BARF for dogs
It all started for me about fifteen years ago. I would see clients coming in for one problem or another on a regular basis. The various problems all cleared up with the treatments given, but a few months later they could recur again. Again they cleared up with treatment, but similarly they recurred a short while later. Some of you may be familiar with this cycle.
Then I started to notice a strange phenomenon. Some of these dogs would break their routine cycle and not need to come in for maybe year. And then it may be for something completely different. I got curious and started to ask the owners if anything had changed in the way they looked after their dogs.
The responses were as interesting as they were consistent. These owners had heard about the raw food approach to feeding dogs and had given it a try. The consequences were that the dogs’ health had improved and the grumbling problem had faded away. Great news.
I started to get more curious. Could this approach be useful for other dogs? So, whenever I came across a problem with a dog that seemed to keep recurring, I retold the story and suggested that, along side appropriate treatment, the owner looked at a diet switch.
The results were impressive. Owner after owner would come back and report changes for the better with their dogs health. It almost became comical when I asked how they were getting on. I could have written a script, the feedback was so familiar:
Improved vitality
Digestion better
Coat improved
Moving better
Behaving better
These were just some of the the results owners repeatedly reported.
Time went by and I got even more curious. If this was the response so many dogs gave with improvement in their health when they switched to a Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diet, then why wait until their health went wrong? Why not start on a BARF diet at an early age to help build and maintain good health?
When an owner asked me what food I would suggest for their young dog, I would repeat the story and then suggest a good quality BARF diet. The years went by and I would monitor their progress. Consistent with previous findings, the health of dogs was very good.
In terms of the Holistic Lifepath philosophy, good quality BARF diets help establish a good Green Level foundation. Of course there is a learning curve and it won’t sort all problems out on its own. There are also things to be aware of:
It needs to be good quality and appropriately sourced.
It needs to be balanced.
You need to pay attention to managing raw meat appropriately.
You need to be aware of potential parasite risks & how to minimise them.
I have to say, while there are a few minimal risks, these are things that don’t crop up very often if an owner approaches BARF diets intelligently.
If you want to find out more, a great place to start is Honeys Real Dog Food. They are passionate about BARF diets. Not only do they produce a very good product, they are very happy to discuss the BARF approach whether you buy their food or not.
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