Best Species Appropriate Dog Food
More and more dog owners are trying to feed their dogs with natural dog food. This means that the main meal of the dog consists of offal and meat, as well as bones and small prey animals. Feeding this type of dog is called “barfen” in professional circles and means something like “raw feeding”. Actually, BARF comes from English and means:
Barf = Bones And Raw Foods (Bones And Raw Food)
Why Barfen?
It is probably also because the animal feed industry has found in the four-legged friends and its owners a never-ending source of money. But careful, because mass is not always class and so contains the animal feed and often low-quality food. For example, the meat content in canned food is usually not higher than 30 percent. Dozens of varieties and flavors, colorful cans and lovingly crafted dog pictures of the dry food, tempt the owner to buy this food. However, anyone who grapples with the dog’s nature will find that dog food cannot be a real alternative to the dog’s usual eating habits. If you want your dog to stay a dog, you will be barefoot.
Advantages Of Raw Feeding
Barf has pros and cons. The advantages are obvious: the owner knows what his dog’s feeding contains, because the bones, the offal, and the meat are brought in and thus control what gets into the dog bowl. Many dog owners buy directly from the producer or the butcher.
Meanwhile, there are also many wholesalers where pre-packaged meals can be bought. Again, there are unfortunately a few black sheep and it is important to make an overview of the production and buy only from a dealer of his confidence.
Nutritional Supplement: Oils, Vegetables, Fruits
The dog owner can decide for himself, which fruit, vegetables or berries, and herbs get into the bowl. Barf can also be a part of homegrown vegetables or fruit in the garden. Note: 10-25 percent of the food should be made from vegetables or fruit. It can be varied between the different types of fruit and vegetables.
Vegetable oils are a must at the bar because they contain fatty acids that cannot be produced by the dog’s own organism, but they are vital for our dog. There are special barefoot here, or you can choose between different plant-based oils.
It should be clear to every dog owner that the food is not just food for the four-legged friend – it is also an occupation for the dog. It takes longer for all the meat to gnaw on the bone. This not only has the positive effect that the dog is full but also cleans his teeth at the same time. The more frequently the dog gnaws at the bone, the lower the formation of tartar. Bones also contain many vital minerals, fats, enzymes and, of course, calcium.
The amount of feces is changed, because dogs are fed by the owner, raw, have relatively little faces, also it is low odor and the consistency of the feces is optimal. Too hard or soft chair, the composition of the food is poor.
The dog skin is healthy and the coat is shiny. Also, the dog smells less by dog Barf. The typical “dog grazing” is often the result of inferior feed or certain ingredients are missing in the dog food.
With Barf the owner can also act against allergies. Many dogs suffer from a food allergy… But no dog is allergic to raw meat. Barefoot control over the composition of the feed is much greater. But beware, dogs can also be allergic to meats.
Raw food is cheaper than wet food and due to the fact that barf is also “satiating”, the composition can be considered cheaper.
The proprietary dog food is preservative free and that means you do not have to worry about the dog eating food that is harmful to the body.
If the owner feeds the dog with barf, he often has a better immune system. Barfen is natural dog feeding.
Disadvantages And Prejudices
But the raw food also has its disadvantages. For the right composition of the food is often a veterinarian or a specialist in barfen required. Self-attempts are to be omitted since these can be harmful to the dog. One should watch his dog closely when starting the barge. Sporadic digestion problems may occur in the first few days.
The owner must regularly organize and buy the necessary utensils, for example, feed components. In addition, there is an increased expenditure of time in the preparation of the feed.
Many veterinarians and dog owners are against the raw feeding. There are even veterinarians who refuse to provide information about the raw material compilation. Other dog owners react again and again dismissive of this method.
The food has a shorter shelf life, the barf keeps frozen even a few weeks.
The Composition
The compilation of raw food is work. However, many supporters of the feeding method do not see the increased time required as a disadvantage. It is important for them to know what nutrients and ingredients are in the dog food.
This allows the owner to influence the feed himself, thus ensuring the health of the four-legged friend. In addition, the owners deal intensively with the feeding habits of the animal.
The diet is composed of the weight and the level of activity, depending on the age of the dog. The general state of health also plays an essential role in the feed composition. The owner can estimate approximately how high the amount of food should be and after a certain time can estimate whether the given mixture is ok or should be changed.
In the total daily amount, the feeding is about 2 percent to 3 percent of the body weight of the dog. If the dog is slim and active, it should be more like 3 percent. A carrier and possibly a fat dog should not receive more than 2 percent.
In the composition, there is the rule that about 80 percent meat or meaty bones should be included in the meal. The remaining 20 percent consists of vegetables and fruits.
The composition of the dog food in the overview:
- 2 percent to 3 percent of the dog weight gives the total amount of food (depending on the activity of the dog)
- 20 percent of the total feed consists of fruits and vegetables
- 80 percent of the total feed consists of meat and bone
The Dog Remains A Dog
The raw dog food is a healthy alternative for the four-legged friends. To mix dog food, the dog owner must also add oils. The oils provide essential ingredients that make the raw dog food really healthy.
If you are not sure, the owner should follow the instructions of the expert or veterinarian and do his dog with the raw feeding a favor. Dogs fed on raw dog food are cared for like their ancestors – and are therefore allowed to stay a dog.