| B.A.R.F. Bones And Raw Foods Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods |
| My malamutes as well as my 15 year old border collie have been fed a raw diet. They have been on this since March of 2000, and have been thriving. I decided to switch to raw because I wasn't happy with any of the commercial dog foods I was feeding. I also didn't like not knowing what was going into the dog kibble that I was buying - - where are they getting their ingredients? - what is the quality of the ingredients? - how is it processed? - what does the processing do to the ingredients? - are the chemicals and preservatives harmful to my dogs? Now, I buy human grade ingredients to feed my dogs. I know exactly what they are eating. And, the cost of the food is equal to or less than the "premium quality" dog kibble. I follow the raw diet by Dr. Ian Billinghurst's GIVE YOUR DOG A BONE RAW MEATY BONES: The main component of this diet is RMB's (Raw Meaty Bones), which make up about 60% of the diet. My dogs get mainly raw chicken backs - cooked chicken bones are very dangerous for dogs so it is important that the chicken is raw. Raw bones are very important as they are a natural source of protein, calcium, phosphorous, amino acids, essential fatty acids, anti oxidants, enzymes as well as other vitamins and minerals. Chewing bones also keeps my dogs' teeth clean and healthy. I also feed fish, beef, pork and moose. ORGAN MEAT: Organ meat such as liver, kidney, and tripe are a concentrated source of essential vitamins such as B complex, C and A and minerals such as iron, manganese, selenium and zinc. They are fed in small amounts. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES: Raw fruits and vegetables are sources of vitamins and minerals as well as fibre. Because dogs cannot digest cellulose, all fruits and vegetables need to be totally crushed before they can digest it. I use a juicer and a food processor to do this. The main fruits and vegies that I feed are: carrots, yams, pumpkin, romaine lettuce, banana, apple and oranges. OTHER FOODS: I also feed other foods in moderation. These include whole raw eggs, yogurt, and cottage cheese. I do not feed any types of grains or legumes. SUPPLEMENTS: I supplement my dogs with kelp, brewer's yeast, seal oil, vitamin Bcomplex and vitamin C. This is not done at each meal. VARIETY, VARIETY, VARIETY: Not every meal has to be balanced. The key is to make sure that the dogs receive a variety of ingredients so that their diet is balanced over time. |