We as dog parents/lovers always want the best for our pooch. In this context, food or the diet holds the top priority. Dogs are the descendants of wolves. Because of this, a lot of argument has been going on about feeding dog the raw dog food. Many sources claim that raw dog food is better than all other types of dog diets available. But does it hold correct for the domesticated dogs?
Topics covered in this blog post
The types of raw dog food:
The BARF raw dog diet:
This diet works well for most dogs as dogs have a shorter intestinal tract and strong stomach acids. The raw diet has a minimum amount of carbohydrates, is moderate in its fat quantities and high in protein.
The raw dog diet primarily consists of:
- Vegetables and fruits
- Raw meaty bones
- Muscle meat
- Organ meat
- Supplements
Benefits of the B.A.R.F. raw dog food:
- Improvement in the skin, coat texture and shine.
- More muscular, leaner build. In today’s world, 60% of dogs are obese or overweight which can lead to many health issues.
- Less body and stool odor.
- Calmer pooch.
- Fresher breath and cleaner teeth.
- A raw diet is utilized more by dog’s body resulting in improved digestion and smaller stools.
- More energy.
Advantages of the B.A.R.F. raw dog diet (as proven by research):
- Higher fecal microflora was observed in dogs who were fed raw food as compared to ones who were fed a commercially available diet.
- Raw food fed dogs also exhibited better stool quality.
Disadvantages of the B.A.R.F. raw dog food:
Raw food has also exhibited the risk of introducing antimicrobial resistant bacteria in dog’s intestine. Such bacteria can encode resistance towards antibiotics like cephalosporins.
Other infectious organisms which may get transmitted via raw diet include bacteria (like Listeria, E. coli, Compylobacter, Yersinia etc.), parasites (Toxoplasma gondii) and zoonotic agents (Brucella suis). Such infectious agents can colonize and cause disease in both dogs as well as their caregivers.
Raw dog diet has also shown to cause nutritional deficiencies (calcium/phosphorus imbalances, vitamin deficiencies). This mainly results from the caregiver’s need to simplify the recipe or certain ingredients might be unavailable.
The genetic makeup of dogs, contrary to what is commonly believed, is not similar to its wild ancestor, the gray wolves. The domestic dog has higher capacity to digest starch due to different gene expression patterns.
Not a recommendable diet for homes with young kids or immuno-compromised individuals. Raw food do present a risk of bacterial contamination.
The prey model raw (PMR) diet:
There are two types of PMR raw diet for dogs:
Whole prey model raw feeding:
This type of feeding is used for raw feeders who follow the guidelines of the PMR ratio:
- 75-80% of muscle meat
- 10% of raw edible bone
- 5% of liver
- 5% other organs
- 0-5% of animal based fiber
Advantages of the PMR raw dog food:
- Higher energy levels
- Shinier coat and healthy shin
- Improvement in digestion
- Cleaner, whiter teeth
- Better weight control
- Reduction in allergy
- Better stool
Disadvantages of the PMR raw dog food:
- The threat to humans from the bacteria in the raw bone and meat is much greater than it is towards dogs. Thus, appropriate hygiene practices need to be in place.
- Colonization of your dog’s intestine with antibiotic resistant bacteria.
- You must pay attention to your dog and make sure that he/she does not choke on the raw bone. Especially when transitioning from a different diet type towards PMR diet, keep an eye out for bilious vomiting and impacted intestines.
How to start on the raw meat diet for dogs?
First advice, no sudden changes. If your pup is on a different diet and you want to switch him/her to the raw dog diet, then wean them off their current diet and introduce the raw diet very slowly. This is done so that their bodies can smoothly adjust to the new type of diet.
How much raw dog food to feed your dog?
However, for both puppies and adult dogs the feeding quantity should be carefully monitored depending on the exercise level and age.
I also found Raw feeding calculators by which you can find out exactly how much BARF or PMR raw dog food to give your pup.
A few simple rules to keep in mind when feeding your pooch, the raw dog diet:
- The diet must be enriched in calcium (i.e. 1/3rd of the diet should preferably contain meaty bones).
