"...Racing greyhounds and sled dogs have long eaten raw food diets. Extending those feeding practices to the family pet is a more recent idea, proposed in 1993 by Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst. He called his feeding suggestions the BARF diet, an acronym that stands for Bones and Raw Food, or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
Billinghurst suggested that adult dogs would thrive on an evolutionary diet based on what canines ate before they became domesticated: Raw, meaty bones and vegetable scraps. Grain-based commercial pet foods, he contended, were harmful to a dog’s health.
Many mainstream veterinarians disagree, as does the FDA. The risks of raw diets have been documented in several studies published in veterinary journals.
Potential benefits of the raw dog food diet that supporters tout include:
- Shinier coats
- Healthier skin
- Cleaner teeth
- Higher energy levels
- Smaller stools
Potential risks include:
- Threats to human and dog health from bacteria in raw meat
- An unbalanced diet that may damage the health of dogs if given for an extended period
- Potential for whole bones to choke an animal, break teeth or cause an internal puncture"
(Side Note:) What is interesting is the two camps of thought in the veterinary community re: raw food diets for your dog: "Pro Raw" (holistic, natural methods of care) versus "Against Raw" (traditional vet medicine, as taught in current mainstream universities).
The old paradigm (mainstream veterinarians and the FDA) of grabbing the old bag of dry commercially manufactured kibble is being questioned.
From my experience, the benefits far out weigh the minimal risks. We handle raw food in our own kitchens. The claim that RAW is an unbalanced diet is untrue.
If there were such thing as a balanced diet (do you play a balancing game with your own diets?), then dry kibble provides very little of it. Simply stated, raw food diets provide the essential spectrum of nutrients, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, enzymes, etc.... its raw/natural/fresh food :)
The last risk is probably most apparent for a dog who chews on the occasional raw bone. However, bone chewing is great for young dogs since it contributes to jaw and facial bone development. Also takes care of tartar on teeth.
Having your dog chew on fresh raw bones can be beneficial to its psychological development. But the general rule on bones is to observe and hold the bone, as the dog's time with raw bone should be deemed recreational time with your dog.....
