# BARF diet good idea or doggie disaster?



## Mrs Stevo (May 2, 2011)

I am going to be the proud mummy of Holly. When she comes to me she will be on dry dog food. My neighbour has a puppy 8 weeks old now and she is using the BARF diet. I wondered what people thought about this as I am considering it for Holly. Any and all thoughts about this gratefully recieved.

Hotep
Liz
xx


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

Hi Liz,

I'd recommend that you do a forum search on here for it - there are lots and lots of references to it. Helen (Dylansmum) feeds Dylan BARF, so try searching her posts. Also, there have been sooooo many recommendation of Orijen, which is dried food made on BARF principles, that I have ordered a trial pack and am going to try switching Rosie to that. 

I'm no expert and I think that the most important thing is that you've got to find the food that suits your dog, but if it does suit, I think it is a good way to ensure you're not feeding any old cr4p from the abbatoir that the food manufacturers have thrown in along with a whole load of cereal to bulk it up and make it cheaper. 

Louise


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Hi Liz, I replied about BARF on the other thread. I would just add here that for me the benefits are:
A completely natural diet with no artificial additives to give optimum health, better skin, teeth, digestion, immune system, no allergies etc. I am sure that a lot of medical conditions, including cancers and also behaviour problems are caused by artificial additives and cereals and poor quality food.
Dylan is completely odour-free (except after bathing in stagnant water)
The poos are small, firm and barely smelly.
I started feeding a holistic kibble, but was just turned off by the thought of the puppy that I adored eating nothing but little brown pellets for the whole of his life. I love the fact that he is eating "real" food.
I first came across BARF when I spent some time with a canine behaviour therapist. His methods included switching all his clients to BARF as the company believe that commercial dog food is one of the causes of behaviour problems, and they see big improvements after the switch.


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## Jukee Doodles (Apr 5, 2011)

Hi Liz

I totally agree with Helen, the BARF diet is fantastic. We are breeders and feed all of our dogs on raw meaty bones. However it was not convenient enough for our puppy buyers so we weren't able to wean our pups onto a BARF diet which was a shame, but now we can. It was her advise that allowed us to find the Orijen kibble which looks like dry food but has zero grain and cereal. www.orijenpetfoods.co.uk and the pre-prepared frozen BARF diet pet food from www.naturalinstinct.com all great for puppies and adults alike.


Hope you have lots and lots of fun with your new puppy.

Julia


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

Flo is fed on Orijen but I'm giving serious thought now to switching to Natural Instinct after seeing Dylansmum's advice. I have even started to move Flo towards BARF by replacing some of her kibble meals with 2 raw chicken wings which she loved. If you do feed part dry part BARF though always feed seperately as they digest dry food and BARF at different rates and some dogs won't do well on a mixed dry/BARF meal.

Yep Dylansmum's, I overcame my veggie self and tossed Flo 2 raw chicken wings at the weekend as a meal and it is much more satisfying seeing a dog tuck into and gnaw through a natural meal rather than swallowing kibble  She also got a raw bone out of a half leg of lamb during Easter weekend as I wanted to distract her from jumping all over guests and - guess what - the lamb bone was much more interesting than guests and she merely lifted her head to glance at them before spending a good hour gnawing through her bone.


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## caradunne (Nov 29, 2010)

Mandy what a good veggie mum you are - I nearly got Izzy a bone - but I failed! I must get over myself and understand my little Izzy wizzy is a dog! Xx


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## Mrs Stevo (May 2, 2011)

I have contacted my breeder and she is willing to wean Holly straight onto BARF as I can buy the food online and send it to her. I have read lots now and followed the link to the natural site but I am the sort that likes a book in hand, any recommendations?


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

caradunne said:


> Mandy what a good veggie mum you are - I nearly got Izzy a bone - but I failed! I must get over myself and understand my little Izzy wizzy is a dog! Xx


I was shopping in Waitrose at the weekend and saw a pack of chicken wings while stocking up on meat for my carnivorous family and brought on impulse.

I gave Flo 2 wings that evening as her meal in the garden while carnivorous family BBQed rump steak and I had a big mushroom!! She loved her wings. I froze the rest and gave her 2 frozen wings as a meal yesterday evening. I want to avoid her wandering round the house munching raw chicken on the rugs - young child in family with toys on floor - so simply chuck them in the garden where she is happy to lie on the grass gnawing away and she eats her chicken in the fairly large fenced off bit of the garden, called Flo's garden, which is all a nice way for this veggie, raw chicken phobic owner to deal with raw meat and bones 

Go for it, Izzy will be soooooo happy. If you can't bring yourself to do the wings get some raw chicken and stuff it in a kong.


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

I've heard great things about it. Not tried it yet, but I do like the idea. Give it a shot if you can!


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Yes it must be a bit traumatic for veggie mums. I think there are some who feed their dogs on veggie dog food, poor things 
Well done Mandy! Flo will be grateful.
Liz, the original book was by Dr Billinghurst. I think it was called "give a dog a bone" . There is a Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Ian-Billinghurst-RAW-BARF/22442420822
By the way, anyone contemplating switching to BARF be warned that you will probably face some hostility from your vet - they don't like it. It's a bit like GP's and alternative therapies. There is a lot of controversy surrounding BARF. That's one of the reasons that I use Natural Instinct, as I can demonstrate that it is a complete, balanced diet (vet approved). The bones are also ground, to avoid any choking risk. They also double-grind the veg to break down the cell walls so the nutrients can be accessed. I give Dylan lots of big bones as well, but they are more for recreation.


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