I heard about the BARF (bones and raw food) diet a while back, and initially thought it was a good idea – what could be better than feeding simple things that a wolf would find in the wild?

BUT I now have doubts, and I think this is actually quite a dangerous thing to believe in (although I’d be happy if someone could explain it to me differently, as I like the idea of this diet). I think it’s perfect for cats, first of all, because cats are pure carnivores. They don’t need any of the rubbish they put in cat food. But for dogs…

Dogs are omnivores like us. They need carbohydrate. Feed a human on nothing but meat and we’ll live for, what, 20 years if that (and be very unhealthy). There’s a reason why dog food is not the same as cat food. Feed a dog on cat food and it will become ill because there isn’t enough carbohydrate.

I suggest that maybe modifications need to be made. I intend to feed my future dog on the BARF diet, but supplemented with carbohydrate.
Wasn’t enough room to put this, but people often incorrectly assume that what a dog eats in the wild is the best possible thing for it to eat in captivity. Wild canines do not fulfill the same life expectancy as captive ones – they eat to survive, not to be healthy, and as long as they survive long enough to reproduce then their genes will be passed on.
Thanks everyone, I didn’t realise the BARF diet includes carbs as well.

Dogs are omnivores. 34 years in vet tech and you don’t know that? Their teeth are different from pure carnivores. They do need a diet that is mostly meat but supplemented with carbohydrates. Their tooth structure is similar to that of apes – which are omnivores.

Before dog food was around, dogs didn’t live that long.

And dogs are different from wolves, totally different although they are the same species – and different kinds of dog need slightly different diets (some are prone to obesity etc). But the basic diet is the same. However as I said above, what an animal eats in the wild is not necessarily the best for them. Take iguanas for example – in the wild they sometimes feed on meat. Feed them meat in captivity and you lower their life expectancy drastically. But even so, wolves in the wild eat berries and fruit. Not much carbohydrate, but a little is essential.

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I have a 7 month old chihuahua. I am thinking about putting him on the barf diet. I have no idea how to go about doing it. I have read about it to some extend… Has anyone here done it or does it??? If so, please give me as much info as possible.

Where do you get the raw food from?

I’m sorry for being so ignorant.

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I want to start feeding my ferrets (and possibly dog and cats too) the B.A.R.F. (biologically appropriate raw foods) diet, as I found out it increases their longevity. Can someone please help me find a place to buy prepackaged raw ferret food? I’ve found it for cats and dogs, but I can’t find it for ferrets and they have different vitamin needs and cant digest anything but meat. I’m too nervous about borne illness to prepare it myself. The ferrets are the most pressing, as one probably needs surgery to remove an adrenal tumor and I got a reality check about their typical lifespan on commercial diets. They are 4 1/2 now and the vets never seen one older than 6. On the BARF diet they usually live into their teens. I’m also looking into V.I.B.E. therapy if I can find someone with a VIBE machine in Virginia. As for the food-price is no object. If we’re going to pay over a thousand dollars for Rascal’s surgery we’re not going to skimp on the food to keep them healthy

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Hi, i would like to switch my dogs to a raw food diet! One is a 6 month old red heeler male. A 9 week old blue heeler female, a 5 year old male pit bull, and a 11 year old female pit bull. Anytips? they are eating Purina puppy chow, purina diet chow, and purina active dog formulas. Not mixed but each for a diff dog. thanks
i mean a barf diet….everything raw meat and veggie kinda thing

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Ok so I’ve decided I want to try my cat on the raw food diet…I’ve been on the internet looking at all different sites and am a little confussed. I’ve seen on some sites the BARF diet which says its best to leave the bones and grind them up too then I’ve been to other and they said not to put the bones in and use a supplement powder…So which one is better or are they pretty much the same??
What do you give to your cats??
Also if you are feeding your cats a raw diet what sort of grinder do you have and does it grind bones??
I think that’s all I’m confussed with at the moment…thanks :-)

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Have any french bulldog owners put their dog on the barf diet? If so how did you do it and what do you use to make it up. Did it help clear up the normally unbearable frenchie gas attacks? I’m very interested in doing this for my girl so any resources would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
she does eat eukenuba already but that hasn’t helped and the vet doesn’t have any other ideas…

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I want to switch my cats over to a BARF diet, after about three months consideration and research, but I can’t afford a grinder at the moment. I have everything else available to me, but grinders are expensive. I would like to buy premade food from a pet supply store but I haven’t been able to find any myself.
I live in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada which is about 15 minutes away from Houlton, Maine, USA.

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I’ve read up on the BARF diet, is this the same thing? It seems time consuimg and expensive.

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I started researching the BARF diet after my dog got sick and I have decided to stop or at least start weaning my dog Bob off of store bought dog food.

The comments I’m finding are mixed, while a large amount say it is a good idea there are a handful that say it’s not healthy.

Is it? Would Bob, my two year old (almost three) Westie be healthier on a raw food diet or would I be doing him more harm?

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I just got a 7 week old kitten and started him on the regular cat chow. But after visiting a pet food store was persuaded into trying a Raw food diet simular the the BARF diet. He seems to like it but I am conserned about feeding my kitten raw meat! They told me at the pet store that grains were bad for cats because they weren't able to diggest them. I'm very confused can anyone shed some light?

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