Raw feeding

Raw feeding is the practice of feeding dogs, cats and other domestic animals a diet made mainly of uncooked meat, edible bones and organs. The term BARF, which stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or bones and raw food, is the best-known name for the approach.

History

The approach is usually linked to the Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst, who popularised it around 2001. His reasoning was that domestic dogs should eat what their wild ancestors ate, and that idea of an ancestral diet remains central to the arguments of its supporters.

A typical BARF ration mixes raw meaty bones, muscle meat, offal, some fruit and vegetables, and sometimes egg or omega-3 oils. Its spread coincided with criticism of industrial pet food, especially dry kibble, and with a wider trend towards products seen as natural. Many owners report improvements in their animals' general condition, although these reports have not always been confirmed by studies.

Culture

Several versions of the practice coexist. Some recipes include grains, vegetables or seeds, while others use only meat, bone and organs, as in the meat-with-bone diet or the prey model, which tries to reproduce the proportions of a whole prey animal. Commercial frozen raw diets and ready-made mixes are also widely sold. The topic divides vets and breeders, who debate whether dogs are omnivores or carnivores, how much plant matter they need and whether bones are safe to feed.

Trivia