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All Natural Dog Food
It actually sounds kind of gross, but BARF is an acronym for
Biologically Appropriate
Raw
Food or Bones and Raw Food. Many health conscious
veterinarians are huge advocates for this
diet which can completely replace commercially prepared
dog food. One of the first proponents of the
BARF
diet was Dr. Ian Billinghurst who still recommends it
today. He believes that it is the ultimate way to get our pets in to
optimum
health. Many people believe that the BARF diet simulates
what your dog would eat in his natural environment.
Many people feel that there are a lot of health advantages to feeding a
raw food diet. Many owners who have dogs with problems such as
allergies, skin problems, weight problems, and anal
gland problems have found that the
bones and raw food diet has helped to significantly
remedy these issues.
Some of the advantages to feeding a biologically appropriate raw food diet
include no consumption of preservatives found in most commercially
prepared kibble diets, it usually tastes better to your dog than regular
dog food, and in general,
muscle
mass and body condition improve on a raw food diet. One
also often finds that dogs produce fewer stools, eat more slowly, and have
fewer health problems. Many advocates of the raw food diet also claim that
it is less expensive than commercially manufactured
dog
food. One of the biggest disadvantages to this diet is
that it takes longer to prepare.
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Healthy Dog Food System
If you decide that you would like to try the BARF diet with your dog,
you must first do the research. There are many websites and books
available to guide you through the process. Talk to your veterinarian,
though many veterinarians are unfamiliar with the BARF diet. Find people
in your area that feed the raw food diet to their animals. Make sure it is
right for you and your dog before you try it.
The next step is to transition your dog from his commercial dog food to
his new bones and raw food diet. You may want to do this gradually as
oftentimes dogs develop digestive problems when switching to new diets.
Some advocates of the BARF diet recommend switching your dog to the new
diet cold turkey, however.
When feeding a raw food diet, you will generally want to feed your dog
twice per day. The first meal of the day will usually consist of raw meat
and bones like turkey or chicken legs, thighs, wings, or necks, pork
riblets, lamb chops, and the like. The second meal will consist of a mush
made with raw meat, fresh vegetables, and Offal (the organs parts of the
meat you are feeding).
Usually you will want to supplement this with cottage cheese, eggs with
the shells, yogurt, fruit, fish, and recreational bones (which are the
harder to chew kinds of bones). This can vary, so do your homework. You
will want to avoid grains. Advocates of the biologically appropriate raw
food diet agree that dogs do not have the proper digestive systems to deal
with whole grains and that most food allergies are grain related.
Most advocates of the raw food diet do not recommend supplements. If you
aren’t sure what to do, speak with your veterinarian.
Many people are hesitant to feed their dog a raw diet because they are
concerned about their dogs choking on bones. While these incidents occur,
proponents of raw food diets say they are rare, and that generally, dogs
choke on cooked bones, not raw ones.
There are commercially prepared raw food diets on the market. While this
is always an option for you if you choose to feed raw food, many advocates
of the BARF diet recommend against it. They argue that these foods have
different regulations that human grade foods, oftentimes contain
unnecessary supplements, are ground foods (and the whole basis of the BARF
diet is raw, meaty bones), and are much more expensive than visiting your
local butcher.
If you decide that the bones and raw food diet is something that you’d
like to try, first talk to your veterinarian about your decision. Then, do
as much research into the diet as possible. Talk to others who feed the
diet. You may find that by feeding the BARF diet you are improving the
health of your dog.
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