Dry food vs Barf? Let’s start at the beginning:
What is BARF? It means: Bones And Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food
The rising of the dry food started after the World War II, because the focus was on the simplicity and the manufacturers wanted to create something for dogs that includes everything they need.
Advertisments and recommendation of dry food is everywhere.
BUT we forget something:
– the ancestors of dogs could stay alive in the wild with hunting
– digestive system is 99% identical with wolves
– dogs have predatory, sharp teeth for tearing, shredding and swallowing- they don’t chew thoroughly
– carbohydrate are not mandatory
– digestion time is between 5-10 hours (plant-eating animals need 3-5days)
The dry food industry became the third biggest in the world in the last half century.
Before the spread of dry food, there was no degenerative diseases and skin problems, or allergy symptoms.
The commercially available foods are full of flavorings, colorings, additives, preservatives and various contain chemicals.
The main problem is the high carbohydrate content, that can be 30-50% in dry food. Dogs store this as fat, so it causes obesity.
To prepare a pack of food, they use extrusion which is the cheapest method of production. At first the meat is treated over 200 Celsius degrees then it loses its nutritional value. The most popular preservatives are BHT and BHA that can cause allergy symptoms for dogs.
So, dogs body cannot process it enough and this has a serious impact on their immune system.
If you start thinking about introducing the fresh meat to your dog’s life, here are some tips how to start:
As you start feeding with fresh/raw meat, you can experience to reduce the quantity of poop, because the dog can digest a high portion of raw nutrition. They can be energetic, well-muscled, and get shiny fur. The symptoms of allergetic dogs can disappear.
You can see the rate of feeding for your dog:
Small breeds
< 2 kg- 10%
< 3-4 kg- 7%
< 5-8 kg- 5%
< 9-10 kg- 3%
> 10 kg- 2%
Here is a feeding rate you should keep:
muscle meat with fat 30-40% (heart max. 10%)
meaty bones 40%
offal 5-10%
additives 5% (salmon oil, probiotics, seeds)
vegetables, fruits 10-20%
You mustn’t feed with boar or pig rawly because it can include the ’Aujeszky- disease’ that can be deadly for dogs.
You don’t have to spend a whole day at the kitchen to make portions and calculate the rates of your dog’s meal, because you can buy at any pet stores meat mixtures that includes all of the neccessary nutritions that your dog’s need. It’s comfortable, because you just put it out from the freezer, and give it to your dog on room temperature. You can also buy dried vegetable flakes that you just soak with warm water for a few minutes then mix it to the meat.
Good news that the BARF is available in every pet store, so if you are interested in it, you can choose between different brands and various meat.
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