Use of the Barf Diet in Dog Nutrition

Abstract

In recent years, the use of BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food - Raw Meat Based Diet) diet has become more popular in dog and cat feeding, as well as feeding with extruded or pelleted food. The BARF diet for dogs is based on a predator-prey diet, and foods that have not been heat-treated are included in the diet. The diet is formulated to reflect the composition of the prey caught, and vegetables and fruits are often used as a source of muscle, viscera, cartilage, bone and fiber. Generally, the components are 80% muscle, 10% bones, 5% liver and 5% other secretory organs. BARF nutrition is based on the inclusion of raw bones in the diet and is prepared by the addition of ground bone. However, the use of untreated whole bones in the diet involves many risks for the animal. Today, the BARF diet is preferred by pet owners as it is a natural feed. However, while the animal is thought to be fed naturally, it carries many risks. in order to avoid these risks, information should be obtained from veterinarians about the appropriate procedure for the preparation of raw diet.