Barf dog food: which is the best of 2021?

We always look for the best for our dog or dogs and we are sure that in that search you will have heard about the barf diet and the advantages of barf dog food. We want to take this article to tell you a little about what this type of diet is about if you still do not know it, what advantages it has and what you should know to be able to carry it out at home with your pet.

If your dog has any health problems, consult a canine nutrition expert. He will recommend recipes to feed your pet based on barf dog food. This consultation with a professional is always important, since it will help us to know more in depth the real needs of the dog and its health. And here we leave you a lot of useful information!

The most important

• The barf diet for dogs is a natural diet, in Spanish ACBA ( Biologically Appropriate Raw Food ). Its main base is made up of everyday foods such as meat, fish, unprocessed fruits and vegetables, free of chemicals and other artificial compounds. That is to say: raw or very little cooked food that preserves all its vitamins and properties.
• Barf dog food, like all food, must be of good quality and it is not advisable to buy it from any place of dubious trust, getting carried away by the price. You will be minimizing all the benefits that this diet has! If the price seems a bit high in butchers and supermarkets, you can go to a specialized market or supplier.
• It is important to know the basics of this type of diet or even consult an expert in canine nutrition. You have to give the dog the right proportions of each food so that it never lacks any nutrient, calculate the amount based on weight, and have a little patience if the dog is used to eating only feed. It may be difficult at first!

The best barf dog food on the market: our recommendations

So that you continue to know barf dog food, we have made a selection with the five most popular on the market that you can buy online. Here is our Ranking, always based on the quality of the product, its sales and the comments or evaluations of verified purchases. Remember how important it is to choose good products and not buy randomly!

• The best barf dog food with fish oil
• Best barf dog food with full veal menu
• Best Barf Dog Food with Pure Scottish Salmon Oil
• The best homemade barf dog food
• Best Chicken Barf Burgers for Dogs

The best barf dog food with fish oil

Fish oil is one of the main supplements that are incorporated into the barf diet for dogs or cats and this one from Nu U Nutrition is presented in a pack of 365 tablets so that it can be taken throughout the year.

These are capsules that are very easy to ingest to provide maximum bioavailability, with all the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids.

Best barf dog food with full veal menu

Nutricione, in its range of barf dog food products, presents this complete monoprotein menu of veal with 60% beef, 20% beef rib, 10% veal viscera (lung and liver), 5% zucchini and 5% pumpkin %. It is vacuum packed and frozen in 500 gram packages. A product without preservatives and 100% natural.

Best Barf Dog Food with Pure Scottish Salmon Oil

An all-natural Pure Salmon Oil from Pets Purest, designed to help dogs of all sizes look and feel great. Indicated as a complement to the barf diet. With a capsule-free liquid formula, so it is very easy to administer to the dog with other foods. Packed with Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.

The best homemade barf dog food

An example of homemade American made dog food from RAW Nutrition with real vegetables and fruits. A container that gives approximately 60 cups of this fresh and natural food. 100% grain free, without corn, wheat, soy, rice or gluten and with beef as the first ingredient. For dogs of all ages.

Best Chicken Barf Burgers for Dogs

A product made up of 20 gourmet hamburgers , 100 grams per serving, and 2 kilos in total. The ingredients are chicken breast (60%), carrot, pea, beet, chicken liver, fresh yeast, pasteurized egg, olive oil and garlic. A food rich in protein that promotes the development and good muscular health of the dog.

Shopping Guide: Everything You Should Know About Barf Dog Food

For many, giving barf dog food to your pet is the best alternative for proper nutrition, which is why ‘the barf diet’ has more and more followers every day. There are hundreds of books that talk about all its details, as well as the keys and guidelines that must be followed to put it into practice correctly. We summarize some of the most important ones!

What is barf dog food and what are the benefits?

Barf dog food is the foundation of a diet primarily made up of raw foods. ACBA in Castilian the term is used, which means ‘ Raw Foods Biologically Appropriate ‘ or ‘ Food Biologically Appropriate Raw ‘ and is based on meat, meaty bones, organs or vegetables, among others.

The main barf dog food is raw meat. As it is not processed, it becomes a food that only provides benefits to the dog. Among its many advantages are lighter digestions, strong bones or that it avoids obesity. Here is a list in which you can better see these and other advantages of this type of diet.

