Home Dog Food BARF - the Raw Food Diet for Dogs

BARF - the Raw Food Diet for Dogs

More dog owners than ever are feeding their pets raw bones and raw meats. Learn the pros and cons.

by Steve Johnson, staff
July 12, 2004

If you have followed any of the online newsgroups centered around dogs, you may have heard about "BARF", an acronym for Bones And Raw Food.

The concept is simple. It's about feeding your dog raw, fresh foods rich in protein, such as meat, dairy, and eggs, as well as raw bones, and avoiding the commercial or processed stuff. The idea is that dogs were meant to eat naturally available foods, and being the carnivores they are, should eat plenty of protein.

Dog owners who are loyal to the BARF diet, claim they have seen remarkable improvement in their pets' behavior, energy, and mood.

The BARF diet generally consists of raw meat, such as beef, lamb, chicken, turkey and fish among others. Some dog owners go so far as to provide raw squid, eel, and rabbit. Many include raw eggs into the diet as well. A BARF diet may also include some processed foods, such as cheese, yogurt, or weenies. Raw bones are also part of the diet, mainly smaller and softer bones. A common practice is to feed a dog raw turkey necks or chicken necks. Some people choose to grind up bones with some kind of meat grinder, and mix other raw foods into it, such as meat, eggs, or some vegetables.

Proponents of BARF claim that for thousands of years before commercially processed foods were available, dogs ate the same food that their owners ate, either as table scraps or unwanted portions of game. They also cite wild dogs, such as wolves, fox, and coyotes eating their prey raw, including bones. To counter the BARF movement, manufacturers of commercially processed food claim that their products are balanced for a dog's health, and is actually better because it gives a dog the precise nutrition it needs. Moreover, veterinaries argue that while wild dogs do indeed eat raw bones, no one has any proof that they are not suffering from doing so.

Jane Anderson, who publishes a popular BARF website RawLearning.com, suggests that feeding an appropriate raw diet is the best way to provide a solid platform for a dog's health. "You probably already know that there is no commercial dog food that even comes close to providing the benefits of an appropriate raw diet for your dog. And there is no such thing as "quality" or "human-grade" kibble.", she explains on her website.

When asked why commercial dog food is not good for a dog, she responds with a list of reasons among them are, "The vast majority of commercial dog foods have far too much carbohydrates in them. High levels of carbohydrates are linked to over-eating, diabetes, weight gain, and numerous other problems. Dogs should eat a diet with only a small amount of carbs. A dog's food should never be cooked. It should be fed in a raw natural state like nature intended. Cooking a dog's food ruins most of the nutritional value. "

However, T. J. Dunn, DVM, a veterinarian, who runs ThePetCenter.com, explains on his website that while feeding a dog raw foods has many benefits, people need to take care to ensure the amounts and ratios of nutrients are in proper balance. "The eventual effects of deficiencies, imbalances and over-supplementing a diet may not show detrimental effects in an animal for months after an improper diet has been fed.", says Dunn.

When asked about feeding raw bones to a dog, Dunn argues that there is no clinical proof that feeding a dog raw bones has any benefit, and questions if that any reported benefit may come from other sources. "Could it be that the nutritional benefits seemingly derived from feeding RAW BONES is mostly derived from the meat, fat and connective tissues attached to those raw bones more so than from the actual bone itself?" asks Dunn.

In fact, Dunn's website goes on to report stories of raw bones lodging themselves into a dog's esophagus and disgestive tracts. He has photographs of x-rays as evidence, some depicting cases where bones have impacted themselves, requiring surgery to alleviate. In addition, Dunn reports that bone fragments can break off in the chewing process and get lodged into a dog's teeth. In one case, he shows photos of a bone fragment that got stuck in a beagle's molars and had to be removed by a vet.

As a means to end the discussion of eating raw bones, Dunn published a study of the nutritional content of bones, and found that "Other than being a great source of Calcium and Phosphorus, the chemical composition of raw bones is such that minimal nutritional benefits are obtained from their ingestion. Marrow does have some nutritional value but is composed mainly of fat."

When asked about the arguments presented by veterinarians, BARFers seem to brush it off by pointing out that most vets are in the pockets of dog food companies and pharmacy manufacturers. They cite the free food, drugs, and office supplies that veterinarians receive from these companies as evidence that they are being paid to promote their products, and to emphasize the dangers of BARF.

Anderson has published a page on her website explaining the "Hidden Link Between Vets, Universities, and Pet Food Companies", and draws a parallel between doctors in the medical profession, with that in the veterinary profession. She goes on to suggest that veterinary students in universities are being misled by pet food companies. She writes, "Additionally, universities have been well known for using pet food company sales reps to present to their students the lectures on nutrition." Because of this, she feels that many veterinarians are not thinking independently, and complains, "There is no excuse for vets not getting themselves better educated."

Is the BARF diet a legitimate theory in maintaining a healthy and happy dog? Most vets seem to agree that raw foods have great benefits, but the agreement seems to end with feeding them raw bones. Moreover, while feeding raw foods is beneficial, not maintaining proper nutritional balance may shorten a dog's life instead of extending it.

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