What is the BARF
(Bones and Raw Food) Diet?
The BARF Diet. You may have heard it mentioned before, and thought that it
didn't sound too appealing, by name alone. But based on
the principal and much-needed nutrients this diet provides
your pet, you may be changing your tune quickly.
The secret of BARF is in the living enzymes that your pet consumes. These
really should be considered your pet's life force. During
processing and cooking, these vital enzymes are destroyed!
The idea of feeding your pet completely raw and unprocessed
food is not a new one. His or her ancestors still eat this way
in the wild, and do not come down with all of the food-caused
illnesses that we see in our pets today. We are talking skin
conditions; itchy skin not associated with fleas, skin
irritation, skin rash, dry skin on legs, skin allergies of all
kinds.. Even peeling or bloating of the paw skin, which can
cause your dog to lick their feet constantly. The paw problems
are known to come from Beet Pulp,
a common waste product thrown into low-quality dog food.
Now you probably assume that feeding your dog a natural diet is too
expensive. I have to say, that would be wrong. Actually a raw
food diet is much more affordable than you may think. Often,
if you get to know your resources in your area, you can pull
it off for cheaper than the price of low-quality kibble. And
when it comes to the benefits your loving companion will feel,
you really do owe it to your best friend to do a little
research. Really, a dog who enjoys his bones likely will never
have teeth problems!
In the wild, cats and dogs eat what they catch. This
includes the content's of their prey's stomach, which would
probably be some kind of plant or vegetation matter. So if you
decide to include veggies, it should be blended or ground to
mimic what they would eat from their prey's stomach, as it's
the only way they can digest it.
For the sake of making it easy for us who live in
cities, we will be looking towards raw meats sold for human
consumption. NOT including pork. Alright? Pork is known for
carrying some very deadly parasites, so it's off-limits.
Everything else, including chicken
and chicken bones will work!
Turkey is a nice cost-effective, lean meat and bone source for
your pet, when it is on sale (think Seasonal). You've probably
heard that chicken bones will
splinter off and kill your pet. That is true, but only cooked
bones are to blame, so it's not a problem for us. As for
beef bones,
beef liver, and even
chicken necks... They can
easily and cheaply be acquired from your local butcher. Look
for sales in your local supermarket, and mark-downs that are
nearing their expiration date, for some nice cost-effective
meals. Cottage cheese can be a great, and healthy treat for
your pet!
Ox tails, neck bones and shoulder blades are soft and
good for supplementing, while knuckles are good for
recreational chewing.
Kelp and
Alfalfa are great supplements to
your pet's diet, for things like grains.
Okay, I still have your attention?? Good!
How much should you feed your BARF-fed pet?
Now, you will need to know your dog's weight. This
one is debate-able, feeding somewhere between 1 and 3%,
depending on the dog's breed and activity level.. So you will
take that number, and times it by 16.. So that you know how
many ounces should be on your kitchen scale for the meal.
Here is something that many Americans may not be
completely aware of.. Garlic is on many lists of TOXIC foods.
However in many other countries, it has been used as an
anti-oxidant and natural flea control for many years!
Yogurt. Plain yogurt, just a spoon-ful can be given to a
dog who seems to have a lot of gas.
Really, I know some of you have complained about it being
DANGEROUS sitting next to your dog when he comes down with
some gas. I've got a dog too, it happens. Laugh it off, and
give your dog a spoonful of yogurt. That should help a lot.
Sounds interesting, but you want to learn more? Check out
these books for much more information |
