Deciding to opt for the BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet is the optimal and most responsible choice you could make for your four-legged friend.

But there are still some things to know before embarking on this path and making gross evaluation errors.First of all, this diet is based on an important principle. Dogs and cats should consume foods that are suitable for their body, just as nature has established.

Unfortunately, all the nutrients suitable for these animal species are not present in most of the products on the market - something that more and more experts in the sector are noticing.


Raw food


 

The use of a commercial diet does not guarantee the supply of all the elements necessary for the best health of our four-legged friend.The intake of vitamins and minerals in commercial diets is often zero.

The BARF - Biologically Appropriate Raw Food diet (an appropriate diet based on raw and organic foods) or Bones And Raw Food (an appropriate diet based on raw and bone foods) is based on natural nutrition.

This diet generally consists of minced meat enriched with calcium or edible bones (e.g. wings, back or chicken necks) of farmed animals or whole products, organs, eggs, fish, blended vegetables and a small amount of fruit (for mimic the contents of the intestine of any intake that a wild dog may have captured and killed in the wild) and many other supplements necessary to make this type of diet complete and balanced.

The BARF diet is balanced.

In nature dogs usually feed on whole but small prey (such as moles, voles and mice), while if their prey is larger they prefer only certain parts of the body, leaving the stomach and entrails intact.For this reason, the BARF diet must follow this "prey pattern" that the animal prefers in nature.When dogs and cats also consume the entrails of their prey they at the same time assimilate many predigested nutrients such as herbs and berries which the prey had previously fed on.This is why it is important to give your four-legged friend also a certain amount of food that is in all respects similar to the intestinal content of their natural prey, therefore rich in phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and enzymes that are not present in the muscle meats, but which are particularly important for the well-being and health of the dog.

 

Start by adding certain carefully selected foods and supplements to your diet that fully meet your dog's energy and nutritional needs.The contribution of vegetables is fundamental, such as carrots, courgettes, and celery which, with their presence, guarantee a valid nutritional balance.

 

Once every two weeks, a raw egg can be added to the meal.

 

Instead of giving your four-legged friend meat from organs and entrails (guts) like those he might find in nature in a prey, give him a "replacement", something that mimics the intestinal contents of prey, making a mix ofvegetables and probiotics.

Guts usually contain parasites that can adversely affect your dog's health. Just think of the numerous diseases that affect shepherd dogs that sometimes feed on the carcasses of sheep and goats.

A substitute food based on vegetables is instead absolutely free of parasites and therefore safe, in this way it is possible to provide a risk-free meal. However, if you decide to have your four-legged friend follow a diet of this type, it is always better to inquire properly.

A BARF diet is an optimal choice, but it is always better to first inquire about the advantages and disadvantages that it entails so that you can offer your four-legged friend the best diet in circulation to guarantee his health and well-being.