s weight, life stage, activity level, and chosen feeding model.

Unlike one-size-fits-all feeding guidelines printed on food packaging, this calculator accounts for the key variables that actually matter: whether your dog is a puppy or adult, whether they’re a couch potato or a working dog, and which raw feeding philosophy you follow — PMR or BARF. It even estimates your monthly food cost in US dollars, British pounds, or Canadian dollars.

The tool is designed for dog owners who are switching to — or already feeding — a raw diet, and want a reliable, science-backed starting point rather than guessing at portions or relying on generic advice.

Step-by-Step: How the Calculator Works

What Information Do You Need?

The calculator only needs six pieces of information — most of which you’ll already know about your dog. Here’s what each field does:

PMR vs BARF: Understanding the Two Models

The calculator supports both major raw feeding frameworks. Your choice changes how the daily food allowance is split across ingredient types. Neither is objectively superior — both are valid ways to raw feed, and the calculator handles the math equally well for both.

PMR mimics the diet of a wild dog eating whole prey — meat, bone, and organ only, with no plant matter. BARF adds around 10% fruit and vegetables, reflecting a more holistic approach to canine nutrition. If you’re unsure which to choose, BARF is the more commonly recommended starting point for first-time raw feeders.

How the Percentage of Body Weight Works

The calculator uses a body-weight percentage method — a well-established approach in raw feeding. The recommended daily amount is calculated as a percentage of your dog’s current weight. This is the broadly accepted starting point across raw feeding communities and veterinary nutritionists.

A standard adult dog on maintenance needs approximately 2–3% of their body weight in raw food per day. The calculator uses 2.5% as its default for a normal adult, then adjusts up or down based on the activity level you select. Puppies need significantly more food relative to their size because of their rapid development, which is why the percentage starts much higher in early months and decreases gradually toward the adult rate.

Activity Level — Why It Matters

Your dog’s energy expenditure directly affects how much food they need. A dog that spends most of the day sleeping on the sofa has very different caloric needs to a working farm dog. The calculator offers four settings, each adjusting the feeding percentage accordingly.

Monthly Cost Estimate

One of the most useful features of the calculator is its built-in monthly cost estimate. Once it calculates your dog’s daily food requirement, it multiplies that by average raw food prices across three regions to give you a rough monthly budget figure.

Potential Benefits of a Raw Diet

When calculated correctly and fed consistently, a raw diet can offer a range of health benefits for dogs. These are among the most commonly reported improvements by owners who switch from processed kibble to raw feeding.