This is a specific conversation about Raw dog food — what to know before you start — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
A working farm dog doing real physical graft every day is one of the best candidates for raw feeding — the energy demands and muscle maintenance genuinely suit what a properly balanced raw diet delivers. That said, raw done badly creates nutritional gaps that quietly cause harm over time, and the difference is balance and sourcing. Before I point you anywhere specific: is your Aussie Shepherd a typical medium build, around 20–25kg, or has working life kept them leaner or bulkier than the breed standard? And have you fed raw before, or is this a new direction you're starting from scratch?
He's about 28kg, so a bit bigger than average. We've never done raw before — he's been on dry kibble his whole life. I want something ready-made to start with, not DIY, because I don't want to get the balance wrong.
inparticular.ai
Smart call for a first-timer, especially with a dog at that weight and activity level. Ready-made complete raw takes the guesswork out entirely. One thing worth knowing for a dog transitioning from six years of kibble: go slow over two to three weeks, swapping out roughly 25% at a time. His gut bacteria need to adjust. Now — does he have any known sensitivities, or has he been doing fine on kibble with no digestive issues, itching, or coat problems?
No sensitivities that I know of. Coat's decent, digestion's always been fine. He's just working hard every day and I want the food to actually match what he's doing.
inparticular.ai
Perfect — a clean health slate and genuine high energy output makes this straightforward. For a 28kg working dog with no sensitivities, I'd point you to Natures Menu Country Hunter Raw Nuggets in Beef. It's a nutritionally complete frozen raw, cold-pressed into portion-friendly nuggets rather than a sausage block, which makes measuring for a bigger active dog much easier. The beef variety gives you a strong protein-to-fat ratio that suits working muscle maintenance, it meets FEDIAF nutritional standards for complete feeding, and it's widely available on Amazon UK with reliable cold-chain delivery. At his weight and work level, you're looking at roughly 560–600g per day, split across two meals. It scales predictably, which matters when you're managing a working animal's condition.
That sounds good. What about bones — does he still need those, or does the complete food cover everything?
inparticular.ai
The complete nuggets cover his nutritional requirements fully — calcium and phosphorus are balanced in the formulation, so you're not missing anything by not adding raw meaty bones. That said, bones serve a second purpose beyond nutrition: dental wear and mental stimulation, both of which matter for a working dog. If you want to add them, raw beef ribs or lamb necks once or twice a week are fine alongside a complete raw diet. Just never cooked bones, and count them as part of his daily intake so you're not inadvertently overfeeding. For a dog doing his level of work, keeping body condition consistent is more important than hitting an exact gram count every single day.
Really helpful, thank you. I'll order the Natures Menu beef nuggets and start the transition this week.
inparticular.ai
That's a solid plan. Go slow on the transition, watch his stools as a guide — they'll firm up noticeably once he's fully switched, which is normal and a good sign. At his size and workload, also keep an eye on body condition through the first month and nudge the portion up or down by 50g depending on whether he's maintaining weight. Working dogs can vary week to week based on what they're doing. He sounds like a dog that'll genuinely thrive on this.
