B.A.R.F. Diet: Sounds yummy but what is it

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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.

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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