• More energy and vitality: a good diet will ensure that the dog is more active than ever, agile, at its ideal weight, healthy and with an appetite.
• Take care of and improve the dog’s joints, keeping them in shape: the chances of the dog developing arthritis or having bone problems due to mineral loss are greatly reduced.
• Improvement and strengthening of the immune system: inflammatory diseases are reduced, and the response to infections is fast and effective.
• Improves dental hygiene and reduces bad dog breath: barf dog food helps to have less bacterial plaque.
• Hydration: in a raw natural diet the percentage of humidity is between 70% and 90%. This reduces stress on the kidneys and liver.
• Nearly non-existent obesity rate: the dog will gain muscle mass and lose body fat, which will increase its metabolism.
• It reduces the body odor and that of the dog’s feces: in addition, it reduces the volume of the feces, they will be less odorous and of the appropriate consistency.
• Improve the dog’s hair: the animal’s hair grows strong and shiny.

What is a barf dog food diet?

The dog is a direct descendant of the wolf even though it is domestic and, therefore, it is a pure carnivore. The main basis of the barf diet is this: a meat-based diet as opposed to a commercial feed based diet with supplements and additives. The percentages and ingredients are determined by the evolutionary diet of the dog: what it would eat in the wild.

When giving our pet barf dog food it is very important to maintain the proportions of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fatty acids and antioxidants that it needs. The appropriate thing in the barf diet for dogs is:

• Fleshy bones (between 50% and 60% of the total)
• Meat (between 20% and 30%)
• Organs and viscera (about 10%)
• Fruits and vegetables (about 10%)

What types of barf dog food are on the market?

As in any balanced diet, there are several types of food. We detail them in a list with some of the examples that are most used in barf dog food. These include meats, meaty bones, dog-friendly fruits, and some vegetables. We also include supplements, although there it is best to follow up with a veterinarian.

• Meat and fish: chicken (breast, wings), lamb, beef, pork, beef. Of fish fish without bones better.
• Fleshy bones: These are soft bones that are easily digested and have more than 50% meat, such as chicken neck, back or wings.
• Fruits and vegetables: They are also on the list, but not all can be consumed. For example, garlic, onion, grapes or avocado are poisonous to dogs. Bananas, apples, and pears are recommended. From vegetables, pumpkin, spinach or chard.
• Organs and viscera: for example chicken livers, beef lung and chicken, duck or lamb viscera, among others.
• Others: raw or cooked egg, natural yogurt, boiled white rice.
• Supplements: for example, fish oil for Omega 3.

How to make the transition from dry food to barf dog food?

As is logical, puppies are the ones that have the greatest facility to switch to a raw natural diet, since they have not yet fixed their usual food. In this case, it is very easy for them to get used to barf dog food. It is advisable to give them crushed food and the bones as large as possible so that they do not swallow them.

In adult dogs, many experts recommend that the transition be abrupt, as long as the dog is healthy and does not have a sensitive stomach. It is best not to give him bones for the first 7 to 14 days and, if he takes cans, the dog should be fasting for a day so that his stomach is empty and thus avoid problems when different components are mixed in the intestine.

In this case, where your dog is switching from one diet to another, you should also have a little patience. It may be a bit difficult for you to adapt at first, as it would happen to us. If your dog only eats feed, keep in mind that the change is radical and may cost a bit at first. But it will adapt!

What recommendations should I follow with barf dog food?

There are tons of recommendations for barf dog food, but we’re going to leave you here with some of the most basic ones. The meat should be lean and low in fat. Turkey or chicken, white meats, are the most recommended, but you can also eat beef or pork. The fish, better white than blue.

Buy quality food or ingredients if you are preparing the servings yourself at home. Also always make sure of the origin, quality and correct hygiene of the food. And when you go to prepare it, do it in large quantities and freeze a part in individual servings. Thus, you can take advantage of it for several days.

If you are concerned about possible bacteria in raw meat, experts explain that this does not pose any risk, since they are usually destroyed by the canine’s stomach acids. In any case, to ensure its elimination, another of the most common recommendations is to previously freeze the meat and bones and defrost before consumption.

How much barf dog food should my dog ​​eat per day?

Typically, a dog receives two feedings of barf dog food a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. The amount of food varies depending on the weight of the dog and is calculated with the generic rule that it is 2% to 3% of its total weight per day, always depending on the energy expenditure it has.

