Combining Dog Treats and Raw Feeding
If you want to combine BARF and treats, the easiest way is to count dried snacks and chews directly as part of the daily ration: convert their weight roughly into fresh weight and subtract it from the matching component – muscle meat, tripe, organs or bones. That way, raw feeding stays balanced even if you reward generously in everyday life and training. In this post, we show you step by step how it works with a simple example calculation.
Content: Combining Dog Treats and Raw Feeding
- Combining BARF and treats: why snacks count
- The BARF ration at a glance: proportions as a guide
- Converting dried snacks: dry vs. fresh weight
- Counting chews in the BARF ration: step by step
- Which snacks suit raw feeding?
- Frequently asked questions about BARF and treats
- Conclusion: combining BARF and treats with ease
Dried muscle meat and tripe that are easy to count in:
Combining BARF and treats: why snacks count
Snacks count in BARF because they consist of the same building blocks as the ration itself – meat, organs, cartilage or bone – and would otherwise gradually shift the carefully planned balance.
Small extras, big effect
A handful of lung cubes during training, a piece of tripe in the afternoon, a chew in the evening: over the day, this quickly adds up to an amount that makes up a noticeable part of the ration for a small dog. Because dried snacks contain hardly any water, just a few grams hold a lot of meat – and therefore a lot of energy and protein.
What happens if snacks are not counted?
- Too much energy: Your dog slowly gains weight even though the amount of raw food stays the same.
- Shifted proportions: Lots of liver treats, for example, noticeably increase the organ share.
- Unclear tolerance: Constantly changing snack types make it harder to spot intolerances.
We have summarised which types of snacks generally suit raw feeding in our post BARF snacks as an addition to raw feeding. Here, we focus on how to actually count them in the ration.
The BARF ration at a glance: proportions as a guide
A common BARF ration for adult dogs amounts to approx. 2 to 3 percent of body weight per day, split into an animal share of approx. 70 to 80 percent and a plant share of approx. 20 to 30 percent.
Common split of the animal share
The following split is a widely used guide from BARF practice. It is not a fixed rule: your dog's age, activity, health and tolerance can make other proportions sensible.
| Component | Share of the animal part (approx.) | Suitable snacks |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle meat (incl. heart, gullet, lung) | 50 % | Meat cubes, jerky, heart, lung |
| Tripe and omasum | 20 % | Dried or freeze-dried tripe |
| Organs (mainly liver, kidney, spleen) | 15 % | Liver treats, used sparingly |
| Raw meaty bones | 15 % | Cartilage only partly, not a full replacement |
Important for heart and lung
Heart is a muscle and is counted as muscle meat in many BARF plans. Lung and gullet usually count towards the meat share too, as they are less nutrient-dense than liver or kidney. Liver, on the other hand, is very rich in vitamin A and should not be fed in large amounts on top. You can read more in our post on liver treats for dogs.
Converting dried snacks: dry vs. fresh weight
You convert dried snacks into fresh weight roughly by a factor of 3, because raw meat consists largely of water, which is lost during drying.
Why a factor of 3?
Raw muscle meat and organs consist largely of water, while dried chews usually contain only about 10 percent moisture. Roughly 3 to 4 g of fresh meat therefore makes about 1 g of dried snack. For everyday use, a factor of 3 has proven to be a simple, rather cautious rule of thumb. Exact values vary depending on the type of meat and the drying method – you will find the moisture content in the product description.
Conversion examples
- 10 g of dried beef lung cubes mini equal approx. 30 g of fresh lung.
- 20 g of dried tripe equal approx. 60 g of fresh tripe.
- 15 g of beef meat cubes mini equal approx. 45 g of fresh muscle meat.
Freeze-dried snacks
Freeze-dried snacks such as freeze-dried green beef tripe also contain very little water. You can therefore convert them by a factor of 3 to 4 as well. You will find a selection in our freeze-dried snacks category.
Organ snacks for the meat and organ share:
Counting chews in the BARF ration: step by step
You count chews in the BARF ration by converting the day's snack weight into fresh weight and leaving out exactly that amount from the matching component of the ration.
