I often see references to a BARF diet here, would anyone point to a site where I can read up on it please.

And/or what are the advantages of it?

Alan

Hi Alan,

Take a look at www.bluegrace.com/barf.html I will be starting my new puppy on the barf diet next week and hopefully changing my GSD over onto it. I'll keep you updated as I go along. Must say though, it isn't as expensive as a dry complete diet and I get the meat delivered to my home for £1.00 (bargain). If you don't like the thought of feeding whole bones, you can get your local butcher to grind them.

Naomi.

BARF Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
Usually interpreted as Bones And Raw Food but Dr Billinghurst prefers the term above.
I would never dream of feeding any of my dogs bones as I have seen the damage that can be done. If it is your decision so be it but there are down sides to any feeding programme. I have read the arguments for BARF and feel it is not right for my dogs, particularly the bones aspect. I do feed raw vegetables and raw meat as well as processed foods so the dogs do get a varied diet.
To find sites just enter BARF in any good search engine I prefer www.google.com
some sites are
http://ighawaii.com/naturally/newsletter/barf.html
http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/tripd/food.htm.
http://www.bestinshow.net/learning/billinghurst.html
etc

Thanks, I'm off to do some reading now then.

Longdog, you have me a bit worried now, I give Gem bones which she absolutly loves. What are the problems associated with them?

A lovely friend of mine gave me an (organic) bone for my puppy but I'd read that it was dangerous to feed it to them so I threw it away. When I told her she said 'what happened to give a dog a bone'?. I couldn't answer her, Can you?

I can answer that one. I occasionally used to give my Dobermanns shin bones, raw, straight from the butcher, sometimes whole, sometimes halved. This was fine until Jet (four years old) decided to eat hers. Shards of bone excoriated her intestine and she was very lucky not to lose all of it (only a couple of metres) let alone her life.

This continued to cause problems thoughout her life (she lived till 11) as the operation site adhered to the stomach wall (or something) so that when she got an upset stomach or overate, where normally it would have swollen and been mobile it could not move and caused her a lot of pain.

In the end she had to have another operation to remove the adhesions when she was 9 or 10.

I have heard the arguments that wolves and wild dogs eat bones, and yes they probably do, but at the same time they eat fur, feathers, muscle, stomach contents etc, which must pad out the bones a bit.

When Keri ate the turkey carcase (opened the oven door!) and it was mostly just bones left I gave her a loaf of bread and a pint of milk as well to pad her stomach and try to help the bones though.

If my lot want something to crunch on now they have to make do with raw carrots or cauliflowers or nylabones or something similar - no more bones for them

Christine

I agree with Christine, I have a friend who is a breeder and swears by this diet, she even fed her Poms on it as well as her Afghan and BSD's, but I have heard from many people that even in the wild, a dog will occasionally get a blockage and die from it.

Wolves have proportionately huge heads and jaws compared ot a dog th esame size, so perhpas are better eqipped to crush bones?

Having said that, I always have given my guys smoked bones from the pet shop to clean their teeth, these crumble rather than break, and I just keep a bit of an eye on them in case and remove when too small.

some owners mince the bones don't they?

Lindsay

I feed my dogs a BARF diet. I am always careful about the bones side of it though. My butcher sells minced chicken for dogs which includes the carcases - the bones just feel like gritty bits in the meat. This way no damage can be done. The same butcher supplies me with marrow bones sawn through the middle to enable my dogs to extract the valuable bone marrow. Chewing on these RAW bones acts like a very efficient toothbrush not to mention the natural calcium they are getting from chewing the knuckle end. I find that this approach eliminates any risk because it is impossible for them to break off lumps from these enormous (non-brittle) bones. I also buy in bulk 'best' minced beef which I have negotiated a very good price per pound. Some lambs/ox hearts & liver and green tripe are also kept in my 'dogs freezer' which they get occasionally.
It is my opinion that more harm can be done by feeding dogs 'hide' bones and the unnatural bones found in pet shops.
Just my opinion and not meant to upset anyone.
Liz

Hi Liz,

It is not impossible for dogs to chew/bite bits off of the marrow bones - please see my message above

I should ask what breed you have as this may also make a big difference to any dangers involved

Bi
Christine

Hi Christine,
I have two Cocker pups (7 months), Mila & Peggi, and a two year old Collie (Jack).
I can understand your concern in view of your terrible experience. Was the marrow bone old when your dog decided to EAT it?
I only allow mine to have them for a day (two at the very most) then they are 'binned'. The first thing they go for is the bone marrow. After an hour or so I help them out by digging the hard-to-reach marrow out for them. They then chew off any meat and eventually gnaw the knuckle end for a while. I never let them bury them or leave them laying around as I am sure that this would cause them to become brittle.
I know that there are dangers involved with giving a dog a bone but there are also many, many benefits. So I think that, if I am careful, they can have all the natural goodness that bones provide without the danger.
(My dogs also have perfectly white teeth and I never ever have to clean them with a toothbrush & paste.)
Best wishes,
Liz & the gang

Hi Gem

Please don't let Kate feed Tinker raw meat or bones - they give her terrible wind!

Loki
xx

Mmm this is not the best thread for me to be reading when trying to eat my lunch. All this talk of raw meat, minced bones, hearts and liver.....well at least it helps me stick to my diet :D

My dogs are about to start a H.L.F.S.O.D. (Husband left freezer switched off diet)
This will consist of several varieties of fish including best salmon. Rump steak, some chicken which we cannot manage and a packet of ?meat which I cannot decide what it is. I'd invite you all to a barbeque tomorrow if I could. There would be a selection of pizzas, chops, sausages, chicken, various bread and rolls, followed by this years raspberry harvest. Thank goodness it was him and not me, otherwise I'd be out on my ear!!
Lorna

Mmmmm! Lucky dogs!
You sure it was your husband and not a "mysterious" paw that switched your freezer off?
Inigo

ROTFLOL :D

Don't throw out the raspberries. Make jam. Or even better, raspberry gin!

You're being very cruel, Lorna!! Fancy promising us barbequed pizza then not doing it!;)

Loki,
I'll try to convince 9th, but you know how stubborn these humans can be! Best you start practising how to lock the stinker outside!!

How goes the training?

Love
Gem