Animal lovers, are you aware of the BARF diet?

[chickenscratching]

`Ok, so recently I have become aware of the BARF diet (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) through my mom. We started her pets on the diet and I couldn't believe the changes I saw.
First of all the diet is basically supposed to mimic what an animal would receive if they were wild. So for example, I feed my kitties raw fish, kelp powder and other minerals (which they would receive from getting dirt in their mouth from the wild) and for snacks? chicken necks.
we feed our dogs raw liver, a mash of vegetables along with other minerals.
Number one, I've never seen animals go so crazy over something! Not only that, but for medical purposes this has proven to me to be a wise choice for your pets.
My parents 13 yr. old pekingnese was starting to head towards the end of his life. He was limping, developing cataracts and generally was plagued by his arthritis. Since he's been on the diet he's a puppy again! he doesn't limp, he's out of control and rambunctious.
It helps out an animals coat so much, it makes it glossy and shiny. Their whole bodies become lean and developed.
And a plus, it helps out with allergens (at least from my observations) that affect people allergic to animals.
here's a link to an info site: http://www.barfworld.com /
has anyone tried this for their animals? and what do you think about it?
i guess i'm just sharing this because i have seen such a positive change in my parents, my sisters and my animals-and it's something i hope everyone could benefit from.

[Modem Butterfly]

1. Kitties eat kelp powder in the wild?

:wow:

Just funning with you. I've been aware of the BARF diet for years, but have decided to stick with a high-quality dog food on the advice of our vet. And no, we don't feed our dogs Science Diet. :)

[chickenscratching]

2. from the kelp powder tree!

:)
i've been out of the loop with dog food-----what did your vet suggest?

[Modem Butterfly]

7. My vet's made a number of suggestions, including Science Diet

We go with ProPlan and give a good helping of doggie treats. Our vet feels it's difficult for most people to give their dogs adequate nutrition on the BARF diet (in fact, she's treated a number of dogs who've suffered under an inaccurate BARF plan).

[chickenscratching]

10. is it kind of like

people who just didn't do enough research into the diet (the one's whose dogs have suffered)? it sounds like people who switch to a vegetarian lifestyle but don't do any research resulting in nutrition deficiencies
:shrug:

[chenGOD]

5. What's wrong with Science Diet?

[chickenscratching]

6. personally

i don't like it because it has grains in it. Normally, an animal in the wild doesn't consume a ton of grain, or any for that matter. grains cause a glycemic low in our bodies, causing one to feel tired. giving a pet what theyre more accustomed to from an evolutionary standpoint (ie raw meat, vegetables, minerals) gives them more energy and happiness.

[Modem Butterfly]

8. Nothing, AFAIK

It's just that most vets recommend it, and, conveniently enough, sell it, too. So when a vet makes a recommendation of food, it's usually Science Diet.

[retread]

13. The following link has some good rules of thumb to use when selecting

pet food.

http://www.eccha.org/GOOD_DOG_FOOD.HTM

[sui generis]

3. a mix of both -

my critters get raw meat when I'm cooking, left over food (not fat scraps), multi vitamins, and also canned and dry dog food (for crunchies for their teeth).

Oh, and they also like veggies - go figure. My great dane and lab both lived to be 16 and my border collie just turned 18. I had a cat who lived to be 21 -

So, I conclude that in the wild in a theoretical garden of eden, an animal would find a variety of food (although unlikely that it would be cooked). Some foods are seasonal - therefore their nutrient intake would be seasonal, with deep winters doing the most damage. So I don't try to imitate the wild, but instead take the best of all worlds for their care.

And you have to be careful with protein. An animal who overeats has to digest that protein, and a large protein laden meal is hard on an aging body. In the wild domestic sized critters snack on mice and rats and smaller critters - little packs of nutrition rather than a big grossout once a day feast. It's better for their organs to digest smaller amounts of food more frequently during the day than one meal all at once. For us too.

[chickenscratching]

4. cool

im glad that people are aware of what they feed their pets.
have you ever tried meat w/bones for your animules? my kitties love it! total attack mode. and it gives them something to chew on.
i also agree about feeding them bits at a time, it makes tons o' sense.

[Modem Butterfly]

9. My Shar-Pei will eat just about anything...

My Shar-Pei will eat just about anything you wave near his cavernous maw. Drop it on the floor, it's pretty much his. Among the things he's eaten in the last year and a half since we brought him home from the shelter:

3 Orange Pound cakes (he had to counter surf to get these)

An entire pound of Halloween candy, wrappers included

Carrots

Grapes

Tofu

A four ounce skein of cashmere that was to be made into a hat (I got this back from the vet, but didn't want it anymore)

Three birth control pills

A host of multi-vitamins

Half of a spilled beer

Six red vines stolen from an unobservant nephew

[chickenscratching]

11. lol

:rofl:
this made me think about my doggie Mick from when I was a kid, it was always a fight every Halloween to keep the candy away from him!
I never understood it when he ate the wrappers, but it was impressive nonetheless.

regardless, it sounds like your sweetie has quite the tolerance level for everything! :)

on edit: did your sharpei have any scary/funny reactions to anything? i'm especially curious about the birth control

[Modem Butterfly]

12. No, he's a real garbage gut

I was on the phone with the veterinary hospital after the Halloween candy incident as he... voided many of the wrappers. They kept him for observation, but he was fine, he just had an elevated pulse from the chocolate. He got sick in one of the pound cakes he ate, then he got mad when we threw it away. "Hey! I'm not done with that yet!" We took him to the vets when he ate the yarn and surgery was performed. The yarn was still in his stomach and hadn't hurt his intestines yet. My vet is a real smart-ass and when I mentioned the yarn cost $50 (not including emergency surgery) she offered to give it back to me. Thanks, Doc.

The birth control pills caused quite a ruckus, as he actually ate the foil behind them, too.

When we adopted our Pei, he had a headwound from getting grazed with a bullet. After a few weeks, my partner remarked, "No wonder someone took a shot at him,"

I love him, but sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve such a beast.