Raw diet for working Belgian Malinois

A working Malinois on a performance raw diet — this is exactly the kind of situation where getting it right really matters. 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. For a high-drive working dog, the stakes are even higher — you need optimal muscle recovery, joint support, and sustained energy, not just 'some meat in a bowl'. Before I point you somewhere specific, a few quick questions: is your Malinois currently on raw or transitioning from kibble, roughly what does he or she weigh, and are you looking for a ready-made complete raw that takes the guesswork out, or are you building your own DIY mix?

Good that you're flagging the balance concern — a year of inconsistent macros and missing micronutrients on a working dog that active can absolutely show up in coat condition, recovery time, and long-term joint health. Switching to a properly formulated complete is the right call. One thing I want to confirm: at 32kg with high daily output, she'll likely need feeding at the higher end of the 2–3% bodyweight guideline, possibly closer to 3.5% on heavy duty days. Are you seeing any signs of poor recovery, stiff movement after work, or coat issues right now?

That dull coat and slow recovery are classic signs of nutritional shortfall — most likely insufficient omega-3s and possibly low zinc or vitamin E, all common in DIY mixes that aren't carefully tracked. My recommendation is Nutriment Performance Formula Raw Dog Food. It's a complete, BARF-based raw that's specifically formulated for working and highly active dogs — higher meat protein content than standard complete raws, added salmon oil for coat and inflammation support, and it includes the offal, bone content, and added vitamins and minerals that working dogs actually need. It comes in 1kg rolls, freezes well, and the macros are consistent batch to batch — which matters when you're dialling in feeding amounts for a dog on a schedule. For a 32kg Malinois at her activity level, I'd start at around 960g per day and adjust based on her condition over the first three to four weeks. The coat improvement alone is usually visible within six to eight weeks once the omegas are consistent.

It's available on Amazon UK in multipacks and you can also order direct from Nutriment in larger quantities, which works out cheaper per kilo — worth doing once you've confirmed she tolerates it well after the first few weeks. On completeness: it is formulated to meet FEDIAF nutritional guidelines as a complete food, so for most working dogs you don't need to add anything. That said, for a dog at her output level, I'd consider adding a dedicated omega-3 supplement — something like a pure fish body oil capsule daily — not because the formula is lacking, but because high-intensity working dogs genuinely benefit from the extra anti-inflammatory support on their joints. Keep everything else consistent first, watch her recovery and coat, and let the diet do its job.

You're welcome — and the gradual transition is the right move, especially coming off a mixed diet. Ten to fourteen days, slowly increasing the Nutriment and reducing the old food, will avoid any digestive upset. Given her age and workload, you're making a genuinely worthwhile change. If her recovery and coat improve as expected, you'll have a solid baseline to work from for the years ahead.