- Organs are the best source of multi-vitamins.
- Muscle meat supports the production of essential hormones and enzymes in your dog’s body.
- Fat is good for your pup when provided in the right quantities. If your pooch’s diet has too much fat, then it would reduce his vitamin and mineral intake.
- Keep starch (grains, potatoes, peas) away from your dog’s diet.
- Make sure to keep changing the types of meat in your dog’s diet, so that he/she does not get bored of eating the same food every day.
Conclusion
Also, let me know in the comment section if you want me to specifically write about a certain topic or make a video covering anything you need to know. I assure you, I will touch up on that as soon as possible.
See you in my next blog post
Shruti
Frequently asked questions
Raw dog food is considered to be good for dogs. Raw dog diet has shown to exhibit better coat shine, smaller stools, increase in the energy levels and finally improvement in the dental health of dogs.
Raw dog diet is bad for dogs since it contains bacteria which may colonize in your dog’s stomach. Furthermore, the diet must be balances to include the right quantity of proteins, vitamins and minerals. In case your dog receives unbalanced diet, it may cause health issues in future.
Do vets recommend raw dog food?
Vets would recommend raw diet if you can have a proper consultation with a dog nutritionist. Without the help of a nutritionist, their is a high chance that dog guardians may feed unbalanced raw diet to their dog which may cause diseases in future.
There are any two types of raw dog foods for dogs:
the PMR diet
the B.A.R.F. diet
58 Comments
Good advice! I will have to pass this along to my dog parent friends!
Lovly
I am proud of u God aapko duniya ki her khusi de
Thank you so much for your wonderful wishes 🙂
Thanks 🙂
Very informative
I don't have dogs, but I do have cats. We have been feeding them raw food since they were kittens and love their energy, smooth coats and their lean bodies. I believe highly in raw so I loved this article and hope it helps some dog lovers make this choice too.
thanks 🙂
Thank you so much for your appreciation 🙂
Suprb shruti 👌👌
I work in a veterinary clinic and my doctors recommend against the raw diet. Although I totally get the thoughts behind it, that dogs would eat raw if they were in the wild, they are not wild animals and have adapted through generations.
Thank you for covering both sides of this topic!
This is so interesting. I had actually never heard of this sort of dog diet. Not a dog person but i will be sure to pass this on to my friends who are
That name Barf for the diet plan is strange. I think it is odd that they choose that.
Wow, what an interesting article. We're planning to adopt a dog soon, so thank you for covering this topic!
I've heard that it's great for cats. I wasn't so sure about dogs but you've cleared that up for me. Love the name BARF – it made me chuckle at 8am in morning which is a feat in itself.
I have a pet and I feed him only high quality food, made from natural ingredients. I wouldn't give him raw meat… why do it when the premium pet food has the complete nutrition that a pet needs? That's just my opinion.
I don't have a dog, but I'm thinking of getting one in the near future. That's why, it was really nice to get to know more about the PMR dog diet. I love it! 🙂
Thank you. Your appreciation means a lot😊
Your welcome. I hope u have subscribed..so you can get all the dog care tips to make your pups life smoother.
BARF actually is an abbreviation. It stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
Well, premium food is good but it contains preservatives. Thats the only part I dont find favourable. However, if it's suiting your pup, well and good. My boy wouldn't go near kibbles 😂. He is on homemade food.
I have always wondered about feeding raw food to pets. I have also never heard of the BARF diet before. I like how you broke it down. This is all very good information.
I'm to lazy to do that raw food thing for my dog
This is good info for dog owners. I dont eat meat so I would not have raw meat to feed a dog if i had one.
There are definitely some great benefits to feeding your dog a raw diet. However, many people struggle with maintaining the proper nutritional balance. The good news is that there are companies that now offer a raw diet prepackaged and frozen for those who may want to go this route but are worried about that aspect. It will require more room in your freezer and locating a company with this availability that is capable of shipping frozen foods to your area.
