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BARF stands for either Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones And Raw Food. A BARF diet is built around raw meat, raw meaty bones and organ meat, with fruits and vegetables added where appropriate. We fed our own dogs and puppies this way for years. This page shares what we learned, what we liked about it, and what we would want anyone to know before starting, including the risks.
Why do people feed BARF?
There are two main reasons people choose a BARF diet. One is to avoid the heavily processed ingredients, additives and fillers found in some commercial pet foods. The other is to feed a diet closer to what a dog’s ancestors ate: mostly meat, bone and organ.
One thing we’ve learned since our early days of raw feeding: the old claim that dogs “simply aren’t designed” to digest grains or starch doesn’t hold up. A large 2013 genetic study published in Nature found that during domestication, dogs picked up extra copies of the gene for pancreatic amylase (AMY2B), the enzyme that breaks down starch. That makes modern dogs much better at digesting starch than wolves are. So grains aren’t poison to dogs. The case for raw feeding is about food quality and preference, not about dogs being unable to handle carbohydrates.
“Other dogs eat kibble and they’re fine — right?”
There are a lot of ailments that affect our furry friends that are completely unnecessary for them to suffer with, all because of the food they are served. Some, but not all, include: dry, itchy skin; hot spots; allergies; ear infections; sore gums; bad breath; fleas and ticks; and hyperactivity.
Will switching diets fix all of this?
No, and nobody should promise that it will. If a food allergy is the cause, the usual culprits in dogs are proteins rather than grains. A 2016 review of the veterinary research found that the most commonly reported food allergens in dogs were beef, dairy, chicken and wheat. A dog that is allergic to chicken can react to a raw chicken diet just as it would to chicken kibble. The reliable way to diagnose a food allergy is an elimination diet planned with your vet.
If you decide to try BARF, switch gradually, give it at least a month, and watch honestly: Is the coat shinier and softer? Is the breath cleaner? Are the stools smaller and firmer? Is the dog content and at a healthy weight? Does your vet see an improvement in overall health, especially if there are current medical conditions or allergies?
Does BARF actually meet nutritional needs?
It can, but only if it’s balanced, and this is where many home-made raw diets fall short. There is real controversy over the BARF diet, as there usually is whenever mainstream and alternative ideas meet, so please do your own research and include your vet in it.
The argument for raw meat starts from what wild and feral dogs eat: mostly prey animals, including meat, bone and organs, with some plant matter. Dogs are more flexible than cats in this respect. Wolves eat mainly meat but will also eat berries, grasses and other plant material, and domestic dogs have adapted further to living alongside people.
Keeping a raw diet balanced
A raw diet that is mostly muscle meat is not complete. A few principles we’d pass on to anyone starting out:
- Use a ratio as a starting point. Many raw feeders use the “prey model” guideline of roughly 80% muscle meat, 10% edible bone, 5% liver and 5% other secreting organ (such as kidney). It’s a rule of thumb, not a guarantee of balance.
- Calcium and phosphorus matter. Meat is high in phosphorus and low in calcium. Edible raw bone (or a properly dosed calcium source) supplies the calcium. Too little or too much can cause serious problems.
- Be especially careful with large-breed puppies. Standard Goldendoodles are large dogs. Puppies of large breeds are sensitive to both excess and deficient calcium, and to growing too fast. If you raise a puppy on home-made raw, have the recipe checked by a professional.
- Vary the proteins and include organs so no single nutrient gap goes on for months.
- Never feed cooked bones. Cooking makes bones brittle and prone to splintering. Raw bones carry risks too (broken teeth, choking, blockages), so supervise and choose bones sized for your dog.
If you’d rather not work out the balance yourself, there are two good options. One is a commercial raw diet labelled “complete and balanced” for your dog’s life stage (meeting AAFCO or equivalent nutrient profiles). The other is a recipe formulated by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, many of whom offer consultations online.
Raw food safety: protect your family, too
This is the part we wish we’d understood better at the start. Raw meat, including commercial raw pet food, can carry bacteria such as Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli. Dogs can carry and shed these bacteria in their saliva and stool without looking sick. That’s why the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, the U.S. FDA and the CDC all caution against raw pet diets. The risk is highest for homes with babies and toddlers, older adults, pregnant people, or anyone with a weakened immune system.
If you feed raw, handle it like you would raw meat for your own dinner:
- Keep raw food frozen or refrigerated, and thaw it in the fridge, not on the counter.
- Prepare it on surfaces and with utensils you wash in hot, soapy water afterwards; wash your hands thoroughly.
- Pick up and refrigerate or discard uneaten food within about half an hour; wash bowls after every meal.
- Don’t let the dog lick faces right after eating, and pick up stool promptly.
- If someone in your home is in a higher-risk group, talk to your doctor and vet before choosing raw.
Our favorite things about feeding BARF
Dogs whose diet leaves them hungry will sometimes eat almost anything, including other dogs’ waste. We appreciated that our BARF-fed dogs rarely did. We also noticed breath that didn’t stink, no fleas or ticks, very little scratching, and clean-looking teeth. Chewing raw meaty bones may help reduce tartar, but it is not a substitute for dental care, so keep up with your vet’s dental checks. Our active dogs also seemed calmer and steadier on raw food than they had been on the kibble we used before. That’s an observation from our own house, not a proven effect.
How do I switch my dog to raw food?
It’s simpler than it sounds. The general rule of thumb is that an adult dog will eat about 2–3% of its ideal body weight in raw food per day. So a 50 lb dog eats roughly 1–1.5 lb a day, or 0.5–0.75 lb per meal if fed twice daily. Puppies need more for their size. See our BARF Diet FAQ for puppy amounts. Many people transition over a week or so by offering a little raw food alongside the old food and gradually shifting the balance. If your dog has always eaten kibble, they may be used to eating very fast and could almost inhale the meat at first. Supervise until you’re confident they’ve settled into chewing properly.
Give about half an hour to eat, then pick up whatever’s left and refrigerate or discard it. Keep track of how much was eaten and adjust at the next meal. Healthy dogs on raw food often vary their appetite from day to day, eating heartily one day and picking the next. As long as it averages out and the dog stays at a healthy weight, that’s usually nothing to worry about. Once your dog is comfortable with meat at each meal, you can add variety. In our house chicken was the staple, with beef and lamb in rotation, and we offered extras like plain yogurt, raw eggs, carrots and apples.
How do I know they’re getting the right amount without measuring?
Watch the dog, not just the scale. The simplest check is the rib test: you should be able to feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of fat but not see them. If you can see them, offer more food. If you press gently on the side and can’t feel the ribs at all, the dog may be overweight. Your vet can show you how to “body condition score” your dog, which is the most useful skill for any feeding method.
Most importantly: talk to your vet before drastically changing your dog’s diet, especially if there are medical conditions or medications involved. Some vets support raw feeding and many don’t. A good vet will help you do it as safely as possible either way.
We don’t claim to be experts on animal nutrition. All we can share is our own experience and the results we saw in our own dogs and the puppies we raised. Please do your own research and make the decision that’s right for you and your pet.
Related supplies: shop raw/BARF dog food on Amazon.ca (affiliate link).
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