Pros and cons of the barf diet for dogs

Video: Pros and Cons of the Raw Dog Food Diet

Feeding your dog bones and raw food is becoming extremely popular at the moment, but does it work? Is it beneficial to our dog’s health? Many people feed their dogs bones and raw food and really do believe it makes a difference. Let’s take a closer look at what the BARF diet for dogs is and also the pros and cons of it.

People feed their dogs a raw diet because they believe that it’s the best for the dog’s health. This is based on the theory that dogs should eat a diet that aligns more closely with that of their wild canine ancestors. Of course, no wild dog eats a kibble diet, so some pet owners feel they should give their dog the fresh, raw foods that his body craves.

Is this right? Surely commercially bought dog food is better?

How do you know that the raw food diet isn’t just a fad that will pass? Could there possibly be benefits to the raw food diet? Is feeding your dog raw food dangerous? Dogs are natural carnivores, so surely a diet of bones and raw meat is as natural as you can get. Wouldn’t all dogs thrive on this type of diet?

As you can see there are many questions that need answering about the BARF diet for dogs. Vets have always been concerned about the raw food diet. However, is it really bad for our dogs? After all, there are many positives that come from a raw food diet.

Pros and Cons of BARF Diet for Dogs

What foods are in the BARF diet for dogs?

There are many different foods incorporated in the BARF diet for dogs, including:

• Raw eggs
• Dairy
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Organ meats
• Bones
• Meat that’s on the bone

As you can see there is a wide variety of foods in the BARF diet for dogs, but how can you possibly decide on whether or not to switch your pet to the BARF diet. There is just so much to consider, is it beneficial or is it dangerous? Would a commercial dog food be a better choice?

Let’s do a quick breakdown of pros and cons of the raw feeding and see if this diet is best or worst for your dog.

Cons of the BARF diet for dogs

1. Impacted bone

When a dog is happily gnawing away at his bone, he can end up swallowing small fragments of the bone. These fragments have the potential to gather in your dog’s intestine and will prevent him from being able to pass stools as quickly as he usually would. Your dog really could become badly constipated.

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These bones fragments could also block your dog’s intestine completely and this will need emergency surgery. This is one of the main reasons why vets don’t like the raw food diet.

The fragments of raw bones are said to be softer and far less dangerous than bones that are cooked. There will obviously still be fragments and these fragments will still be sharp and your dog could swallow them.

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