How to do it
- Set the daily ration: Calculate the total amount (e.g. 2.5 percent of body weight) and split it according to your BARF plan.
- Weigh the day's snacks: In the morning, put all planned treats and chews into a container and weigh them.
- Assign: Assign each snack to a component – meat, tripe, organs or bone/cartilage.
- Convert: Multiply the dry weight by approx. 3.
- Subtract: Reduce the matching component of the raw ration by this amount.
- Check: Weigh your dog every few weeks and adjust the ration if needed.
Example calculation for a 20 kg dog
An adult, normally active dog weighing 20 kg gets around 500 g of food per day at 2.5 percent. Of this, approx. 400 g is animal-based and approx. 100 g plant-based. The animal share is split into approx. 200 g muscle meat, 80 g tripe, 60 g organs and 60 g raw meaty bones.
On a training day, the dog gets 20 g of dried tripe and 10 g of lung cubes. Converted, that is approx. 60 g of tripe and approx. 30 g of meat share. The raw ration is therefore reduced to approx. 20 g of fresh tripe and approx. 170 g of muscle meat. Organs, bones and vegetables stay the same.
Chews that last several days
Large chews such as a bovine scalp are often chewed over two or three days. Weigh it before and after, or roughly spread the weight over the chewing days. Beef hide is very rich in protein and can be counted as part of the meat share. You will find more beef chews in our beef category.
Which snacks suit raw feeding?
Raw feeding is best suited to snacks made from a single animal ingredient without grain, sugar or additives, because they can be clearly assigned to one component of the ration.
Well suited
- Dried muscle meat: meat cubes, jerky, meat strips – easy to count in.
- Tripe and omasum: they smell strong but are very popular with many dogs.
- Lung and heart: light, lean and easy to break – ideal for lots of rewards. Our offal category offers a wide selection.
- Cartilage: larynxes, tracheas and nasal cartilage are fun to chew but do not replace raw meaty bones.
Use with care
- Liver: only small amounts, as it quickly uses up the organ share.
- High-fat chews: such as ears with a lot of fat – if your dog tends to gain weight, choose low-fat chews instead.
- Snacks with several ingredients: biscuits or sausages are hard to assign and belong more to the plant or extras share.
For dogs with allergies or on an elimination diet, snacks from the same protein source as the ration are a good choice, for example from our hypoallergenic chews category. Our guide BARF for beginners explains how to set up raw feeding as a whole.
Cartilage chews for variety:
Frequently asked questions about BARF and treats
How do I count chews in the BARF ration?
Weigh the chew, convert the dry weight into fresh weight by a factor of approx. 3 and subtract that amount from the matching component, usually muscle meat or tripe. For large chews that last several days, spread the weight over the chewing days.
Do dried snacks go with BARF?
Yes, dried snacks made from a single animal ingredient go well with raw feeding. They provide the same building blocks as the ration, just without the water. The important thing is to count them in and avoid additives such as sugar, grain or flavourings.
Which snacks complement raw feeding?
Dried muscle meat, tripe, lung, heart and cartilage are particularly suitable. Liver is popular too, but should only be given sparingly because of its high vitamin A content. For sensitive dogs, snacks from the same type of meat as the ration are often the best choice.
Does cartilage replace the bones in a BARF ration?
No, cartilage is not a full replacement for raw meaty bones, because it contains much less calcium. You can give cartilage snacks in addition, but should not rely on them for the bone share of the ration. If you have questions about calcium supply, a nutrition advisor or your vet can help.
How many snacks make sense with BARF?
As a guide, treats should also make up only a small part of the daily amount with BARF, so the ration stays balanced. On training days, it can be more if you reduce the raw ration accordingly. The 10 percent rule is a good reference point for this.
Conclusion: combining BARF and treats with ease
BARF and treats can easily be combined if you see dried snacks and chews as part of the ration: weigh them, convert them by a factor of approx. 3 and subtract them from the matching component. Natural single-ingredient snacks make this particularly easy. That way, raw feeding stays balanced and you can reward generously in everyday life. If your dog has pre-existing conditions, is a puppy or you are unsure about planning the ration, ask your vet or a BARF nutrition advisor for support.
Further reading on this topic:
This post was created with the help of AI
