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It's funny I think, how dogs (or should I say wolves) have been eating a raw food diet for thousands of years but us humans have only been feeding the BARF raw dog food diet to our domesticated furry buddies for about 10 years.
Wolves and dogs who live in the wild tend to live long healthy lives and show very little tendency towards degenerative diseases and cancer. This is why many people have begun switching their favorite domesticated canine over to a BARF raw dog food diet.
Some people simply purchase their raw food frozen from any number of very good reputable sources. Others, take it upon themselves to purchase fresh raw food and prepare it for their dog. If you fall under this category we have a few tips for you to make it easier and cheaper for you and healthier for your dog.
The basic components of the BARF raw dog food diet is bones with some meat still attached and muscle meat. This will comprise up to 75% of the diet. Specifically, we are talking about chicken and turkey necks, wings and backs. Whole carcases of quail, rabbits and some "fresh" fish. (You have to be careful with fish because it will go bad very quickly and stink the joint up) Other sources of course are lean meats like beef, lamb and pork. Don't forget to include any bones you can get your hands on.
Keep in mind that the size of the bones you feed your dog should be proportional to you dogs size. You're not going to feed fifi the miniature poodle the same beef thigh bone that you would throw at your Great Dane.
You do need to include some fruits and vegetables in the BARF raw dog food diet. It seems kind of funny to be feeding you dog fruits and vegetables but keep in mind in the wild dogs and wolves will munch on the occasional berry and I'm sure you've seen you dog eating grass before. That would be a green leafy vegetable right there. So be sure to include a few of the following in your fresh BARF raw dog food:
Lettuce, parsley, celery, beets. Also throw in one of more of the following fruits, apples, bananas, pears and or oranges.
A quick tip regarding vegetables. broccoli, beans, cabbage, turnips and Brussels sprouts may tend to give you dog gas!
Also, Onions, tomatoes, spinach and cucumbers may be hard for some dogs to digest.
The smallest portion of the Barf raw dog food diet should be Offal. That is to say internal organs such as heart liver kidneys etc. These meats are quite high in the vitamins and minerals that are important to your dogs health.
Grains and breads should be almost non existent in the Barf raw dog food diet.
Be sure to purchase human grade raw meat and bones.
There are ways to go about purchasing this raw food that can make it very easy and quite economical for you. I will go into that more fully in my next instalment.
Very nice, informative and well written! I have three small dogs and I have been thinking about this type of food for them. Thanke for all of the information.
This is a great article and raises good awareness. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to find pet food without preservatives and who knows what in it. My dog loves his bones and not only are they good for him but they're entertaining too.
Raw or cooked onions are currently on the list of foods that can harm dogs, along with grapes, raisans, nuts, garlic, etc. I've read several recent reports about how plants of the "Allium" family are toxic to dogs. FYI. Stan J.
Hi Jenna, BARF stand for "Bones And Raw Food". Thanks for the comments. Cary
i think it's funny how this article just completely contradicts everything that vets have told us not to feed our pets. and you do make a very good point. dogs are just domesticated wolves sort of speak and wolves eat raw meat, bones, veggies like grass, even scavenge in dump sites for people food.
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