Raw/barf Dogs?
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editor in
Question & Answer on
Feb 8th, 2010 |
4 responses
Any one else feed RAW or BARF diets to their dogs? What do you think about it? How does it compare to “homecooked” meals for dogs? The homecooked meals contain other ingredients such as vegetables and/or grains, etc. So totally raw vs. homecooked meals. What is your opinion? Kibble really isn’t an option anymore. I hate that nasty stuff, especially with the recent pet food scares. Right now my dog is on a diet of raw meats such as chicken with the bones (uncooked). I am wondering if I should change her diet or continue with the totally raw food. So far, so good with how I am feeding her now, but what about in the long run?
Thanks in advance!
(BARF stands for biologically appropriate raw feeding, for those of you who don’t know)
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I don’t feed RAW myself yet, but I know people who do and they swear by it. They say it has really made a difference in their dogs health wise, their coats look so much shinier, and they poo less and and it has less of a smell.
a good site you might want to check out is http://www.rawdogranch.com
-they used to feed veggies too, but stopped because they decided the dogs didn’t really need it. Check out that link though, it explains a lot.
My thoughts are, if it works for you, stick with it. That said, I’ve been on call many a night when I had to come in and assist on emergency surgery on BARF-fed dogs to remove bone splinters or blockages, or euthanize dogs whose owners couldn’t afford the surgery. I know that the wild canids seem fine with the natural feeding, but then, we really don’t know how many sucumb to illnesses caused by it. I would imagine the average lifespan would increase if they had healthy kibble or fresh foods available to them with no effort on their part.
Then again, when you consider the recent pet food recall, I can’t honestly say I totally endorse commercial foods, either. I say everyone needs to decide for him/herself.
Aside to Italian Grehound:
Due to the extreme length of the dog’s digestive tract, salmonella is NOT a problem for them, but owners should be certain to take safety precautions for themselves, as they can get it if hands aren’t throughly washed after handling BARF foods.
Umm just a question I don’t know for sure, can dogs get semenella.. I also wouldnt feed the bones as they are sharp and hard to digest.. Raw food is completely fine…I think it provides more nutriton than many other foods
I feed raw meaty bones to my Corgi and I really like it. She is doing great and I feel wonderful watching her enjoy tearing into the variety of “prey” I feed her.
You’re right, kibble isn’t an option once you’ve experienced raw.