I"m interested in switching my puppy to the BARF diet and raw food. What do I need to know?

Question

I remember reading about it at another site and they said their dogs are in great health. Many of the breeders and people with show dogs on the site were big advocated of this type of feeding. I'd like to know more.Thanks!

Answer 1

Using quality food is a good point. Use appropriate sized food - a turkey leg is too much for a toy pup.
Read and learn - there is a lot of information out there. I have fed a variety of foods and the dogs love it. Raw chicken - yes they can eat chicken. Don't give them COOKED poultry - the bones splinter. RAW they can eat. Be careful with wings in large breeds.
It takes more effort but is worth it.

Answer 2

Ignore Michael. Seeing as he feeds his dogs Iams (which has been PROVEN to make dogs hyper as it contains so many additives AND it's tested on animals in the unethical sense) and Hills Science (which is promoted by vets as they get a % of the profits and also contains loads of fat and additives) he is not qualified to comment. He is a lazy dog owner and doesn't feel the need to give his dogs decent food. BARF food is NOT a lot of work. You can buy ready made raw food portions online that you keep in the freezer and defrost as necessary. Over a period of 6 months, if you find the right supplier, it has been PROVEN to be cheaper than an average dry complete food. My dog is on half barf, half Burns complete dry and she is thriving. Since moving her to 50% BARF her coat is fabulous, her breath is scentless, teeth are in perfect condition and has perfect pooh. Yeah, it sounds weird but their pooh is a way of telling how healthy their diet is and how much nutrition they're absorbing. Read up on, do reasearch online, join dog forums and ask BARF feeders some questions and make up your own mind. If you do decide to change it will need to be done gradually and be prepared for him/her to eat less for a while until he/she gets used to it. In no time you'll see the improvement though. Tinned supermarket food is definitely out of the question though, as is Iams, Hills Science and Eukanuba.

Answer 3

Here are a few pro-BARF websites. I am not a BARF fan, wild canines are omnivores and can and do digest things other than meat (unlike cats, who are pure carnivores). Wild dogs do not live as long as domestic dogs, even in the face of abundance, and discounting accidental death. But the BARF diet has many good points, but requires much dedication on the part of the owner.

Answer 4

check out
www.spoiled-rotten-pets.com
They have great info about feeding your dogs.
The lady who designed the site feeds BARF.
It is a great fiet but takes some work to do but the dogs look great and seem to really like it.

Answer 5

Yahoo has a few groups devoted to the barf diet and the teaching of it. You might join one of them.

Answer 6

that's just a fancy pet diet for fanatic pet owners. I worked in the pet business for many years and the best pet food is dry and the main ingredients should start with Lamb Meal, or Chicken Meal, or Beef meal. This is meat that is removed from the animal, allowed to dry and then is weighed into the bag. If the main ingredient in pet food is corn or by-products then your feeding your dog junk. Pet store brand pet food such as Nutro, or Iams, Natures Choice are the best brands. Grocery store bought foods such as Purina, etc., have poor quality ingredients because all there money is spent on advertising not on the product itself.

Answer 7

http://www.barfworld.com/ This site will give you all the info you need. Personally, I don't have time to give my pom pup this diet so I just give him a high end dog food (Science Diet) and that seems to work great for him. Good luck! :)