Has anyone used the BARF dog diet? Raw meat? Please let me know your opinions/ results .?

Answer 1

There's not a veterinary school in America that says bones (whether cooked or raw from any animal) are safe for a dog to eat. Likewise, raw meat foods are unsafe even if human grade. Unless you follow a good recipe exactly, the diet will not be balanced. It takes a lot of time to prepare, a lot of room to store, and the cost averages about five times that of dry dogfood. The dog will likely throw up a lot at first because he doesn't have the enzymes to digest these foods (but they will be produced). The people pushing this diet will give you lots of reasons but the sources are extremely suspect and amount to "someone said this is good in a web site or book".

Best thing is to forget the idea.

Answer 2

It depends on what version of BARF you choose to use.

I use it as Bones and Raw Food and feed my dog based on a prey model. That is raw meaty bones, offal and the occasional table scraps. NEVER cooked bones and very little carbohydrate.

Dogs are carnivores - they do not need wheat, rice, corn, soy or the numerous additives that are put in commercial food. They have short fast digestive tracts that are not designed for carbohydrates - this is also why they can eat those 'lovely' things they hide to ripen or find in the park. Their digestive juices are designed for skin, meat and bones and bacteria will rarely if ever cause problems.

Do not feed your dogs (or cats or ferrets) just meat has this does not contain the essential nutrients that are in the bones and internal organs. Feed chunks of meat not minced and ground. The bones and chunks of meat are not just for nutritional value, they are designed by nature to clean the dogs teeth and mouth and exercise the jaw and neck muscles of the animal.

If you start your dog on this type of diet while still young they will not have learned to gulp down their food which may cause choking. This is a habit learned from eating kibble and mushy food. If your dog is older start with lamb and beef necks or chicken backs (what's left after the fillets are taken off).

Your dog's health will benefit from this type of diet as well as your wallet. You may find at the start that it appears that your dog is constipated - this may be just that they have to push rather than the sloppy 'dog food' poop you are used to cleaning up. If you are worried decrease the amount of bone for a few days. The poop supply will be greatly reduced and will turn into dust within days too!!

to SDHATL below me - how nice to actually hear a voice of reason rather than ill-informed scare tactics.

Answer 3

My Corgi, Ruby, has been on raw for almost a year. We both love it. She eats beef, pork and lots of chicken. I give her a whole fish once a week (yes guts, bones and even eye balls). Liver, kidney, and heart. Whole, raw eggs, yougurt, cottage cheese, and small amounts of veggies. I am working on whole rabbits and other small creatures. If my husband was a better hunter, she would even get venison.
Ruby has never looked better. The bones have cleaned all of the tarter and stains, leaving pearly, white, shiny teeth. Her gums are health and the breath does not even smell like dog's breath. She has more energy than ever before and I swear that her attitude has changed.
I also have stopped flea prevention. For whatever reason, raw fed dogs do not have flea problems. I bring her to doggy daycare, board her at the kennel, take her to the dog park and has never once brought home a flea.
I will never go back to kibble. I have found a wonderful vet who encourages raw, not that she's pushy about it though. I did a lot of internet research on raw and commercial dog food and am soooo happy I didn't listen to the mass of BARF haters! If they only knew what I know, they too would switch.
They write how the dog is domesticated and its wild counterparts are the ones that eat raw, not the domesticated dog. My answer to that is that the domesticated dog has been around for quite awhile. Commercial dog food was invented around 60 years ago, by manufacturers who could turn their waste into dog food for a profit. What did they eat before that? Our leftovers.
And if the domesticated dog is so different from wolves, why would you treat them like people and brush their teeth??? C'mon people, think out of the box, stop the ignorance, pick up a book and read about it for yourself. Do the research, and stop listening to the masses of other ignorants!

Answer 4

THE reason informed pet owners are pushing for these types of diets, is that we want every animal (wild or domestic) to have the healthiest, most enjoyable life we can give them.

putting my family's stafford on the 'raw meaty bones' diet is one of the best things my family has ever done!!!She is full of energy, her breath are much nicer to smell and her teeth are pearly and white. To "Caninelegion", that is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard of!!!! Are you a vet?! I am NOT talking 'pre-made patties' which is advertised as a form of the BARF diet, I am talking of RAW MEATY BONES AND RAW FOOD!!!!!!! It is a fraction of the price of the commercial crap, and shouldn't the health of you pooch come first?! There are NO recipes that you need to follow, just do your research. This diet is perfectly balanced for your pet carnivore. Unlike humans, dogs do NOT need carbohydrates, vegetables and grain.

My fifteen year old cat no longer throws up and is now gaining a healthier weight after being fed no commercial food. Cat and dogs' stomach lining and juices were evolved to digest prey, not muesli.

If you are in doubt on feeding your pet carnivore, contact your local zoo. They have more experience than your local vet.

Answer 5

Yes, I tried it for some months with all three of my dogs and that was the healthiest diet they have ever been on. Since one of my dogs was a "gulper" (swallows big pieces and eats fast) and she had a few bouts of pancreatitis before rawhides were eliminated and better dog foods were found, we would grind her raw meaty bones. All three did GREAT on that diet! With this diet you know the quality of meat and any products that you feed your dog. This site was the one I used:
http://www.rawdogranch.com
Since I had to move to a smaller place with a small freezer space, I went back to dog food and occasional raw goodies.
I highly recommend the diet but believe you have to know your dog, too as far as, if it eats too fast, gulps, and might need bones ground.
Many raw feeding sites offer pratical tips for feeding your dog. Raw non-weight bearing bones don't splinter like cooked ones do. I had a German Shepherd dog that broke one of her canine teeth on one of those basted mega bones that pet stores sell.
Also, the raw feeding diet does not advocate using rotting corpses and garbage that dogs would naturally eat in the wild.
You have the opportunity to pick quality product for your dog.
By the same token, dogs are not susceptible to salmonella in the same way that humans are.
If you are going to consider this diet, get info from a VET that supports this diet. Many do.

Answer 6

Typically the raw diet is not recommended for most pets and their owners. Talk to your vet to decide if it's the right diet for your pet. Factors to consider when deciding the right diet include your dog's age, your dog's job or activities, and your commitment both financially and physically. Dogs who eat the raw diet should do so as puppies, not adults, as they need to develop a tolerance to some of the bacteria present in raw food. A working dog is more likely to gain the benefits of a raw diet than a family pet who just gets exercise on a leash or in the yard. Finally, a raw diet fed dog must go to the vets office for regular blood testing, (a couple times a month) to ensure the dog is not lacking in any areas such as proteins or minerals. Again, discuss this with your vet. Together you can decide if your dog will do best on a raw diet or not.

Answer 7

I feed a mix of barf and home cooked. Barf is less work but I only do it with bone in meat like wings and breasts. Other meats I cook. It works well and my dog is healthy and happy. I feed this because he can't stomach processed foods. He eats better then most people and it shows.

Answer 8

My veterinarian does not recommend this diet. She has seen numerous problems from it. The idea is that a dog is supposed to eat what he would eat in the wild, but dogs have been domesticated for so many years that a raw diet really isn't the best for them. That would be like if we decided we were going to eat raw meat. Dogs can get salmonella, and other illnesses from eating raw meat. And bones can cause an intestinal blockage, or a bone splinter could puncture the intestines. It is best for domestic dogs to be fed a healthy well balance dry dog food, that is formulated to include all of their nutritional requirements to live a long healthy life.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

www.petoftheday.com/talk A lot of people on that fourm feeds there dogs raw. They can answer some of your questions. Raw has great results. But RESERCH, RESERCH, RESERCH!