Raw food for overweight Labradoodle

A vet flag for obesity risk in a 10-year-old Labradoodle is worth taking seriously — that breed is genuinely predisposed to weight gain, and at this age extra weight puts real pressure on joints that are already starting to feel the years. Raw feeding can absolutely help here: it's naturally lower in carbohydrates than most kibble, higher in usable protein, and dogs tend to feel fuller on smaller amounts — but it needs to be properly balanced, and done badly it just swaps one problem for another. Raw feeding done well can be excellent, but done badly it creates nutritional gaps that cause real harm over time, and the difference is balance and sourcing. A couple of quick things before I point you anywhere: how much does your dog currently weigh, and do you have a target weight from the vet? And are you looking for a ready-made complete raw meal, or are you open to DIY?

Good — ready-made complete raw is exactly the right call here, because a weight-loss plan needs precise, consistent nutrition without gaps, and DIY raw is genuinely hard to balance correctly even for experienced feeders. At 38kg heading toward 32kg, you'll feed to her target weight rather than her current weight, which naturally reduces her daily intake without her feeling starved. What's she eating now — kibble, wet food, a mix? And does she have any known allergies or sensitivities I should factor in?

That 'inhale and beg' pattern is extremely common in Labs and Labradoodles — they have a genetic variant that genuinely impairs the signal that tells them they're full, so you're not just dealing with greediness, it's partly hardwired. Raw food won't fix the genetics, but the higher moisture content and protein density does tend to produce more genuine satiety than dry kibble, so the begging often reduces noticeably. My clear recommendation here is Natural Instinct Pure Chicken Complete Raw Dog Food. It's a properly formulated complete meal — meets all FEDIAF nutritional guidelines — with chicken, chicken bone, chicken liver, and vegetables. It's single-protein, which is useful if any sensitivity ever does show up, and the calorie density is lower than most kibble on a gram-for-gram basis, which works in your favour for a weight-loss phase. You'd feed roughly 2–2.5% of her target body weight daily — so around 640–800g split across two meals — and reduce toward 2% as she loses. It comes frozen in 1kg or 2kg packs, which makes portioning very straightforward. Transition slowly over 7–10 days mixing it into her current kibble to avoid digestive upset.

Yes — a few things worth keeping an eye on. Stool changes are normal in the first week or two: raw-fed dogs typically produce smaller, firmer, less smelly stools than kibble-fed dogs, but loose stools during the transition are common and usually settle. If you see prolonged diarrhea beyond two weeks, slow the transition further. For the weight loss itself, weigh her every two to three weeks rather than daily — daily fluctuations are misleading. You're aiming for gradual loss of around 0.5–1% of body weight per week, so roughly 200–400g per week for her. If she's losing faster than that, add a small amount back; slower, reduce slightly. Also worth a vet check-in at around the 8-week mark — at 10 years old, a senior blood panel alongside the weight review isn't a bad idea just to confirm her kidneys and liver are handling the dietary change well.

Perfect — it's well stocked on Amazon UK, usually available in both 1kg and 2kg frozen packs, and subscribing saves you a meaningful amount if you're buying regularly. One last practical tip: raw food needs to defrost in the fridge overnight, so build a 24-hour defrost rhythm into your routine and you'll never be caught short. Good luck with her — getting a Labradoodle to 32kg at 10 is genuinely one of the kindest things you can do for her joints and her remaining years.