Buster the dog, my dog is on the BARF diet. The diet consists of approximately 60% raw meaty bones and raw ground meat, 15 % crushed vegetables and fruit and 25% organ meat (liver, heart, kidneys,etc.) with some added supplements like flax seed oil, cod liver oil, apple cider vinegar,etc.
Why the BARF diet for my dog of dirt, Buster? Well it was one of many new years resolutions to feed le dog better quality food. Buster turns 4 in a few weeks and its about time this runt of the litter gets some well deserved attention. Buster also suffers from a sensitive stomach and pukes at least once every 2 months ~ super annoying. I'm hoping this is the answer.
“BARF is about feeding dogs properly. The aim of BARF is to maximize the health, longevity and reproductive capacity of dogs and by so doing, minimize the need for veterinary intervention. How do you feed a dog properly? You feed it the diet that it evolved to eat. ... Artificial grain based dog foods cause innumerable health problems. They are not what your dog was programmed to eat during its long process of evolution. A biologically appropriate diet for a dog is one that consists of raw whole foods similar to those eaten by the dogs’ wild ancestors. The food fed must contain the same balance and type of ingredients as consumed by those wild ancestors. This food will include such things as muscle meat, bone, fat, organ meat and vegetable materials and any other foods that will mimic what was those wild ancestors ate.” - Australian Veterinarian Dr. Billinghurst
Billinghurst has published two books about BARF: Give Your Dog a Bone in 1993 and Grow Your Pups with Bones.
BARF FOOD
Ground meat - beef, chicken, turkey, roo, buffalo, chicken carcasses, fish
Organ meat (chopped) - kidney, liver, green tripe, beef heart, brains
Vegetables - NO ONIONS, POTATOES, PEAS OR BEANS. dark leafy greens and or romaine lettuce main ingredient (NO ICEBERG), small amounts of parsley, carrots, pumpkin. Spinach, silver beet, parsnips, turnips, cilantro, kale, mustard greens, beetroot, tomatoes. Red, green, orange or yellow peppers (not at the same time.) Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage (not at the same time.)
Fruits - apples, oranges, papayas, kiwi, cantaloupe
Supplements - cod liver oil (1 teaspoon), olive oil aka vitamin E (1 teaspoon), flax seed oil ( 1 teaspoon), apple cider vinegar (1 teaspoon), kelp granules (1 teaspoon), salmon oil (1 teaspoon), and vitamin C (500 mg or 1 crushed tablet)
Garlic - small amounts
Eggs - 1-6 eggs with shells
Recreational bones - roo bones, beef knuckle, beef leg, pig heads
RMB or raw meaty bones - chicken necks, chicken wings, whole chicken carcasses, chicken backs ( I read somewhere that only cooked chicken bones splinter. I haven't mustard up to courage to feed him any yet) turkey necks, turkey wings, duck, rabbit, quail, beef brisket, beef neck, pig feet, pork necks, ox tail
some information on RMBs
How I switched to the BARF diet from conventional dog food:
Before starting I had him fast for a full 24 hours.
Then for the first 2 weeks I gave him nothing but RMB; turkey necks (1- 2) in the morning and plain ground meat; beef in the evening (1-2 % of body weight). I read you want to start plain and slow. After week 2 I started making my own vegetable mix. 2 batches, one consisted of carrots, apples, broccoli and the other, carrots, apples and green cabbage. Both had the same supplements whole and ground flax seeds (1 teaspoon), cod liver oil (1 teaspoon), cold pressed olive oil aka vitamin E (1 teaspoon), apple cider vinegar (1 teaspoon). I mix about 2- 3 heaping tablespoons of vegetable mix to some chopped and separated liver, kidney, ground chicken and ground beef (all in separate zip-lock bags.) The liver and kidney mix are for Mondays and Thursdays; twice a week, ground meats all other days. Upon serving I crack open an egg on top and add 1-2 tablespoons of plain yogurt for good digestion. Since I introduced the vegetable and supplement mix to the evening meal I have cut down the RMB to 3-4 times a week as a morning meal adding ox tail to the usual turkey necks.
As time passes I plan on changing up/ adding more to the vegetable mix and also introducing new raw meats.
Buster BTW is a 40 pound Beagle, Walker Hound mix.
Side Note ~ if using plastic bowls switch to stainless steel! plastic deteriorates / gradually dissolves and bacteria (especially since we're working with raw meat) grows faster on plastic. have questions? go here
Live in the Austin area and want some prepared BARF food with free delivery?
