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FREEZE-DRIED RAW FEEDING GUIDE

How to feed a Borzoi

The Borzoi is a giant sighthound on a deliberately lean, delicate frame — bred to sprint, built to stay slender, and quietly prone to the deep-chested breed's most serious feeding risk: bloat. That combination makes how you feed a Borzoi matter as much as what you feed.

Here is exactly how to feed a Borzoi on freeze-dried raw: portioned to a lean athlete's frame, fed in calm, divided meals, with the nutrition that protects their joints, coat, and sensitive digestion.

  • Adult weight60–105 lb
  • SizeGiant
  • EnergyModerate
  • Lifespan9–14 years
  • CoatLong, silky single coat — heavy seasonal shedder
A healthy Borzoi
iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

What a Borzoi's body needs

Every Borzoi trait comes back to one thing: how you feed them. Here's what matters most.

  • Deep-chested, bloat-prone build

    Needs: Calm, divided, measured meals

    Freeze-dried raw rehydrates into a moist, easy-to-digest meal you portion by weight — feed in two smaller servings a day instead of one big bowl to ease the load on a deep chest.

  • Lean sighthound frame, low body fat

    Needs: Real volume, honest calories

    83% meat, organs and bone delivers concentrated, whole-food nutrition so a big hound is satisfied without being overfed — no carb fillers padding the bowl.

  • Athletic, born to sprint

    Needs: High-quality animal protein

    Clean animal protein and fat fuel lean running muscle and steady energy for the long walks and yard sprints a Borzoi lives for.

  • Hip, elbow & joint sensitivity

    Needs: Joint support + a lean weight

    Real meat, organ and ground bone supply natural glucosamine and chondroitin, omega-3s calm joint inflammation, and keeping a Borzoi lean takes load off developing joints.

  • Long, silky, heavy-shedding coat

    Needs: Omega-3 fatty acids

    Whole-food animal and fish fats feed the skin barrier from the inside, keeping that famous silky coat glossy through the once-a-year heavy shed.

How much to feed a Borzoi

Quick answer: a healthy adult Borzoi (60–105 lb) needs about 9.0–15.8 oz of freeze-dried raw per day, split across two meals. Freeze-dried is calorie-dense and measured dry — so it's much less by volume than kibble. Feed to a lean waistline and adjust every few weeks.

Ideal adult weightFreeze-dried per dayPer meal (×2)
60 lb 9.0 oz 4.5 oz
71 lb 10.7 oz 5.3 oz
82 lb typical Borzoi 12.3 oz 6.2 oz
93 lb 14.0 oz 7.0 oz
105 lb 15.8 oz 7.9 oz

Starting points for a moderately active adult (~0.15 oz of freeze-dried per lb of ideal weight). Active dogs need a little more, couch companions a little less — always adjust to body condition, not the bag.

What to feed a Borzoi

For a Borzoi we recommend complete freeze-dried raw as the daily base — real meat, organs and ground bone with no heat-processed filler — or as a topper while you transition a famously fussy eater onto it.

Borzoi can be picky and have lean digestion, so the rich aroma of single-protein recipes like Chicken or Wild-Caught Cod tempts choosy eaters, while Grass-Fed Beef suits a hard-running or underweight hound. Just add water and serve.

Feeding a Borzoi by life stage

  • Puppy: Borzoi are a giant breed, so puppies must grow slowly to protect forming joints and lower the risk of OCD and dysplasia. Feed roughly 5–8% of current body weight across three meals a day and resist overfeeding — fast growth is the enemy here, not slow steady gains.
  • Adult: Feed two calm, measured meals a day to a lean, athletic frame — you should feel the ribs easily and see a tuck behind the chest. Use the chart below as a starting point and adjust to body condition, not the bag.
  • Senior: Older Borzoi slow down but should stay lean and well-muscled. Trim portions as activity drops, keep protein high to preserve lean muscle, and lean into joint-supporting nutrition for aging hips and elbows.

Common Borzoi concerns — and the diet connection

  • Bloat & GDV (gastric dilatation-volvulus)The deep-chested Borzoi's most serious risk. Feeding smaller, calm, divided meals of a moist rehydrated raw diet — rather than one large dry meal gulped quickly — supports easier digestion and steadier eating.
  • Hip & elbow dysplasiaLargely genetic, but a lean body weight plus joint nutrients (natural glucosamine from bone and cartilage, omega-3) help support day-to-day joint comfort and slow wear.
  • Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD)Seen in large-breed pups that grow too fast. Controlled-growth feeding — measured portions, not free-feeding — supports steady, joint-friendly development through the puppy months.
  • Lean frame & weight controlSlender Borzoi gain weight quietly under their coat. Measured, calorie-honest raw feeding keeps them at the lean weight their joints and overall health depend on.
  • Coat & skin conditionA whole-food, omega-rich, low-filler diet supports the skin barrier and the silky, healthy coat the breed is known for, especially through the heavy seasonal shed.

Diet supports health but doesn't replace veterinary care — ask your vet about any specific condition.

Feeding a Borzoi: what to know

Borzoi carry a lot of dog over a light, racy build, so they need a real volume of food without being overfed — extra weight strains their joints and, because they are deep-chested, a single large gulped meal can raise the risk of bloat and GDV.

Feed in two calm, measured meals a day (three for puppies), avoid free-feeding, and skip hard exercise right around mealtimes. Weigh portions rather than eyeballing them — these elegant dogs hide weight gain under all that coat.

Borzoi feeding questions

How much should I feed my Borzoi?
A healthy adult Borzoi (60–105 lb) needs roughly 9–16 oz of freeze-dried raw per day, split between two meals. Freeze-dried is calorie-dense and measured dry, so it is far less by volume than kibble — feed to a lean, tucked waistline and adjust every few weeks.
How do I lower my Borzoi's risk of bloat at mealtimes?
Feed two or more smaller, calm meals a day instead of one large bowl, avoid free-feeding, and skip hard running right before and after eating. A rehydrated freeze-dried raw meal is moist and easy to eat at a steadier pace than dry kibble.
What is the best food for a fussy Borzoi?
Borzoi can be picky eaters, and the rich aroma of single-protein freeze-dried raw — Chicken or Wild-Caught Cod — often wins over choosy hounds. Serve it rehydrated and warm-ish to bring out the smell, and resist topping with table scraps that reinforce fussiness.
How do I switch my Borzoi to raw?
Transition over 7–10 days, mixing a little more Land Animal into the old food each day. Go slowly with a lean-digestion sighthound, start at the lower end of the range, and keep meals calm and divided.
Does a Borzoi need joint support?
Many do. As a fast-growing giant breed prone to dysplasia and OCD, Borzoi benefit from freeze-dried raw with real bone and organ for natural glucosamine and omega-3 — and from staying lean, which is the most effective joint protection there is.
Why does my Borzoi look thin even when eating well?
Borzoi are naturally lean, racy dogs with low body fat — a visible tuck and a hint of rib is normal and healthy for the breed. Feed to body condition with measured, calorie-honest raw rather than trying to fill out their slender sighthound frame.

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  • "Knowing exactly how much to feed took all the guesswork out. He's leaner, with more energy on our walks."

    — Jenna & Cooper
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    — Priya & Luna
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Portions are starting points for freeze-dried raw and AAFCO complete-and-balanced recipes. Always feed to your individual dog's body condition and ask your vet about specific health needs.