As pet owners we are constantly looking for the best diet that would provide the proper dog food nutrition. Most dog owners today have chosen to feed their pets a commercial dog food brand believing that this will provide the necessary nutrients their pets need. Raw dog food diets, however, are gaining popularity. Dog owners and breeders who use the B.A.R.F. diet have testified to its effectiveness in keeping their animals in good health and disease free.

An Australian doctor by the name of Ian Billinghurst developed the raw food diet believing that dogs should eat natural organic foods and uncooked meats, fats and offal. The main purpose is to feed a dog the natural foods his canine ancestors ate. It has been shown through several studies that animals fed in the methods introduced through the B.A.R.F. Philosophy appear to live longer healthier lives.

The B.A.R.F. Philosophy incorporates diets made up of muscle and organ meats, bones, fats, eggs and dairy products, grains and fruits and vegetables, and other food items. Billinghurst maintains that this is the most appropriate method of providing our dogs with the same nutritional ingredients eaten by their ancestors.

According to advocates of this type of diet, there is no harm in giving dogs what their bodies are suited to eat in the first place. Chicken bone is mostly recommended and it is combined in specified ratios with raw meaty bones from rabbits, beef, turkey, pork, venison, and other sources. The most important thing is to never give dogs cooked bones.

Backers of B.A.R.F. maintain that commercially prepared dog foods lack enzymes and other dietary components needed by dogs. Processed pet foods may even contain dog food ingredients some dogs can get allergic to. They would much rather feed their dogs home-prepared raw meals, with dog food recipes varying each day, making feeding time all the more interesting for their pets.

Dog food nutrition experts who advocate the B.A.R.F. Diet insist that it gives the proper dog food ingredients for sound dog health. B.A.R.F. tries to imitate wild animals’ kind of dietary system. According to backers, dog food recipes that use this kind of diet help prevent the need for veterinary intervention in the course of your dog’s lifetime.