Hello. I just saw a website from someone that feeds her dogs Barf diet,she was describing what the dogs eat, how to prepare, etc.Very interesting site. She suplements the raw diet with lots of stuff like vitamin c, flax seed, various oils, etc. I would like to know why do you have to give so much extra when feeding raw? I thought there were loads of goodness in meat alone?
Thanks.
Val xxxx

Hi Val,
whats the web site addy?
i'm always on the look out for good feeding sites.

~christine~

Hello, Christine, I replied to the other Christine from Spain with the site address!!! Down the page!
Val xxxx

Hi Val,
I'm interested in Barf too. The Barf diet isn't just feeding meat alone though, as that wouldn't be a balanced diet. It's also feeding fruit and veg, meaty bones, eggs, cottage cheese, fish etc. I feed a commercial/barf mix and sometimes add some brewers yeast and kelp and flax seed. I try to vary what I give each time to balance it out and to make it interesting.

Kath.

Hello, Kath, I feed mine meat(tripe, beef, lamb, chicken), bones and stuff like hearts, kidneys, liver. I also give sometimes yogurt, boiled carrots and apples(only Gia will eat) and eggs. I thought it was enough but when I came across the site I realise it was not... there's need for all the suplements?
Val xxxx

You should get hold of Ian Billinghursts books about Barf feeding , they give you the whole picture ;) Check out your local library for a copy . Or you can have a look here Barf Books

The UK Barf Club is here : Barf Club

HTH

Melody :)

Hello, Melody, yes I think I'll have too, am worried now, especially since my Girl ullmastiff has lost weight since on Barf, I think I will give her some biscuit too, like terrier mix?
Val xxxx

Terrier mix is fine , yes :)

Hi Val, dogs, like humans, need a whole range of vitamins & enzymes & not all of them are supplied by meat alone so a varied diet is needed & of course the quality of the vitamins they receive depend on the quality of the food. I`m talking about additives given to cattle before slaughter,veg being grown on poor soil etc. There is a school of thought that certain vits are needed more than others at times when the dog is tressed, been taking drugs a/biotics etc or just to maintain peak condition.

Christine, Spain.

Hello Christine,Kath & Melody and everyone, the web site is(I hope is right): http://www.auntjeni.com/barf.htm
Val xxxx

Val ..my link (above) is for the UK club

HTH

Melody :)

Melody, I did registered with the Barf Uk(Bones98) and asked about feeding my 2 dogs but had no reply yet.
Many thanks.

Hi, Christine, so the reason why we should give suplements is because of the type of food we give to the dogs and In the wild the prey is better for them? I didn't think...what about organic meat- just curiosity as it cost a lot and not even my(human) kids have it...
Val xxxx

Hi Val, the reason to give supplements is if your dogs need them :) That can be for variuos reasons such as , they don`t get a varied diet, they`re ill or have been ill, their immune systems are weak etc. If you were to feed them only beef for example then they would have a vitamin shortage of the vits beef don`t supply, if they never got bones or dairy foods then they`d have a calcium shortage etc. We give them vits in case there is a shortage in their diets. If they`ve been on a/b`s I give mine yoghurt & actimel, ones not long had an operation she`s been getting high dose vits C,E B. The others have been stressed so were getting high vit C. Not everyone who feeds raw gives supplements,it`s up to you. The aim is to feed them as much of the whole animal as you can,eg a whole rabbit/chicken quail. In theory it should provide all they need but we all know about theories don`t we :) Get some books & have a read & then decide if you think your dogs need them. Another good book to the ones already suggested is called The Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats by Richard Pitcairn, it gives the full nutritional value of just about all foods which is very helpful & also a list of menus, although he uses cooked grains/veg with raw meat in his diet.
Love to be able to afford to feed us all with organic food (its also ver hard to find over here)but I can`t so we all get the best I can afford.

Christine, Spain.

Her`s a link about raw feeding & it also gives more links for more info! :)

http://www.acorndogtraining.co.uk/penel.htm

Christine, Spain.

Christine, that's a great link, many thanks!!
Val xxxx
Ps:When I mentioned to other people about me feeding the dogs raw a lot of them say "OH, no, it will make them vicious" ???????? Athos & Gia still let me touch or take their food off them, and Athos is a bit more agressive towards Gia because he doesn't want to share his delicious meal, so I just simply separate them...have you heard this before?

Always hearing it & just laugh now :) and show pics of my lot on the lawn munching away :)

Christine, Spain.

Ah yes, this goes along with the "once they have tasted blood they get a taste for it you know". Raw food does not make any dog vicious; it CAN make them more likely to guard their food against other dogs because it is viewed as a high value resource (unlike kibble) :).

Some people, including IB are supplement mad; all dogs, like humans, have varying needs and some require more "input" of somethings than others. For example, Dogs DO manufacture their own Vitamin C, but not necessarily as much as they actually NEED during some periods of stress eg growth, pregnancy, lactation etc.

It is essential that one understands the nutritional make up of food before supplementation as, too much of anything can be as bad as too little. For example people often give Cod Liver Oil every day however this could mean that the dog is potentially getting too much Vits A & D especially during the summer months and if fed fresh liver regularly.

Also one needs to understand the POTENTIAL effects of SOME items on SOME dogs. So for example, while millions of people eat peanuts without a problem in some theycan cause reactions ranging from mild discomfort to fatality! Flax seed is a good example of this; it is recommended as a valuable source of EFA Omega 3 however it CAN cause scratching and itchiness in some dogs therefore the animal alternative Fish Body Oil is often preferred.

In general, a dog fed a very varied diet from a variety of sources should get the majority of its nutritional needs met without the need for supplements however if the dog has some metabolic deficiency, is under stress, works hard etc it MAY need extras.

Vicious my foot!:)
I can take anything from Murph's mouth, wether it be food, bones, toys. I don't make a habit of it though because he's entitled to eat his food in peace. If a dog's going to be vicious, it will be, regardless of what it is being fed.

TTFN

Ruth

That's right, my first Bullmastiff was fed only dry and you couldn't walk around the area he was fed without him wanting to kill you.
Val xxxx