Jeffrey Salazar
The BARF diet, which stands for bones and raw food or biologically appropriate raw food, is a raw diet designed to provide dogs with a homemade diet of raw meaty bones, raw muscle meat, liver, and other secreting organs, vegetables, and fruits. The diet aims to maximize your pet's health and longevity and minimize health concerns. It is important to do your research before starting the diet to understand how it can help and ensure your dog is getting balanced nutrition.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What does BARF stand for? | Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones and Raw Food |
| What does it consist of? | Raw meat, bones, fruits, vegetables, herbs, dairy, whole grains, minerals, and supplements |
| How much food does an adult dog need per day? | 3% of their body weight |
| How to transition to a BARF diet? | Over a 7-10 day period, start by adding small amounts of raw food to their current diet and slowly increase the ratio of raw food |
| How to store raw food? | Store at 32°–42°F to discourage bacterial growth. Meat must be frozen at -17 to -20 degrees C for at least a week to kill potential parasites |
| How to feed bones? | Feed raw, larger bones. Smaller bones can break into shards and get lodged in the dog's throat. Ground bones are easier to digest |
| How much bone to feed? | 10-15% of the overall daily intake |
| How much liver to feed? | 5% of the overall daily intake |
| How much kidney to feed? | 5% of the overall daily intake |
| How much vegetables to feed? | 7% of the overall daily intake |
| How much fruit to feed? | 1% of the overall daily intake |
| How much seeds and nuts to feed? | 2% of the overall daily intake |
| How much meat to feed? | 80% |
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What You'll Learn
Raw meat, bones, and offal
Raw meat should be the largest component of the diet, comprising around 70% of the overall daily intake. It is an excellent source of protein, amino acids, and water-soluble vitamins. When feeding your dog raw meat, it is important to include a variety of different meats, such as beef, duck, turkey, chicken, lamb, salmon, and white fish. This variety helps ensure your dog receives a diverse range of nutrients.
Bones are another crucial element of the BARF diet, providing essential calcium and phosphorous, as well as other nutrients. The recommended daily intake of raw edible bones is around 10% as a starting point, but this can be increased to 12-15% depending on your dog's individual needs. It is important to feed larger bones to prevent choking hazards, and raw bones should always be chosen over cooked bones, which can splinter and cause harm.
Offal, or organ meats, are incredibly nutrient-rich, providing essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. The recommended daily intake of offal is around 5%, with liver being a particularly important component due to its high content of vitamin A.
When preparing and storing raw meat, bones, and offal for your dog's BARF diet, it is important to take precautions to avoid bacterial growth and cross-contamination. Raw foods should be stored at 32°–42°F.
Transitioning your dog to a BARF diet should be done gradually over a 7-10 day period, slowly increasing the ratio of raw foods until their bowl is entirely raw or combined with minimally processed foods. It is important to consult with a nutrition-focused veterinarian before making any significant changes to your dog's diet.
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Vegetables, fruits, and superfoods
Vegetables should be puréed, chopped, or grated to make them easy for dogs to digest. Starchy vegetables like potatoes must be thoroughly cooked before feeding to dogs. Boiling or baking starchy vegetables until fully cooked makes the starch digestible for dogs. Non-starchy vegetables can be puréed raw, which is the easiest and most recommended method of preparation. Lightly steaming or fermenting vegetables are also good preparation methods to promote optimal digestion.
Some vegetables that can be included in the BARF diet are broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, carrots, parsnip, Brussels sprouts, spinach, squash, pumpkin, and leafy greens. It is important to avoid vegetables that can be harmful to dogs, such as onions, avocados, and grapes.
Fruits can be puréed, chopped, or grated as well. Fruits that can be included in the BARF diet are apples, bananas, cranberries, blueberries, nectarines, pears, and more. Raisins and grapes must be avoided as they are toxic to dogs.
Seeds and nuts are beneficial for completing essential nutrient requirements for dogs. However, they must be pre-soaked and ground before feeding. Raw seeds and nuts contain phytates, which are anti-nutrients that can negatively affect nutritional balance. Soaking and grinding seeds and nuts reduces phytates and promotes optimal digestion.
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Food safety and storage
Food safety is a primary concern for dog owners considering the BARF diet. Many worry about their dog’s exposure to food-borne bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli. While valid, the risk of contamination from these bacteria is higher for humans than for dogs. It is important to remember that dogs eat uncooked meat in the wild.
Since humans prepare the food, it is necessary to take proper precautions to avoid cross-contamination, just as you would when preparing your own meals. Prepare and store raw food away from areas where it may come into contact with your food or with high-touch areas in your home. Store raw foods at 32°–42°F to discourage bacterial growth.
BARF diets can be purchased as commercially prepared meals, or prepared at home. Commercially prepared meals include frozen, freeze-dried, and combination diets. Combination diets are blends of grains, vegetables, and vitamins that must be mixed with raw meat purchased at the grocery store. Commercially prepared meals are convenient when traveling or leaving pets with a sitter.
