The BARF Diet

by Ella
(Norfolk, UK)

The BARF Diet: How Raw Food worked for our dog.

Right from the start our puppy Luigi was a really itchy dog. After doing some tests, the vet said he thought it was Luigi's diet that was the problem - he was on an ordinary commercial pet food at the time.

We changed his diet and did see an improvement. He was much less itchy and did seem to have more energy. But the wheat-free kibble was really expensive and he didn't like it that much. We tried a few different makes but he didn't really approve! I was also still worried at what ingredients went into the food.

When I first heard about the BARF, or raw food diet, I thought the idea of messing around with raw meat was pretty horrible. And I wasn't sure that I could really give him a balanced diet - many people advocate giving fruit or vegetables with it. I wasn't sure how much to give or what to supplement with.

Soon after this we went to visit a large dog show - and were amazed to find that you can buy pre-packaged raw meat. We talked to the vendors and they told us exactly where the meat was coming from (proper human grade meat). The packages contain the right balance of extra fruit and vegetables and other essential nutrients. The food is delivered to my door in 1Kg frozen blocks that I just defrost before I use. This makes it a really hassle free diet - plus the fact that it actually works out cheaper than the expensive diet he had beforehand. We buy a selection of blocks - so sometimes he will have chicken, or beef, or even tripe.

Our dog really loves his food now. We still give him some healthy dog treats and itching is a thing of the past. He is very healthy and full of energy. We do sometimes have to switch him back if we are traveling - but a raw dog food diet works great for him (and us!).