BARF = biologically appropriate raw foods

[hummingbird11]

Hey everyone! I just learned this IMPORTANT INFO (thanks Prozak!) and wanted to share with all of you:

Originally Posted by Prozak

Please do not feed your Dog cooked fat!!. They really should be eating their meat and fat RAW, once it is cooked it becomes toxic to them.

A nice big chunk of RAW beef, pork or chicken fat would a be treat.. cooked fat should not be given to them ever, they are not designed to digest them (nor cooked meat but that is a whole 'nother topic).
They too are lacking fat in their diets because of commercial, processed foods... let them eat some RAW meat and fat (and bone) occasionally (or often), they will thank you for it. Just NEVER COOKED, they get enough cooked crap in their commercial foods.

" Animals need at least 30% raw fat, and their systems are not designed to handle cooked meat or cooked fat."

Originally Posted by Prozak

Dogs were meant to eat RAW meat, bones, fat and offal (organs). There are ratios of potassium and calcium ad fat that should be met, and the easiest way to do that is to feed them raw meat like chicken wings, necks and backs.. supplemented with omega 3's and occasionally liver and other organs.

Once the meat is cooked, it changes and our dogs do not have the capabilities to digest it and also will lose out on the valuable nutrients from the raw foods. This leads to problems like pancreatitis. In fact, cooked chicken/beef fat is toxic to them... if you DO feed them cooked meat, do it sparingly and remove the fat.. feed it like a treat and not a meal.

Cooked bones are dangerous as well... RAW non-load bearing (wings/back/necks) are the best and can be easily broken down without splintering. As soon as they are cooked, they will splinter.

The best thing you can feed your dog if they are eating commercial kibble... is a huge large RAW meaty/fatty beef bone 1-2x a week. Not only for a treat, but it is pleasurable for them to chew on and an important muscular workout for them as well. I go to the butcher and ask for large leg bones and get them to slice them lengthwise so he can chew out the marrow.. either that or big juicy knuckle bones.

If my dog would eat turkey (he won't TOUCH IT) I would merely order cases of turkey necks for him to eat daily (my sister does this with her 2 Malamutes) and it would be cheaper than the stuff he does eat. (I buy frozen ground chicken with bone/fat in 40lb cases). pre-ground meat is expensive (130lb dog costs around $90/month to feed him) where I could do the same thing with whole necks for less than half of that.

So, if you want to do your furkids a favor and treat them, give them the meat and fat RAW. Let them have the bones if they are smaller dogs (my dog would swallow a t-bone) and in fact, toss them an entire chicken wing to chow down on. A small dog like a Chihuahua could survive and be totally healthy on a few chicken wings a day, with some added things like liver treats and fish oils.

Commercial dog food is a lot like a loaf of white bread, and we all know how good a loaf of white bread is for us.. it can be enriched and have added nutrients, but we all know that getting our food from natural sources is better for us, so why not our pets too! There are good kibbles out there, but they contain human grade meats, no grains or preservatives and nothing artificial. They are also expensive, but in the long run we save money because they eat less and need the vet less often as well. (my vet bills in the last 5 years are $0) my only bills were when I had a complete blood work on him and everything was perfect. He is literally the healthiest specimen of a large breed dog I have ever seen (at 9.5 years old).

Here are some awesome links to check this out further... I am a HUGE proponent of BARF (biologically appropriate raw foods) and hope that someday soon, commercial pet foods will be taken off the market and we will go back to feeding them the way they are meant to be fed.

Remember, Vet have little to NO TRAINING in nutrition, and what they DO get is sponsored by the big companies like Hill's (science diet) and think of all the money they make when the vets are pushing their foods.

BARF for Beginners - Most Frequently Asked Questions

Earth Island Institute: Earth Island Journal - Fall 1997

PS: while we're on the subject, artificial sweeteners are toxic and can be deadly to your pets, esp Xylitol & Splenda.

[rottinluv]

I've been raw-feeding my dog since he came home at 7 weeks of age. I feed prey model raw, replicating what a dog would eat in the wild. 80% meat, 10% bone, and 10% organ meat, with half of that being liver.

I prefer whole pieces of meat that give the teeth a workout, as this is one of the biggest benefits of raw feeding. Dental disease leads to a whole host of illnesses in our pets.

Also, be careful with the weight-bearing bones of large animals, as they can break teeth. You're better off with fully edible ones.

[CroweKitty]

I feed my 4.5 month old German Shepherd raw and he loves and thrives on it. He refuses kibble and only wants his chicken backs, necks, etc. It's the only way to feed animals!

If you're thinking about raw feeding pets, do your homework and make sure you understand how to balance their diet (over time) and the difference between raw and cooked meat/bones (like stated in the original post). After you read up on it, it's not that difficult to do.

PS - If you believe and follow low carb eating in your life, it's really not a leap to believe in a raw diet for your pets. Both diets are far better for us/them and lead to better health, less weight, and a longer life.

[HeatherKae]

My 11 yr old GSD just recently had a run in with a mast cell tumor. Her oncologist advised a raw or raw type diet... except that I have small children. Once she heard that, she wsa totally opposed to us feeding raw. She then turned us on to Innova EVO which is a raw type kibble.

But I'd totally prefer to feed my dogs (2 GSDs and a doxie) raw, but for the whole raw food contamination around small children. What do you think? Is it as much a danger as the vet thinks?