Personally, we are unable to go that route with our two. I have one dog that is allergic to all protein sources with the exception of fish and vegetable-based proteins. Therefore, it's unrealistic to try to meet her nutritional needs on a raw diet with those constraints. That being said, if she didn't suffer from her long list of allergies, I would definitely consider it!
Wow, this was interesting! I don't have a dog, but my daughter does. I'll have to share this with her.
Love the post & how detailed it is! I find it really useful information, didn’t know all the sides to the topic.
Aleks
You have just given me a very good insight into dogs dietary. For someone who is planning on getting a dog, I will surely keep this article handy. Thank you.
My dog is only 12 lbs with digestive issues so I would be afraid to try raw food with her.
I don't have dog but we want one when we will finish our house so it's really good to know what will be best for our future pet
Its really awesome, how perfect guide for the food .. Regards Corgi
Maybe we can collaborate sometime…
Loved the article. I home cook for my 2 American Bulldogs and would like to see if there's a solution to the cons since its mainly bacteria. Does monthly rotation of wormer help limit this issue? Is there a home test for bacterial levels. Also a year ago I came across a pin on Pinterest that explained dog stool(color, texture, consistency and what it meant. I didn't save it and can't find it again! 😥 It would be amazing to read an article about how to detect when you need to make adjustments to the raw feeding. Ex. White chalky stool = too much bone
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
It would depend on the kind of produce and meat available at your location. Deworming should be done once in 3-6 months in older dogs. Every month deworming can remove the good gut bacteria. If you want you can get in touch with me on social media about the article regarding the stool color. I have not written on it yet, but I know of links where you can get the detail.
It is best to take part in a contest for among the finest blogs on the web. I’ll recommend this site!
A lot of thanks for your own labor on this blog. Kim really loves doing investigations and it is easy to see why. Most people notice all of the powerful ways you create good information via this website and foster contribution from some others about this concept so our own princess is without a doubt starting to learn a great deal. Enjoy the remaining portion of the year. You are doing a superb job.
Well I sincerely liked reading it. This post provided by you is very practical for good planning.
I always was concerned in this subject and still am, thankyou for posting.
I really like your writing style, wonderful info , thankyou for putting up : D.
Hi there would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re using? I’m going to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a tough time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique. P.S Sorry for being off-topic but I had to ask!
I do agree with all the ideas you’ve offered on your post. They are really convincing and can definitely work. Still, the posts are very quick for novices. May you please extend them a bit from subsequent time? Thanks for the post.
I loved up to you’ll obtain performed proper here. The caricature is attractive, your authored subject matter stylish. however, you command get bought an nervousness over that you would like be handing over the following. sick indisputably come further beforehand again as exactly the same nearly very incessantly within case you protect this increase.
Nice post. I learn something more challenging on different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to read content from other writers and practice a little something from their store. I’d prefer to use some with the content on my blog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll give you a link on your web blog. Thanks for sharing.
I really like your writing style, wonderful info , regards for putting up : D.
Hi my friend! I wish to say that this post is amazing, nice written and come with approximately all important infos. I’d like to look extra posts like this .
I have been examinating out some of your articles and i can state pretty clever stuff. I will make sure to bookmark your blog.
Some truly great posts on this internet site, regards for contribution.
You are a very capable individual!
For my thesis, I consulted a lot of information, read your article made me feel a lot, benefited me a lot from it, thank you for your help. Thanks!
You have brought up a very good details , regards for the post.
I am glad to be one of several visitors on this outstanding web site (:, regards for putting up.
I saw a lot of website but I conceive this one holds something extra in it in it
What’s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve found It absolutely helpful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to contribute & assist other users like its helped me. Good job.
I love your writing style really enjoying this internet site.
I have been exploring for a little for any high-quality articles or blog posts on this sort of area . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this web site. Reading this information So i am happy to convey that I’ve an incredibly good uncanny feeling I discovered exactly what I needed. I most certainly will make certain to don’t forget this web site and give it a look on a constant basis.