The Barf diet for dogs has its advantages and disadvantages in detail

The Barf diet for dogs is the name of a diet devised by Dr. Ian Billing Hurst, an Australian veterinarian. BARF stands for Bones and Raw Food (or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food), which translates into French as “food made with bones and raw food,” or more generally “raw meat food.”

Whether for dogs, cats or even rodents, he advocates a diet based on raw meat and meaty bones and nutritional supplements added casually and lightly: oils, yogurt, yeast, vegetables, fruits, eggs…

Barf diet for dogs

BARF stands for “Biologically Appropriate Raw Food”, translated into French as “Biologically Appropriate Raw Food”. Barf is a new natural food alternative suitable for dogs, cats and ferrets. From raw and fresh meat, the BARF system allows you to feed your pet as in the wild. Therefore, it is a carnivorous diet, without grains, only raw meat, meaty bones, offal and vegetables, with full respect for the digestive system of animals.

the date

After the advent of artificial foods, Australian veterinarian Dr. Ian Billing horst, in 1993, wondered about this method of feeding our dear companions. Indeed, according to him, the classic industrial food full of grains is the cause of a large number of health problems in our pets. Therefore, it is he who advocates feeding dogs and cats only raw meat, to provide them with a diet similar to the diet they had before. Since Dr. Ian Billing short, many specialists have addressed this problem, offering today's perfectly balanced Barf diet.

An alternative to industrial croquettes

Croquette is a favorite food for dog owners. It is an affordable, accessible and very attractive price level. Yet when we look at the composition of kibble, we tend to question the benefits of this diet. There are a lot of grains, by-products, general carbohydrate levels, and in general a lot of unidentified ingredients. Croquettes do not contain enough meat and too many carbohydrates from grains. Croquettes consist, on average, of 80% grain and 20% meat meal. A diet that does not meet the needs of our hungry companions. That is why together we will discover an alternative to industrial croquettes: BARF feed.

Advantages of the Barf diet:

• Better quality of life and longevity:   BARF is a quality way of feeding: A good quality BARF diet, with high quality meat, is a highly digestible way of feeding, with an excellent protein intake for dogs.
• Stools are less bulky:   smaller in size and less odor.
• Better Oral Health:   The BARF diet, consisting of raw meat and bones, requires the animal to chew and eat bones. It allows them to have beautiful teeth with full health, less tartar, and less labored breathing. Big difference with croquettes, where most of our dogs swallow the whole thing without even bothering to chew!
• DOG EATING FUN:   BARF is absolutely delicious pet food! Indeed, from an early age, they are attracted to meat! Do you have a dog who tends to “soak” his croquette bowl? With a BARF scheme, you will not face this kind of problem anymore.
• Hair:   soft and shiny
• Beautiful Muscles:   A diet rich in protein is an excellent way to develop your dog's muscles.
• A diet adapted to all ages:   The BARF diet is suitable for all ages and all levels of activity of the dog (except in exceptional cases).

Barf Disadvantages:

• Stocking up on meat:   To reduce the cost of the BARF diet, Barfums generally buy meat in bulk. It requires that you have a lot of storage space, especially if you own a large dog. For this, you will likely invest in a new refrigerator.
• Major Health Risks:   Undercooking meat inevitably has disadvantages. In fact, pathogenic bacteria or other parasites are not destroyed by the baking step. Thus there are risks of infection with parasites or food poisoning. Is why you should be strict about hygiene when preparing meals.
• Time:   Barf will inevitably take you longer than just pouring croquettes into a bowl. With BARF, it is essential to prepare your dog's meal. You have to take the time to crush the vegetables, to cook them if necessary, to weigh the portions...all of this requires an organization that has a specific time for preparation.
• To keep:   Dog food is a lot more complicated to keep a dog on than an artificial diet. Is your dog sitter willing to make preparations? Store ingredients properly? Respect the rules of hygiene? Nothing is impossible, but it does require a dog sitter to get ready for the subject!
• Price:   Barf is supposed to be more expensive than artificial foods. Meat remains an expensive ingredient. (however, to compare with good quality croquettes, they are not necessarily more expensive)

How does the barf diet improve my dog's health?

