The BARF dog food diet, or the BARF diet. BARF stands for biologically appropriate diet or bones and raw food diet, and it has become popular for dogs because many owners believe that it is closer to a dog’s natural diet.
With all the dog food recalls in recent years, many pet owners have decided to feed their dogs raw food.
Concerned pet owners are reading labels carefully, and many are actually making dog food for their dogs. In fact, a number of pet parents are switching their dogs over to a raw diet.
Wolves, ancestors of today’s dogs, ate raw meat and raw foods. This is the model that many dog owners are using.
If you want to feed your dog raw food, but don’t know how to get started, get a copy of Raw Dog Foods: Make It Easy for You and Your Dog by Carina Beth Macdonald.
What is a Raw Dog Food Diet?
Giving dogs a raw dog food diet (BARF diet with bones and raw food) is more and more popular as the years go by.
However the BARF diet is very controversial and people on both sides of the debate will defend their positions adamantly. So you need to do the research and decide for yourself.
A raw dog food diet for dogs includes raw meat and meat piecies that are still attached to an uncooked bone. But meat is usually not the only part of this diet. The raw meat in the BARF diet is usually supplemented by fresh fruits and vegetables.
This method of feeding is used by pet owners who want their dogs to eat a diet the way nature intended for them in the wild. Being a relative to the wolf, dogs have a natural genetic “taste” for raw meat and bones.
Weimaraner owners who choose to feed the Bones and Raw Dog Food Diet to their dogs, often report that their dogs have never been healthier.
A raw dog diet can improve your dog’s immune system, clean his teeth, prevent weight gain and give him healthier stools.
If you want to feed your dog the BARF diet but prefer to buy his food, you can buy premium freeze dried dog food, without having to fix it yourself.
But, if you are not quite ready to switch over to a totally raw diet, you can join a number of pet parents who are simply topping off their dog’s food with a raw food topper or supplement.
The Other Side of the Controversy
On the opposite side of the fence are those who claim that the raw food diet is unsafe.
Proponents of this theory say say that raw meat might contain bacteria that will make their dog sick.
Veterinarians do warn against using bones (especially chicken bones) in a dog’s diet. If your dog has strong teeth, she can break even hard bones like beef bones. The splinters from the bone may puncture your dog’s intestines.
You can find holistic dog food in the form of premium kibble dog food with occasional raw vegetables and some cooked meat without bones.
You decide. Choose premium organic dog food, canned food (not usually recommended) or the BARF diet. But make sure you do your homework before you make a decision.
