Can The B.a.r.f. Diet Help Your Dog Live And Be Healthy 30 Years?

Long before the dog food scare, health-conscious dog and cat owners in Europe and Australia knew of the B.A.R.F. diet and had been feeding it to their pets for years. Now America is catching on, but it is a slow process. Raw foods remind us of "something unhealthy". Even the official veterinarian manual does not have a lot of information regarding animal nutrition. Most of it comes from the very powerful dog food lobby, which, may be killing our pets. Forget about the rat poison recently found. That might be the healthiest ingredient in that mush.

The b.a.r.f diet is one of those cases of "I wish I knew then what I know now". After a near-death experience for my dog "Thor", it did not take long to realize that the dog food was the culprit. Even the "highest quality most expensive". For the first month on the b.a.r.f. diet (totally raw foods), he was eliminating toxins in his stool and urine that made it unbearable to even stand nearby. I know that sounds gross but must be told so as to knwo what to expect. After a month, there was no smell to either. His condition, his fur, his character, had all so improved, it was like something out of a movie. It was totally dramatic.

Before starting the b.a.r.f diet, it is a good idea to google it and learn all you can and what to expect. The pet is most likely loaded with toxins from his/her regular dog food and needs to be weaned off of it. So best not to start it all at once. I found a great way to help flush the toxins out was with herbal tinctures. Please do not use capsules or tablets. They move right through the dog or cat's system and have very little medicinal value. Also, stop the tap water immediately and move to spring water. You will see a big difference.

My anger remains at the pet food industry. There is no way they cannot know they are selling a dangerous product, but a profitable one. I guess it is something I will have to live with, just like alcohol or tobacco both being available but so poisonous. But we are analytical humans and know it. A pet has to rely on us, and we have to rely on the vet who is relying on the pet food salesperson. It's a viscious cycle and until someone blows the whistle, it is likely to remain that way a long time.

Vets are worried that dogs will choke on chicken and pork bones. They will not. Raw bones are flexible. They are easily digested even by puppies and elderly dogs. Kibble is the big danger. More dogs choke on kibble daily than all other dog diets combined. But you never hear that in the news.

A simple food processor costs about $30. It works wonders. Within seconds, one can make a different meal daily. Thor loved hamburger and broccoli with a bit of carrots and crushed rosemary. But that was Thor. He had his own tastes. A great thing to do is test different diets for your own dog.

Our ancestors came very close to feeding their pets the ideal diet. If it had been raw, it would have been. It is the raw enzymes in the raw foods that spark the system into regeneration, often no matter how severe the digestive problem that the wrong foods caused, and trust me, they cause them.

A few months ago I was flying to Charlotte, N.C on business and to see friends. I was talking to a young woman before takeoff, sitting next to me who had two yellow labs. They were both constantly sick. I told her about the b.a.r.f diet and how most vets don't know about it, because they are educated by the dog food industry salespersons.

Before I could finish my sentence, a woman sitting in front of us turned around and said, "Excuse me, I'm a veteran vet in Charlotte and I am sorry to eavesdrop (it was too late), but I know all about the b.a.r.f. diet and recommend it to all my clients. I am very much against feeding dogs and cats what is being sold in stores and many clinics

At first I couldn't believe what I was hearing. But she name dropped many of the famous b.a.r.f. diet doctors and quoted from their books and I knew she was telling the truth. I asked her how she made a living and she said, "On quantity from word of mouth, not return customers, generally."

Update: Since I wrote this article several months ago, my beloved dog Thor died peacefully in his sleep at age 21. While on the b.a.r.f diet, he never had one vet bill until 3 months ago. I will miss him greatly. He died at home on the floor, on pain meds (the heart meds had affected his liver) but with his trademark smile on his face. He loved people and loved life....thanks to the b.a.r.f. diet.