In puppies, the proportion is 8% of their total weight. In an adult dog with a normal complexion and normal physical activity, we take the following references:

• For small adult dogs (<12 kilos): 3% of their body weight per day.
• For medium and large adult dogs (> 12 to 40 kilos): 2% of their body weight.
• For very large adult dogs (> 40 kilos): 1.5% of their body weight.

How to make barf dog food?

You can serve meats or fish raw or slightly cooked. If you prefer to cook it, do it without oil or seasonings, grilled or steamed. The meaty bones always raw: it is very important that they never be cooked to avoid hardening and damaging the dog. The fruits, always raw, and the vegetables always well cooked.

As for the organs and viscera, they can be eaten raw or slightly cooked, like meat. Knowing this, preparing barf dog food, if you make it yourself, is simple. Chop the meat or fish (raw or undercooked) and cooked vegetables, and add the meaty bones. Ready for your dog to enjoy!

Are there recipes for barf dog food?

Of course there are recipes for barf dog food. There are recipe books and there is a wide variety of recipes on the Internet, through the Google search engine or in video format on YouTube, which are always easier to follow. In some of them you will see that an extra 20% of cooked white rice is added as a source of carbohydrates.

In the recipes, we must take into account the contributions of vitamins that we get with each of the ingredients. For example, liver or pumpkin are foods that have a lot of vitamin A, so if we plan to prepare a dish with both, it is better to choose another vegetable to accompany the liver (which should be given once a week or several days in small dose).

Where to buy barf dog food?

Barf dog food can be made yourself at home by buying the food in markets or casquerías, but you can also buy it already prepared in specialized stores, veterinary clinics or online stores . Today there are a multitude of options and among them are already prepared and frozen menus.

You can also buy supplements in stores that help to further improve the diet such as alfalfa, “Kelp”, fish oil, salmon oil, natural yogurt or green tripe. Do not forget that the advantage of buying online is convenience and being able to take a look at the comments and evaluations of previous buyers. Don’t overlook them!

Purchase criteria

If you decide to start giving your pet barf dog food, do it right. Consult a canine advisor, and of course pay close attention to the quality of the products you buy, in addition to putting special care and care in serving them. If you are clear about the percentages of the foods, it will be very easy to prepare very varied recipes. You can follow these criteria:

• Dog weight, age and size
• Proportions
• Quality and hygiene
• Variety
• Weather
• Consult an expert

Dog weight, age and size

We have already seen that the weight and size of the dog are determining factors when calculating the barf dog food that the dog will need per day. It also influences the activity of the dog and the fact that it is a puppy, since in that case it will need a greater amount of food when it is in the process of growth.

Proportions

The daily proportions of barf dog food must be adequate to avoid nutrient and vitamin deficiencies. Food quantity calculations can be complicated at first, but it’s straightforward. There are websites or apps that automatically calculate the percentages, indicating the dog’s age and weight (the ‘ideal’ weight given by the veterinarian).

Quality and hygiene

The quality of the products you buy to prepare barf dog food is very important, and also if you buy them already prepared. Also be careful with hygiene when preparing their food and preferably freeze meat and fish before the dog eats it to eliminate bacteria and parasites.

Variety

Although meat is the main food for barf dogs, do not forget that the diet should also include vegetables, greens and some fruit so that all the nutritional needs of your pet are covered. Take advantage of the variety of this diet, outside of feed, and do not always give the same to your dog. Alternate different types of meat and fish and you will love it.

Weather

If you are determined that your pet follow the barf diet, ask yourself if you will have time to prepare their food or design their menus. Although you can also buy it already prepared, be aware that it is not the same as with feed, that it is the most comfortable to give the animal, and that in this case you will need a little more involvement.

Consult an expert

Consulting an expert is always one of the prominent criteria because they will be the one to help you choose the best foods and recipes, especially if your dog requires a specific diet due to health problems. The best thing to do is go to a canine specialist if you are not sure where to start with the barf diet and how to do it right.

Summary

As a final conclusion, you can keep that as long as the barf dog food complies well with the adequate proportions of food to guarantee all the nutrients and vitamins that your dog needs, everything will go smoothly. If we are more and more involved with ‘real food’, the same happens with our pets.

‘The Barf Diet’ is a book by Australian vet Ian Billinghurst, the creator of this food revolution. Do not forget that its main base is raw meaty bones and that it includes more than 50% of meat, fruits and vegetables and organ meats. It is the natural alternative to feed and processed food, what a dog would instinctively eat on its own.