BARF Portion Calculator and Budget Worksheet

[SitUbuSit]

Hi, all --

I created this handy customizable worksheet to calculate how much RMB, MM, OM and Veg to give at each meal, depending on your dog's weight. I also included a budget table that calculates monthly/daily/weekly costs based on the prices of your RMB/MM/OM/Veg items.

You can download it for your own use here (you can't edit it unless you download it in Excel first): http://bit.ly/r2mFgu

To download, go to FILE --> Download as --> Excel

How to use it:

1) Enter your dog's desired weight in the first yellow box. Right now it's set to 85lb, my expected weight for Batman (Alta-Tollhaus Gavin son, coming to me in 14 weeks!)

2) Select the daily food weight for your dog in ounces and enter it in the second yellow box. I selected a daily food intake of 3% of my dog's body weight, which comes to 40.8oz/day.

I made a chart calculating the food weight in 0.25% intervals between 2%-4% of body weight, but you can change the percentages to whatever you want.

If I did it right, all the food weights should automatically update for you whenever you change the values in the yellow squares. Let me know if it works!

I based my ratios on recipes and guidelines in Dr. Karen Becker's

Real Food for Dogs and Cats

Real Food for Dogs and Cats

. Dr. Becker recommends a ratio of roughly 40% Raw Meaty Bones, 25% Muscle Meat, 10% Organ Meat, 25% Veggies.

I realize that not everyone does veggies -- you can zero-out that line and change the ratios in whatever way you wish. It's fully customizable to suit what's best for your dog. Just make sure it all adds to 100!

The great thing about this worksheet is, you can adjust the food weight at any time (i.e. adjust the daily food weight if Batman needs to lose a few, or is not gaining enough), and it will automatically update the values for you.

Finally, I made a budget chart under each recipe to calculate costs. You can change all the prices in there too, of course.

Happy BARF-ing!

[mahhi22]

Darn! I was able to open the Google doc but the download didn't work. I'm wondering if its cuz I have an older version of Excel. I'm new to raw & am buying the premade stuff from the pet food store which is eating a hole in my wallet. Will most likely be going DIY at some point but sitting down to do the math is a bit of the inhibitor for me. I was so excited when I saw your post & spreadsheet cuz it looked like just what I needed for the calculating. Too bad for me!

[marshies]

Thanks for the tool. I've been looking for spreadsheets like this one. I'm also looking to bring home a puppy in the upcoming months.

I'm trying to be a bit more detailed in my research, and come up with the macro-nutritional requirements. Stuff like iron per ounces of meat...and other such silliness. Have you had luck with this kind of information?

[SitUbuSit]

Originally Posted by mahhi22

Darn! I was able to open the Google doc but the download didn't work. I'm wondering if its cuz I have an older version of Excel. I'm new to raw & am buying the premade stuff from the pet food store which is eating a hole in my wallet. Will most likely be going DIY at some point but sitting down to do the math is a bit of the inhibitor for me. I was so excited when I saw your post & spreadsheet cuz it looked like just what I needed for the calculating. Too bad for me!

You can PM me with your email address -- I can send it to you as an attachment in Excel 2007.

[SitUbuSit]

Originally Posted by marshies

Thanks for the tool. I've been looking for spreadsheets like this one. I'm also looking to bring home a puppy in the upcoming months.

I'm trying to be a bit more detailed in my research, and come up with the macro-nutritional requirements. Stuff like iron per ounces of meat...and other such silliness. Have you had luck with this kind of information?

I highly recommend Dr. Becker's book for that info. She lists the Iron, Calcium, Copper, and all the other micronutrient values for each recipe, along with the macronutrient values (protein, fat, moisture, ash, carbs).

I'm new to this myself, and am still trying to decipher it all. I will say, I've probably spent more time figuring out my puppy's nutritional needs than I have on my own!

[marshies]

Originally Posted by SitUbuSit

I highly recommend Dr. Becker's book for that info. She lists the Iron, Calcium, Copper, and all the other micronutrient values for each recipe, along with the macronutrient values (protein, fat, moisture, ash, carbs).

I'm new to this myself, and am still trying to decipher it all. I will say, I've probably spent more time figuring out my puppy's nutritional needs than I have on my own!

That's exactly how I feel about it. My pupper is no where to be seen yet...I was supposed to get one in 4 weeks but injured my ankle pretty severely... YET, here I am playing with nutritional spreadsheets.

[mkinttrim]

So if I have a growing puppy at 43 pounds can I just add to the top row up to 8% of his current weight and it will automatically figure this?

[Josie/Zeus]

Yay! This is a great tool, the book is awesome. Thank you lady!!

[SitUbuSit]

Originally Posted by Josie/Zeus

Yay! This is a great tool, the book is awesome. Thank you lady!!

You're so welcome! I figured I may as well put my Excel skills to use on something other than data sets. I can only imagine how much you have to feed that big hunk Koda!

Dr. Becker's book is my favorite so far. It's simple, clear and quantitative (I'm a numbers gal).

[SitUbuSit]

Originally Posted by mkinttrim

So if I have a growing puppy at 43 pounds can I just add to the top row up to 8% of his current weight and it will automatically figure this?

Just overwrite the 4% cell with 8% (or overwrite any of the existing 2-4% cells in the top row) -- that should produce the 8% weight in ounces for you to input into the second yellow box, and update all the values in the sheet.

The only fixed thing I provided for you is the formulas -- all the inputs in the top row, the RMB/MM/OM/V percentage columns, and the prices columns can be changed to meet your needs. The formulas should automatically update the outputs based on your changed inputs.