Barf And Raw Diets
In recent years there has been a gradually growing trend of going back to basics with dog (and cat) foods. The concept behind all raw food diets is that the mechanisms of the canine digestive system evolves very slowly, while we humans have altered their diet radically in a very short time. Their ancestors hunted for their own food and ate it raw (and many dogs around the world still do today). No wolves cook their meals or mix them with vegetable matters and make biscuits - their prey animals provided them with all the proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins that they needed. And they still do! No additives, no chemicals, no harsh processing.. and no big industries making a profit on selling low quality ingredients to pet owners with remarkable profits. The raw diet aims to copy the natural diets of dogs, creating a more easily digestible and healthier food for man's best friend. Here we'll look at a few of the main kinds of raw dog food.
The BARF Diet:
A BARF diet comprises of:
60% MEATY BONES 60%-70% of which are RAW chicken bones, the remainder (30%-40%) being bones from RAW lamb, rabbit, beef, pork, venison etc. 40% OTHER FOOD STUFFS Green leafy vegetables should make up about 60%-70% of the vegetable part of the diet, with grain and starchy vegetables being between 20%-30%. The offal portion of the diet, that is liver, kidneys and hearts etc., should be about 5%-15% of the diet.
The Raw Meaty Bones Diet:
A Raw Meaty Bones diet comprises of:
Aim for 70% or more of the diet as raw meaty bones. Thereafter, the remaining percentage can be made up of offal, table scraps, and large lumps of meat or more raw meaty bones. The closer you follow the natural ideal the better. Feed whole carcasses whenever you can and otherwise base your feeding regime on raw meaty bones in large pieces from a variety of animals. However, wolves frequently depend on meat from a single prey species, for instance deer, and there are lots of pet dogs that eat chicken at every meal.
The Prey Model Raw Diet:
A Prey Model Raw diet comprises of:
- 80% muscle meat (including skin, sinew and eggs)
- 10% edible bones
- 10% organ (of which no more than 5% liver)
Muscle meat is all you think of as muscle, including heart, tongue and tripe Edible bones are those small enough to be eaten (depends on the dog) Organ are the squishy bits - brain (some consider this muscle, though), lungs, liver, kidney, sweetbread..
Prey model is either fed with whole pray animals like mice, rabbits, chicks and such or as "frankenprey" where you combine the meats, organs and bones from different animals to match the pray ratio of 80-10-10.
To all of these diets you can add a couple of raw eggs a week and some cod or salmon liver oil.
Please remember that your dog cannot digest vegetables unless they have been cooked (losing most of the nutrients) or pulped. However, some raw carrot or cabbage etc will do no harm at all and if your dog likes it, then why not!
FAQ
What have people have reported?
People who have switched their dogs to a raw diet from commercial dog foods have found the following:
- Dogs who were previously un-energetic, and sluggish become completely new dogs once the raw diet feeding begins
- Alergies their dogs previously had on commercial foods, disappear once they start with the raw diet
- Arthritis has significantly reduced or disappeared in some dogs switched to raw
- Better weight control
- No more doggy odour!
- Their dogs are living longer on a raw diet than what their other dogs previously had survived on commercial dog foods
- That their bitches managed their pregnancies better
- Better weight and survival figures in puppies
How about pre-packaged raw foods?
re-packed raw foods are entering the market in a big way. However, for the most part, they are inappropriate food stuffs. Here's just some of the problems with them:
- Different standards for packaging dog food than for packaging human foods
- You don't know how much of different foods are in your pack (unless you are sent an entire carcass)
- 5-10 times more expensive than buying directly from your butcher
- Usually, they are ground food - which is not species appropriate - both dogs and cats need whole raw meaty bones and/or carcasses
- Contain unnecessary supplements
- Contain fruit and vegetables - which are just not appropriate for dogs or cats.
What is the right raw diet?
Just as there are several kinds of quality kibble there are different diets that work for different owners/dogs. You will often find that rawfeeders believe strongly in the diet they have chosen. Please look through the links we have provided to learn more and make up your own mind of what will work for you.
Where can I buy this stuff?
Talk to your local butcher, abbotoir, or chicken processor. Many of the leftovers that these guys consider waste, us raw feeders people consider fantastic for our dogs. Things like chicken carcasses, chicken necks, chicken feet, and chicken heads are considered rubbish, and are sold for next to nothing. You should be able to get these fairly easily.
You can also try things like pigs' trotters (that's pig's feet), ox tail, lamb's necks. Some people also have access to ostrich carcasses, and deers. Be creative. And don't forget raw whole fish!
Can I feed puppies on raw food?
You most certainly can. And the good news is that unlike the commercial dog foods who recommend a confusing range of foods for different age groups, raw food fed dogs are fed the same regardless of age.
Of course, you won't want to feed that little puppy huge marrow bones! So, use common sense in your feeding.
How do I learn more?
The following sites will give you more detailed information and suggested diet sheets for both diets
- http://www.rawmeatybones.com/index.html
- http://www.barfworld.com/
- http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawfeeding
Also, have a look through our forum for tips on raw feeding………https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t2170-looking-into-barf
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Barf And Raw Diets
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