What is the B.A.R.F. Diet?
The B.A.R.F. diet stands for two things. The first is Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, which means that every animal has its own specific nutritional and dietary needs based on its biological makeup. If the animal gets nutrients that still do not meet the dietary requirements of its body, this could be very harmful for the health of the animal. The BARF acronym also stands for Bones and Raw Food, which this concept encourages. The Bones and Raw Food concept was created by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, and is based on the belief that a diet consisting of natural food is ideal, and can be given to the dog instead of cooked meals. The natural meals are said to contain exactly what dogs really need, and it is what dogs would eat in their natural animal state. The BARF diet is actually a huge leap backwards from commercially-available dog food, but a lot of dog owners and veterinarians are very supportive of it.
How to Prepare a B.A.R.F. Diet for Your Dog
The BARF diet, as the Bones and Raw Food meaning states, includes feeding your dog bones with raw meat. If you decide to feed your dog the BARF diet, that means you have to steer clear from even home-cooked meals, and any other kind of cooked food. This also means no dog food ever. It also does not include natural meals that contain various ingredients that can also be found in dog food, such as grains. It does not, however, mean that the dog owner should really duplicate what the dog eats in the wild. It just means that dog owners should try to imitate the natural dog food. To give you an idea, here’s how you can prepare a complete BARF diet for your pet. A proper BARF diet consists of 60% of raw meaty bones and 40% of vegetables, liver, kidney, eggs, and heart. The 60% of raw meaty bones should mostly be raw chicken bones, aside from additional raw pork and beef bones, as well as raw meaty bones from rabbit and lamb.
The Benefits of the B.A.R.F. Diet
There are a lot of benefits that a dog can receive from a BARF diet. The people who support the BARF diet believes that it is effective in keeping the dog healthier than when the dog is exposed to artificial dog food. Not only that, but the BARF diet also benefits various parts of the body. A dog on a BARF diet can get stronger teeth and bones, a stronger immune system, and an optimized ability to absorb nutrients from the food they take in as the digestive system is also strengthened. Outwardly, a dog on a BARF diet will get a leaner body, and healthier-looking skin and fur.
Should You Put Your Dog on the B.A.R.F. Diet?
The decision whether to put your dog on a BARF diet or not is up to you. Although there are several benefits that your dog can receive out of it, some people are also saying that raw foods can also contain ingredients that are harmful and just not suitable for pets. Pet dogs have evolved, naturally, from being a wild dog, and so, much difference between a dog in its natural state and one that is housebroken can be pointed out. This means that feeding raw meaty bones can be potentially harmful to your pet as well. If this is one diet that you are considering to give to your dog, make sure to consult your veterinarian before going ahead with it. Despite these potential danger, a lot of dog owners still go ahead with the BARF diet, simply because they see for themselves the proven and effective ways that their dog’s overall health and vitality is improved by this revolutionary diet.
