Raw Feeding for Small Dogs

Dealing with Small Portion Sizes

One of the questions I frequently get asked by people with small dogs is "how do I cope with raw meat when only feeding a small portion?" Many people are concerned about leaving defrosted meat in the fridge for too long. I've successfully helped many owners by providing a variety of methods that mitigate this issue.

I recommend finding the method that suits you best and sticking with it.

1. Portion Up

For this method you'll need to partially defrost the food. This will soften the block enough you to separate it into smaller portions - either for each day or each meal - and keep them individually in little bags, tubs, or other containers. Store these in the freezer and defrost each portion as you need it. This can take up more freezer space, but on the plus side, buying larger tubs and portioning yourself can save you money.

2. Classic Mini Sachets

We absolutely love these - they are so handy!

Classic Mini Sachets are complete raw meals, portioned into easy 250g resealable pouches and sold by Paleo Ridge. Not only is this brilliant for dogs that require small portion sizes, they're also perfect for people who have small freezer space or for use when travelling. They can be really useful to have in for those days when you forget to defrost the dog's dinner, it stops any waiting-for-my-dinner whining as you try to defrost a big tub... these defrost so fast!

Archie's favourites are the Classic Mini Lamb Breast & Heart and Classic Mini Turkey sachets.

3. Half Thaw

Another option is to half-thaw the food and then defrost it slowly in the fridge. I usually find that a 1kg tub stays partially defrosted for a couple of days which gives me ample time to use it all safely.

4. Enrichment Feeders

Partially defrost the mince and fill a Kong, Lickimat, or other enrichment toy with one portion, then pop it in the freezer. This is great for enrichment and mental stimulation but can also be a lifesaver when you forget to defrost their dinner - you can feed these straight from the freezer!

5. Freeze Blocks in Half

On delivery day (or a designated prep day) very slightly defrost your 1kg block of mince - just enough that you can cut it in half. Freeze the halves separately and you have two 500g blocks of mince to get out and defrost when needed. This may even save you money as it allows you to buy a bigger block.