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Raw feeding has become a trend among dog owners, and some controversy has been raised on the subject. This diet consists on raw meat, bones, eggs, fruit and natural raw ingredients in general, in contrast with the traditional processed and cooked dog food. Choosing a balanced and healthy diet for your dog is a complex subject that deserves to be taken seriously. In 1993, Doctor Ian Billinghurst coined the term BARF diet. This acronym stands for "Bones and raw food" and for "Biologically Appropriate Raw Food". He observed that dogs destined to racing or to pulling sleds fed only on raw ingredients, and that these dogs were specially healthy and strong. With that appreciation in mind, he proposed the raw diet as a healthy alternative to the traditional one. One of the main arguments supporting raw feeding is that dogs have evolved for millions of years eating raw substances -meat, bones, vegetables - and that they are genetically programmed to digest and process that kind of foods better. It's important to consider that, when cooking the food, some of the nutrients are lost or diminished in quantity and quality, and that most dog food companies are forced to add supplements to sort out that problem. This doesn't happen with a raw food diet, where the nutrients are pure and non-processed. Some of the health benefits that are attributed to the raw food diet are a shinier coat, better skin, cleaner teeth and enhanced energy levels. When it comes to the dental health issue, all the discussion is about feeding bones to the dogs. On one hand, bones can help breaking the plaque, thus cleaning the teeth and ensuring a better dental health and fresh breath. On the other hand, detractors of the raw food diet claim that chewing bones can induce teeth fractures, gastrointestinal problems and intestine punctures. As a middle point, some raw feeding defenders opt out for grounding the bones before giving them to the dogs, although this nullifies the beneficial effect on the dog's teeth. In a natural environment, dogs and wolves eat the bones with the meat and the hide, which covers the pointy segments of the bone, reducing the risk of internal punctures. Another complex issue of raw dog food diet is the presence of bacteria and parasites in raw meat. Cooking the meat kills all the viruses and bacteria, while raw food keeps them alive. Also, it enhances the risk of dogs infecting humans with different ailments. This problem can be prevented by freezing the food for some time before feeding it to the dog, and defrosting it in the refrigerator, instead of heating it. The average recommended freezing time is a week, which will ensure that most bacteria, parasites and viruses will be destroyed in the process. That's not so safe in the case of pork, as the Trichinella spiralis worm parasite -the responsible of trichinosis- can survive in the cold for long periods of time. In this case, it's recommendable to freeze the meat for twenty days. Raw dog food diet has both benefits and risks. The most important thing is to keep it balanced and to be careful with bones and parasites. Most of the dog owners who choose raw feeding usually alternate it with homemade cooked food allowing the dog's digestive system to rest for a while, and minimizing the problems associated with raw food. A well thought diet translates into a healthy dog; raw feeding can be the natural alternative for a balanced diet. However as always with the health of your dog, if in any doubt please consult with your vet first. So here we have looked briefly at an alternative dietry approach you may consider for your dog. Please click here for additional information and a free report with even more detail of why making the switch away from traditional dog food may benefit your pet. You may also like to get your hands on three more free ebooks on dog health-related subjects. Please visit http://www.freedogstuff.co.uk for your free dog ebooks.
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raw dog food diet, BARF dog food diet, dog, dog health, Ian Billinghurst,
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