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
Thinking about phosphorus levels for a giant breed at 11 months is genuinely smart — most owners don't consider kidney load until there's already a problem, and Leonbergers in particular can carry a predisposition to renal issues as they age. Raw feeding done well can be excellent for a dog like yours, but done badly it creates nutritional gaps that cause real harm over time, and the difference is balance and sourcing. Before I point you in the right direction: have you fed raw before, and are you looking for a complete ready-made option or planning to prepare the meals yourself?
Never fed raw before. He's about 11 months, so still growing. I want something ready-made to start — I don't trust myself to get the balance right from scratch, especially with the kidney stuff in mind.
inparticular.ai
That's exactly the right call for a first-time raw feeder with a giant breed puppy still in his growth phase. DIY raw with a Leonberger at this stage is genuinely high-risk — you're managing calcium-to-phosphorus ratios, overall mineral load, and the fact that giant breeds have a narrow window for getting bone development right. Ready-made complete raw from a reputable brand takes most of that off your plate. Can I ask — is he showing any signs that prompted the kidney concern, or is this purely preventative? And roughly what's his current weight?
Purely preventative. I did some reading and saw Leonbergers can be prone to kidney problems later in life. He's about 42kg right now and still filling out.
inparticular.ai
Good — preventative is the right time to act, not after a diagnosis. At 42kg and still growing he'll probably land somewhere around 55–65kg adult weight, so you're feeding a large volume and the cumulative mineral intake matters. For a ready-made complete raw that gives you sensible phosphorus levels without stripping the diet of what he actually needs, I'd recommend Nutriment Chicken Formula. It's a properly balanced complete raw — AAFCO-aligned ratios, clean ingredient list, no unnecessary fillers — and chicken-based formulas naturally sit lower on phosphorus than red meat or organ-heavy blends. It's widely available in bulk trays on Amazon UK which matters at his feeding volume. The key is to use it as the complete diet, not supplement it with extras like raw meaty bones or liver unless you know exactly what you're adding.
That makes sense. Should I be doing anything else alongside it, like getting his kidneys checked now as a baseline?
inparticular.ai
Yes, absolutely — a baseline blood panel including BUN, creatinine, and phosphorus at around 12 months is a very sensible idea for a Leonberger. It costs relatively little and means that if anything shifts in future you have a reference point. Some vets will do it as part of a routine annual check once he's past puppy vaccinations. Keep him well hydrated too — raw feeding is lower in moisture than wet food but higher than kibble, which helps, though fresh water access is still important for kidney support. Beyond that, Nutriment Chicken as his complete base, no high-phosphorus toppers, and annual bloods will put you in a genuinely good position.
Perfect. I'll order the Nutriment and book a vet check. Thanks — this is exactly what I needed.
inparticular.ai
You're very welcome. You're ahead of most people by thinking about this at 11 months rather than waiting for a problem. Nutriment Chicken in the 500g or 1kg trays is the easiest starting point — introduce it gradually over about a week if he's coming off kibble, just to let his gut adjust. Good luck with him.