A dog fed a BARAF diet benefits from a healthy and complete diet, with all the nutritional contributions it needs. So, your dog gets younger, thanks to a boosted immune system, and gets sick less often (no problem with allergies, skin or kidney infection...). As a result, your companion grows up under better conditions and his life expectancy increases.

Meat, the first ingredient for dogs

Dogs, cats, or ferrets are still carnivores. Yes, looking into the jaws of these creatures is enough to see their carnivorous teeth.

The ancestor of the dog, the wolf, ate mainly large game, but also ate fruits, roots, herbs … giving it a well-balanced diet containing all the elements necessary for its health (vitamins, fibers, minerals, proteins…). Cats and ferrets live in freedom, feeding on small prey. Their digestive systems are those of carnivores. They have acidic stomach juices that allow them to digest meat foods effectively. A diet consisting primarily of grains rich in carbohydrates does not sit well with our comrades.

Barf meal composition

The “Barf” meal consists of meat, meaty bones, offal, and oil. We find approximately: 50% meat (type: scallops), 40% mammoth bones, and 10% offal. Offal is essential to the diet, although it is only a small part of the ration. They are rich in vitamins. Garbage is 10% of food, so don't abuse it.

You can add some vegetables for a dog who is not strictly a carnivore. Each food provides its share of nutrients essential to your companion's well-being.

For a puppy, the recommended meat rule is 6% of an individual's weight. For an adult dog, support is 3% of its importance. This proportion is adjusted according to your dog's activity, diseases... We recommend that you seek the advice of your veterinarian to know the exact ration to be given according to your dog.

Barf diet supplement

You can add oils in your buddies' bowls. They provide essential fatty acids: Omega 3 and Omega 6. Crues oils must be given exclusively. It is necessary to diversify your oils and focus on animal and non-vegetable oils (accelerating transit). Recommended amounts of oil are 1 teaspoon per day per 10 kg of your animal's weight.

You can also add vegetables! It should only be given to dogs (carnivores are not strict). They are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Help maintain your dog's digestive system. Vegetables should always be grown, except for a few that you can cook (green beans, eggplant, celery...). We also advise you to mix it to facilitate digestion.

Recently, you can also add eggs to your BARF diet. It is an excellent source of protein and iron. They have to give fully and believe! The recommended amount is one chicken egg per 10 kg of body weight per week.

How do you get started on the Barf diet?

If you want to start the transition to BARF, it's best to start with two meals a day. In fact, the digestion of meat is much faster than the digestion of food. Your dog will probably be hungry the first time with one bowl a day of meat. However, after several months, one serving per day is possible.

It is recommended that you start the first 15 days with meat, without fat bones and offal, and the recommended meat is chicken. Once 15 days have passed, you can introduce the fat, raw chicken bones. If all is still going well, after 15 days, you can finally add offal!

We particularly advise you to seek advice from your vet, to start your barf diet as best as possible, especially if you are making a transition, or if you have a puppy.

complete meals

If you have little time to prepare your companions' dishes, you can find complete BARF menus on specialized sites, consisting of meat in a percentage adapted to fruits and vegetables. These are already prepared lists; You don't need to mix fruits and vegetables, or pick out meat...everything is already planned out! There are many variations (beef, game, poultry...), and there are menus for adult dogs as well as for large dogs. We advise you to be very attentive to labels and to compose these menus to maintain the quality of the BARF diet.

• In the supermarket
• In meat shops
• At BARF specialty stores, local or on the internet (easy-barf, other zoo...)
• At the butcher / poultry

Before going to the Barf diet for dogs:

• You must have a suitable refrigerator, with individual storage capacity, to respect the cold chain.
• Meat quality is essential. Find out more about the reliability of sellers and specialty stores.
• Ask your veterinarian's advice as to what rations to give mainly in terms of meat as well as nutritional supplements.
• It is forbidden to give wild boar meat. And you have to be careful about the origin of the pork (pork's from the French breed are preferred to avoid Ojezki's disease).