Also, how much do you wind up spending. Another thing is when I calculated about what it would cost us, we'd be spending hundreds every month (if I recall, I figured about $400-500 a month) and I just cannot afford it. How much do you spend and where do you buy your food?

My dear city boy husband even tried his hand at hunting this winter. He figured if he bagged a deer, we could feed a good portion of that to the dogs. But, as I said, he's a city boy and didn't so much as bag a squirrel.

[rottinluv]

Heather, I personally know many people who feed raw with small children around. I don't worry about it myself, but I'm not a germaphobe either. I eat raw eggs, rare meat, and don't use antibacterial everything. Our household is healthier than all of my friends'. Use common sense, clean up after yourself, just as you would if you prepared meat for your family, and you'll be fine. Of course, I don't let my children lick up after my dog eats!

As far as cost goes, I like to average about $1 a pound for food. My 95# dog eats about 1 3/4# a day, so less than $2 a day.

I buy a lot of the food at the grocery store. The clearance section and sales are great. I also belong to a meat buying group, so I buy in bulk there. A freezer is a must!

I wish my husband would even attempt to hunt. Maybe if I tell him how much money it would save us!

[SaltyDog]

I have fed both of my dogs raw since we got them and the breeder starts the pups on raw as their first solid food. I love feeding this way and am thrilled with how healthy both dogs are. They have passed all of their health clearances (hips, elbows, heart, eyes) and are just in great condition overall. Their coats are nice and shiny, their muscle tone is excellent and their weight is right where it should be. I think of it as Atkins for dogs.

There's a guy nearby who runs a business preparing and selling raw "dogfood". We get ground green tripe, beef, lamb and chicken. When he grinds it, he makes sure it contains the proper proportion of muscle and organ meat, fat and bone. We also get pureed veggies from him (which we add to the meat) and then add some other stuff like raw eggs, yogurt, wild salmon oil, plus a few other things (kelp & alfalfa, vitamin C, garlic, Missing Link supplement etc). It is a little pricey to do it the way we do, but we're also paying for the convenience of having everything ground. And, we make sure they get raw meaty bones (lamb necks, beef necks, beef tails, chicken feet) to chew on to help burn energy and keep their teeth clean. Both dogs eat about two pounds of food per day and it costs us about $5 per dog per day - that includes meat, veggies, yogurt, supplements etc.

[Margot 65]

Aw thanks for the thread Effexor!!

I started raw feeding when I was 6 months pregnant.

We went cold turkey, and it was the best decision for us... I did buy a small upright freezer, because my Diesel eats 2lbs/day in the summer and 2.25lbs in the winter, so I can have anywhere up to 120lbs of frozen chicken in there. he is not very active, when he is he will eat a lot more!! (just like we do!) Active dogs should get 2.5% of their body weight.. and less as they get older and less active. Puppies need more like 4% of their weight, tapering down after 12 months until 18 months old.

I spend about $30-40 a month on fish oils, kelp and raw bones on top of the food (which is more expensive because it is pre-ground and packaged neatly)

Hubby hunts, and I can't wait to have my freezer full of wild game.I have room in his freezer, and can easily store cut up deer bones in there for him too.

My cat's won't do raw (I almost killed one trying) so they eat Orijen:Fish.. 100% natural, no grains or preservatives, and they LOVE it. It is the next best thing to raw IMO.


I cannot even begin to tell you about the physical changes in Diesel... he was a mess and I fed him Iams (which I thought was superior to anything else).

Before: roughly 155lbs 6 years ago day 2




After: about 6 months later.. roughly maintaining 120-130lbs (he is fatter in the winter, it gets darn cold up here)




He is now 9.5 and as healthy as he was 6 years ago

[4gotn1]

True "Barfers" don't like when you call it that any more. It is now just "raw" or "natural" Wonder what took them so long! hehe!

I tried that and my Saint would starve she did not like it.

If you decide to try to feed your cats that do so with CAUTION! Dogs will eat eventually and cats will not! They can get fatty liver and die.

When I was trying to switch I had a feral cat that hardly ever came out...only to eat. I "assumed" she was eating. I realized I had even seen her running to hide under anything lately and found her thin and sick.

She died a painful, HORRIBLE death.

So only try this w/ cats you can SEE eat daily.

I too have heard of many people feeding raw w/ little kids.

Natural or Raw feeders feel about getting salminella ( sp) from raw meat is as low as we feel getting it from raw eggs is.... well it seems most of us/them.

[rottinluv]

Great reminder about cats!! A healthy dog WILL NOT starve itself, but a cat most certainly will.

I switched my cat by mincing up chicken. I had to sprinkle Parmesan cheese on it for a few days. I eventually made the pieces larger and omitted the cheese. Now, almost 2 years later, he'll eat just about anything, but prefers whole prey.

Also, remember that variety is key! You should strive to feed a variety of parts from a variety of animals.

[Margot 65]

Yeah, I was 7 months pregnant and feeding my cat through a tube every 4 hours around the clock. He is very fluffy and I had no idea how thin he was... and just thought he would eventually eat. Not so and I found out the hard way.

The weekend after my baby was born, he finally ate and we took the tube out a week later... he eats the Orijen and I am thrilled to bits with that.