Barf Diet For Dogs

Make Your Own Dog Food and Raw Food Dog

BARF diet for dogs is very logical alternative to "normal" dog food. Many owners have taken the plunge and their furry friends are thanking them for this step, but is it as good as it sounds. This is the raw truth about raw food dog.

There is a relatively new fad diet called the BARF Diet for Dogs, one of several raw dog food diets. Many of them contains lot of meat.

You can make your own dog food and the amount of meat makes it high protein dog food as well.

Photo courtesy of Mike Baird

BARF Benefits

The concept is this: before humans got involved with their fancy cans of gourmet dog food and what are essentially bags of meat-flavored dry cereal, dogs happily ate all things raw, and managed to not choke on bones, or get sick on greenery.

Developed by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, a veterinarian from Australia, the BARF Diet for Dogs claims to improve the overall health of your furry friend by reducing periodontal disease, strengthening the immune system, providing exercise while eating, reducing or eliminating anal sac issues, and improving the psychological health of your dog.

With all these benefits, what could go wrong with the BARF Diet for Dogs?

The problems..

The primary concern is that raw food has a much greater potential for deadly bacteria than cooked food. This bacteria can not only be deadly to the one on the raw dog food diet, but also to the humans living in the same space.

Many families with young children might balk at having raw meat and bone remnants hanging around ready to be used as a make-shift teething toy.

Salmonella is a major concern in several countries. Camphylobacter as well. Both bacteria can give humans severe diseases.

Much of this can be minimized having a good kitchen working habits.

Another concern with raw dog food is that raw bones, like cooked ones, can perforate the gastrointestinal tract of even the sturdiest of dogs. Forcing emergency surgery onto the unsuspecting dog and his family.

This is very well known in practice of veterinary medicine. I have done many operations of this kind. Also in where I had to remove some intestine because of necrotic damage to the tissue.

Parasites

Yet another concern with an all raw dog food diet, whether it is the BARF Diet for Dogs or another label, is that of parasites. Parasites thrive in raw food, and many dogs are susceptible to them.

There are also other dietary concerns that might not be met through an all raw dog food diet. High phosphorous content in raw meat can and does often impede calcium absorption, which dogs need for their bone strength, just like humans.

Many vets also are concerned with skin health, anemia issues as well.

Photo courtesy of Mike Baird

Is it natural for the domestic dog?

Now, I probably sound like a vet.

But, another consideration in determining whether the BARF Diet for Dogs, or other raw dog food diets are right for your pet is the question of if it is even wise to feed dogs solely according to what their ancestors needed.

Dogs of decades and centuries past, and current cousins of dogs, such as wolves and coyotes, all eat raw dog food. But does that mean that their domesticated counterparts should or need to do so?

Dogs living in the wild are used to all the bacteria found in scavenging for food, but most domesticated dogs have never been exposed to more than the smallest morsels of raw meat, and usually that comes from a scrap of fatty tissue cut off a steak before a human cooks it.

This table scrap raw dog food is a far cry from traditional canine scavenging.

What about our genetically modification we have done to the dog. All kind of breeds we have developed. This affect the genetic material. This is important to remember as this can alter whats natural for the dogs.

The dogs of today are not like its ancestor's.

The brain of the wolf and the dog are not a like. Big changes has happened because of the "dog evolution". Can this as well have affected other parts of the body? Perhaps. I don't know! Do you?

To Sum It Up

No matter what you decide for feeding your dog, don’t make any decision without consulting with your regular veterinarian.

I hope you can have a discussion based on facts and not so much on believe.

Personal I like the idea of feeding raw but I can't see why light heating of the food can do any significant damage to the nutritional value.

As with human fad diets, the BARF Diet for Dogs sounds good on paper, but should only be initiated after your careful research. Look at the benefits and the risks.

Are there any alternatives?

When it comes to the decision you are in charge.

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