The B.A.R.F. Philosophy For Natural Dog Health

By Mario Del Sol

Pet care involves the constant search for the best foods and diet that provides complete dog food nutrition. A majority of today's pet owners and animal breeders choose to feed dogs with commercialized pet foods, which are said to contain all a dog's nutrition needs. However, raw food diets such as the B.A.R.F. diet is gaining significant following. Pet owners who have tried it testify to its effectiveness in keeping their pets healthy and free from diseases.

Conceptualized by Dr. Ian Billinghurst of Australia, B.A.R.F. is a diet based on what dogs as canines should be naturally fed - uncooked meat, organic foods, fat, and offal. The goal is not to bring dogs exactly what their ancestors ate, but to at least offer them an identical diet. True enough, scientific observations conducted by some groups show that pets on a raw food diet look healthier, live longer, are more vigorous, and have healthier appetites.

Billinghurst said that the most "appropriate" way to feed our pet dogs is to give them raw whole foods with ingredients of the same nutritional balance as those in food consumed by their ancestors in the wild. B.A.R.F. meals consist of bones, muscle meat, fat, dairy products, eggs, grain, fruits, vegetables, organ meat, and other food products.

According to advocates of this type of diet, there is no harm in giving dogs what their bodies are suited to eat in the first place. Chicken bone is mostly recommended and it is combined in specified ratios with raw meaty bones from rabbits, beef, turkey, pork, venison, and other sources. The most important thing is to never give dogs cooked bones.

B.A.R.F. diet advocates believe dog foods that are commercially prepared are missing the enzymes and dietary components needed to provide the proper development for a dog. Many of the foods that are commercially processed contain dog food ingredients that can be harmful. Users of the B.A.R.F. diet would rather feed their dogs homemade raw foods. Varying the ingredients of these dog food recipes will have the dog looking forward to feeding time. - 29895

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