Barf Diet

Explain advantages of Barf Diet?
(November 16, 2010)

BARF Diet

The Biologically Appropriate Raw Food diet or the BARF diet for dogs has been designed by as a holistic approach towards canine nutrition which focuses on imitating or replicating the diet of an undomesticated dog. According to the BARF dog food diet, feeding the dog raw meats, bones and uncooked vegetables results in the dog following a balanced diet that is rich in minerals, proteins and all the other essential nutrients. The BARF diet for puppies has received several criticisms as skeptics believe that feeding puppies and even adult dogs raw meat may not be a very healthy option. The concept of the BARF diet for dogs basically revolves around the philosophy that the processed and cooked meats that are present in conventional dog food tend to be lacking in living enzymes that are actually required to keep the dog healthy.

The raw foods that form part of the BARF diet for dogs include whole and ground meaty bones, raw ground meat, raw vegetables and non-muscular animal internal organs. As per the BARF diet, the raw foods that constitute this diet tend to contain phyto-chemicals, antioxidants and unprocessed amino acids which are highly beneficial to the overall health of the dog.


Some of the benefits of the BARF diet for dogs include improved breath in the digs on account of less dental tartar build-up. Additionally dogs that are on the BARF diet also tend to be at a lower risk of developing periodontal disease  and also do not suffer from skin irritation on account of food related allergies and instead have a thick and shiny coat. The BARF diet also claims o bring about a rejuvenation of the immune system of the dog with minimal inflammatory problems and infections. The diet also claims that the dogs eating such raw foods tend to lose excess weight, have less odorous stools and also experience and increase in muscle mass. However, many veterinarians tend to discourage the BARF diet for dogs as they believe that the diet can be life threatening to the dog as the sharp edges of the ground or whole bones may accidentally damage the dog’s internal organs and may also result in infections that need expensive surgeries for their rectification. In some cases, dogs that have followed the BARF diet are also known to be at a risk of bacterial infection arising out of consuming raw meat. Hence it is always advisable to consult one’s vet before switching to the BARF dog food diet.