B.A.R.F. Diet......Pros & Cons? - Page 3

Does anyone else out there remember the first Iams "brag bags", with a purple and lime green matte finish paper bag? It looked like a type of livestock feed, and actually, it was! Eukanuba didn't even exist yet.. Didn't come along until about the same time that Iams got kibbled and went into a fancy bag. Original Iams had an incredibly high fat content, and looked almost like rich topsoil (pulverized meal) with a few golden corn flaked mixed in.

No, Debby, I am not a vet, just a former tech who has owned dogs since 1958. I am not brainwashed by the commercial food manufacturers either and don't think I am a closed minded person. Sorry if I offended you, it was certainly not intended. There are dogs that won't eat BARF either, some are just picky period and those dogs present constant challenges to their owners. They are the dogs I referred to as "fakers" and I've owned 2 GSD's who qualify for that term. I hope your positive experience with raw diets and your picky dog will motivate others with picky eaters to give the BARF method a try if they haven't already done so. My guess is it will not work for all as I know for a fact that some dogs will walk away from a dish of raw food just as some will walk away from a dish of commercial kibble. My first GSD would not touch raw meaty bones or kibble until he got good and hungry at which time he'd have eaten roadkill. I learned a lot from that dog, Blitz gets 5 minutes to eat his food. If he doesn't, it goes into the fridge til the next time. I can see this is heading toward one of those BARF vs commercial food "debates" and what anyone on this list feeds their dogs is entirely up to them. I can see pros and cons for both commercial and raw and have tried both for my GSD's. In all the years I owned dogs I never had a picky eater til I bought my first GSD, he was my first experience and in talking with other GSD owners and breeders and from what I read on these breed lists, there seems to be many such GSD's with owners who spend most of the dog's lives switching dog foods trying to find something that they like. Have I misunderstood that this is a problem with this breed in general? The majority of these dogs are otherwise healthy dogs and are either housedogs or dogs that are not exposed to any sort of competitive eating environments. It's really not about raw vs commercial food, it's about getting a picky dog to eat. If feeding raw does that, then that's wonderful. If not, well, there are other things to try other than switching foods and adding gravies, etc..

Pros: Teeth & Breath Your pet will have much-improved breath, no tartar and beautifully clean teeth. All without having to visit the pet dentist or brush the teeth. Skin & Coat This can be one of the first changes you will notice when you start feeding Dr. Billinghurst's BARF DIET. If those persistent skin problems suddenly disappear or improve, and you no longer need vet visits, medicated washes, antibiotics, cortisone shots and cortisone tablets, it has to mean something. It really is hard to ignore the deeply colored, lustrous, thick and healthy coat! Immune System Dr. Billinghurst's BARF DIET normalizes and strengthens the immune system. Because BARF contains a good balance of essential fatty acids and other immune normalizing and strengthening nutrients, it reduces inflammatory conditions and waves good-bye to infections. Degenerative Disease Pet owners that switch their older pets to Billinghurst's BARF DIET usually find that whatever degenerative disease their pet has contracted, becomes less of a problem. Stool Volume & Odor Once again this reflects the improved health of the immune system and the remarkable difference that bone eating makes in the production of firm stools which are essential for normal anal sac emptying. Arthritis After a few months you can expect to see much greater mobility in your pet. This is part of the reason so many older pets have a new lease on life when switched to Dr. Billinghurst's BARF DIET. Lean Body Mass By feeding Billinghurst's BARF DIET, your pet will lose unwanted fat and gain that much desired increase in muscle mass. This not only makes your pet look better, it increases your pet’s metabolic rate, its activity levels and its healthy life-span. The effect will be more rapid if you combine Dr. Billinghurst's BARF DIET with some normal exercise. Cons: Very bony body parts (chicken wings, necks, etc) that can splinter and don't carry a lot of meat. Hard, dense bones (knuckle bones, cow femurs, etc) that can chip or break a dog's teeth. Incorrect bone to meat ratio. Often 50% bone is fed, when a Wolf would eat less than 25% bone. Some supplements are not needed, yet are still given.