Table of Contents
“Biologically Appropriate Raw Feeding”
A few years ago, BARF was still a nutritional method for exotic animals – meanwhile “biologically appropriate raw feeding” has earned a permanent place in today’s dog nutrition.
What is BARF?
BARF describes the raw feeding of the dog based on its original diet as carnivore, meat eater. Fresh meat, offal, vegetables, vitamin and mineral supplements are used to try to imitate the wild dog’s natural prey as much as possible.
Why BARF?
Like any feeding method, raw feeding has many opponents and supporters. Dog friends who are convinced of the BARF report healthy teeth due to intensive chewing on fresh meat, shiny fur, improvement of chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis and growth problems and a strong tendon and ligament system. Raw food is precisely tailored to the respective dog and does not contain any fillers or preservatives – no wonder that this is an advantage, especially for sick dogs and those with special nutritional requirements!
BARF – what should be considered?
Who his If you want to feed your dog with self-made raw meals, you are not only allowed to feed muscle meat – deficiency symptoms are guaranteed here! So that your dog gets everything he needs, offal, vegetable components, vitamins and minerals should be precisely calculated and weighed. For this reason, it is a complex and demanding feeding method. Fortunately, many dog food manufacturers and butchers are meeting the growing demand. So-called “Convenience BARF” products are put together directly by the manufacturer or butcher, frozen and only need to be thawed and fed fresh by the dog owner. What you especially like aboutYou can find puppies in the zooplus dog magazine.
BARF for beginners
- Assess effort and gather information:
BARF is a complex feeding method. You must always plan to buy and store raw meat. In addition, the feed must be precisely calculated. It is best to have the dog checked out by the vet beforehand so that you know exactly which nutrients your dog needs to consume. You should also find out about the various BARF methods in order to be able to assess which variant suits your dog best. - Pay attention to the choice of meat:
You should definitely find out what meat you are feeding your dog. For example, not all offal are suitable for barfing, because the liver and kidneys in particular contain harmful substances and should therefore be fed no more than once a week. Pork can also be dangerous for the animals as it can transmit the Aujeszky virus, which is fatal for the dogs. - Be careful when feeding bones!
Always be careful not to split the bones you are feeding. This will avoid injuring your dog. - A varied diet:
lean meat should not be the only component of the feed. Also offal, bones, oils, fruit and vegetables (both pureed). Caution: some fruits and vegetables are poisonous.