Preparing BARF meals at home requires time, money, and dedication. It is important to commit to regularly measuring, mixing, storing, and defrosting your dog’s meals. Feeding improper ingredient portions or missing crucial nutrients can result in insufficient nutrition.
Transition your dog to a BARF diet over a 7–10-day period. Start by adding a small amount of raw foods to their current diet, then slowly increase the ratio of raw foods until their bowl is entirely raw (or combined with other minimally processed foods). If your dog is used to two meals a day, stick with that routine.
Adult dogs need to eat around 3% of their body weight per day to stay healthy. Use a feeding chart when measuring portions. There is no need to cut their meat into small bites — tearing into larger pieces of meat will help keep your dog’s teeth clean and make feeding a more active pursuit. Smaller dogs may require smaller pieces of meat. While blended, raw produce is great, you may also steam fruits and vegetables to aid in nutrient absorption and make them easier to digest. Avoid produce that could be harmful to dogs, such as avocados, onions, or grapes.
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Transitioning to a BARF diet
Transitioning your dog to a BARF diet can be tricky, but it can be done successfully with patience and planning. Here are some tips for transitioning your dog to a BARF diet:
Consult an expert
Before switching your dog's diet, it is important to speak to a veterinarian or animal nutritional expert to understand your dog's specific nutritional needs. An additional blood count can provide information about any current diseases that may impact dietary changes.
Understand the risks
Raw meat carries bacteria like E. coli and salmonella, which can cause salmonella poisoning. However, these bacteria are not as harmful to dogs as they are to humans. Dogs have shorter transit times, meaning the bacteria don't have time to grow and cause clinical diseases. It is also important to note that dogs can ingest parasites from raw meat, so the meat must be frozen sufficiently to kill potential parasites.
Store and prepare food correctly
Raw foods should be stored at 32°–42°F to discourage bacterial growth. Bones are a crucial part of a BARF diet, but never feed your dog cooked bones as they can break into shards. Instead, feed raw bones with lots of joints, like necks, tails, and feet. If your dog has trouble with whole bones, ground bones are easier to digest.
Transition slowly
Transition your dog to a BARF diet over a 7–10-day period. Start by adding small amounts of raw food to their current diet, gradually increasing the ratio of raw food until their bowl is entirely raw or combined with other minimally processed foods.
Adjust portions as needed
Small, solid stools are ideal. If your dog's stool is too soft, adjust the portions or ingredients in your BARF meal plan. Disruptions to your dog's diet can also cause symptoms like itchy skin, so monitor your dog's health and adjust their diet as needed.
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Pros, cons, and risks
The BARF diet (Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) is designed to maximise your dog's health and longevity and minimise health concerns. The diet consists of fresh, uncooked meat, bones, fruits, vegetables, and sometimes herbs, dairy, whole grains, minerals, and supplements.
Pros
The BARF diet is a great way to provide dogs with a balanced diet and all their essential nutrients. It can help with:
- Allergies: Dogs on a raw food diet tend to have healthier skin and a shinier coat.
- Dental health: Raw food can help keep teeth clean, reduce gum inflammation, and improve overall dental health.
- Weight stabilisation: A raw diet can help overweight dogs slim down without losing muscle mass and maintain a healthy weight.
- Digestive problems: A raw diet can resolve constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting, and malabsorption issues.
- Smaller stools: The stools of dogs on a raw food diet tend to be smaller and less smelly.
- Better health: A raw food diet can improve your dog's overall health, reducing allergies and helping them maintain an ideal weight.
Cons
The BARF diet requires time, money, and dedication to prepare. It involves measuring, mixing, storing, and defrosting your dog's meals, and ensuring that they are receiving the proper balance of nutrients.
Risks
There are some risks associated with the BARF diet, including:
- Food safety: There is a risk of exposure to food-borne bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli, although this risk pertains more to humans than to dogs.
- Bone consumption: Bones are a crucial part of the BARF diet, but they should be large bones that are raw, as cooked bones can break into shards and pose a choking hazard.
- Parasites: According to ESCCAP, dogs can ingest parasites by eating raw meat. To kill potential parasites, meat must be frozen sufficiently (at least one week at -17 to -20 degrees Celsius) before feeding.
- Pork: Pork should never be fed raw, even if it has been deep-frozen, due to the risk of nematodes infecting your pet.
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Frequently asked questions
BARF stands for "Bones and Raw Food" or "Biologically Appropriate Raw Food".
A BARF diet can improve your dog's health by resolving digestive problems, reducing allergies, and helping your dog maintain an ideal weight. It also provides a more natural and nutritious way to eat, mimicking the diet dogs ate in the wild before they became domesticated.
Transition your dog to a BARF diet over a 7-10 day period. Start by adding small amounts of raw foods to their current diet, gradually increasing the ratio of raw foods until their bowl is entirely raw. Make sure to store raw foods at 32°–42°F to prevent bacterial growth.
