What is the BARF diet?

What is the BARF diet?

Raw pet food diets have gotten a bad rap over the years, as many pet owners believe they are bad for their dogs’ health.

However, the diet was founded by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, a nutritionist and veterinarian, and is based on feeding dogs an evolutionary diet consisting of meats, fresh greens, and other greens.

Here we are going to take a closer look at the BARF diet and what it consists of along with why it is an ideal choice to ensure your dog sees a variety of health benefits. For more information on raw foods, see belle and duke.

Understanding the BARF Diet

The biologically appropriate raw food diet or “raw food and bones” diet consists of muscle meat, organ meats, fruits and vegetables, and raw meaty bones.

This combination of foods creates a high protein, low carbohydrate, moderate fat diet that is perfect for dogs when fed in a balanced way.

The amount of raw food provided will depend on the body weight and age of the dog.

The BARF diet should be balanced, and fortunately, there are a handful of companies that specialize in providing balanced servings of raw food diets for dogs. This makes it easier on you and prevents you from doing more harm than good.

Raw foods are superior to commercial pet foods, as commercial dog foods are loaded with grains that can be bad for dental health.

The structure of the BARF diet

BARF diets consist of protein as lean cuts of meat such as turkey, beef, pork, and lamb.

Organ meats such as kidneys and liver, ground or whole meat bones, raw eggs, plain yogurt or cottage cheese, and fish once a week. The structure of the diet is as follows:

• 70% raw meat
• 10% raw bones
• 5% organ meat
• 5% secretory organs
• 10% fruits and vegetables

The BARF diet for dogs is the equivalent of a highly nutritious diet that a human would eat.

This is a much better option than feeding your dog processed foods that can lead to an unbalanced diet.

Different types of diets based on raw meat

The raw diet comes in a variety of forms that can be modified or will require additional nutrients such as calcium and iron.

RMBD or raw meat-based diets consist of raw meat and bones; however, you will need to add a supplement as this diet alone is unbalanced.

Prey Model Diet replicates the diet a wild dog would have.

This includes whole prey animals like hens, chickens, and rabbits. The BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods) diet is the final variation and has proven to be the most balanced of all the raw food diets.

The benefits

Raw diets have been shown to relieve allergies and dermatitis, this also gives them a shinier coat and healthier skin.

Dental health is another aspect of your health that benefits, as the diet reduces gum inflammation and tartar buildup.

Your dog will also benefit from increased energy levels, better mental health, and no more digestive issues.

The raw diet can be slightly more expensive than a commercial diet; however, the benefits are endless and you will end up with a happier dog.