Raw food for underweight rescue greyhound

An underweight, malnourished rescue greyhound is a situation where what you feed really matters — raw feeding done well can be excellent for rebuilding condition, 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: how underweight is he exactly — are we talking ribs-and-spine visible, or just a bit lean? And has he had any vet bloodwork since you got him, or are you working without that picture yet?

Good that the vet appointment is coming — do mention the raw feeding plan so they can flag anything, and ask about a basic blood panel if you can stretch to it, because malnourished dogs sometimes have organ stress that affects how they process protein. Now, given she's never had raw and her gut is likely in poor shape, you want to introduce it gradually rather than switching overnight. Are you open to a complete ready-made raw, or are you thinking about preparing meals yourself from scratch?

That's the right call for a dog in her condition — a complete, nutritionally balanced raw means you're not accidentally shortchanging her on calcium or vitamins while she's already depleted. For a greyhound around 25–30kg who needs to gain weight steadily without digestive upset, I'd go with Natures Menu Country Hunter Raw Nuggets in the Rabbit variety. It's a properly complete frozen raw — real meat, offal, bone content, vegetables, and added vitamins — rabbit is lean but highly digestible and lower-allergy, which matters when her gut is stressed. It works out to roughly £3.50–£4 per day for a dog her size, which is competitive for a complete raw. Start by mixing a small amount with whatever she's currently eating, then shift over seven to ten days. Once she's settled, you can increase the daily amount slightly above maintenance to support weight gain — the feeding guide on the pack gives you a starting point, but go a touch above the weight she is now, not her target weight.

Because Country Hunter is labelled as complete, you don't need to add anything to hit her nutritional baseline — that's the whole point of going complete rather than DIY. The one thing worth considering for a greyhound recovering from malnourishment is a good omega-3 source: a small amount of fish oil or a sardine in spring water two or three times a week can support coat, joints, and inflammation without upsetting the balance. Greyhounds are also prone to joint issues as they age, so if your vet flags anything there, a joint supplement becomes worth the cost. But start plain, let her gut settle, and see how she responds over the first three weeks before adding anything.

That's a solid plan. She's lucky to have someone who's taking the time to get this right rather than just grabbing whatever's cheapest. Give her four to six weeks on the new food before you judge results — coat condition and energy usually shift noticeably before the weight does. Good luck at the vet.