Feeding your dog a BARF diet - Pet Product Marketing magazine
Copyright © Neil Hepworth
Before dog food became big business, many people fed the family pet on table scraps and dog biscuits. Dogs are quite adaptable creatures, and as long as there was enough variety in this it was probably a reasonable diet, though vitamin and mineral deficiencies could and did occur.
Nowadays, it is much easier to feed a balanced diet through the use of commercially prepared foods. However, some people believe these aren't the best for animals who evolved to eat raw meat and vegetation while hunting and foraging in the wild.
These people may follow the ideals of the BARF (Bones And Raw Food) diet, which says that dogs should be fed raw meat, bones and vegetables, balanced with certain vitamins and minerals.
Generally such a diet is prepared at home, but now there are also companies who will supply it ready mixed and balanced for the freezer, to be defrosted and fed raw to your dog.
Which of these diets you choose will depend on your personal preferences and, to a certain extent, trial and error as to what suits your dog.
It is generally agreed that no one type of diet that is better than another, although proponents of BARF might disagree as they believe commercial food to be over processed.
To judge whether a particular diet is good for your dog ask yourself whether your dog appears to be thriving on it, ie happy, lively and maintaining a good weight with a glossy coat and clear eyes.
If not then you might want to think again. You might also like to consider making gradual changes to your dog's diet if he appears to have frequent loose stools or to vomit regularly – though you may want to consult a vet first.
Published: Neil Pope Wednesday 28 September 2011, 3:32 pm
Views: 383 times
Filed under: Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) Bones And Raw Food pets dogs
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29 Sep, 2011--
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