Basic Barf Recipe Needed

[Animal House]

My dogs (Staffy and a mixed muttley ) are currently fed raw meaty bones, dry food and occasional egg/sardines.

I feed a handful of dry in the morning, and the rmb etc at night. Im not happy with their coats, and general look of health, so want to switch over to Barf.

I need a basic easy recipe to make a Barf mix, and also how much of this to feed, and do I still feed RMB as well?

Thanks in advance, and I only have a basic food processor.

[greatdanes]

My dogs (Staffy and a mixed muttley ) are currently fed raw meaty bones, dry food and occasional egg/sardines.

I feed a handful of dry in the morning, and the rmb etc at night. Im not happy with their coats, and general look of health, so want to switch over to Barf.

I need a basic easy recipe to make a Barf mix, and also how much of this to feed, and do I still feed RMB as well?

Thanks in advance, and I only have a basic food processor.

• 3/4 pound Raw Meat -- *see Note

• 1 egg -- raw

• 1/2 clove garlic -- chopped

• 2 tablespoons yogurt

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon flax seed oil -- *see Note

• 1 teaspoon kelp seaweed powder -- *see Note

• 1 teaspoon alfalfa powder -- *see Note

• 250 mgs vitamin C -- for dogs

• 1/4 cup kibble -- optional

Mix together and serve.

*Note: raw beef chunks (not ground), raw chicken, mackerel, or lamb etc. twice a week use liver or kidney.

Note: found in health food store or pet store

[stormie]

My dogs (Staffy and a mixed muttley ) are currently fed raw meaty bones, dry food and occasional egg/sardines.

I feed a handful of dry in the morning, and the rmb etc at night. Im not happy with their coats, and general look of health, so want to switch over to Barf.

I need a basic easy recipe to make a Barf mix, and also how much of this to feed, and do I still feed RMB as well?

Thanks in advance, and I only have a basic food processor.

• 3/4 pound Raw Meat -- *see Note

• 1 egg -- raw

• 1/2 clove garlic -- chopped

• 2 tablespoons yogurt

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon flax seed oil -- *see Note

• 1 teaspoon kelp seaweed powder -- *see Note

• 1 teaspoon alfalfa powder -- *see Note

• 250 mgs vitamin C -- for dogs

• 1/4 cup kibble -- optional

Mix together and serve.

*Note: raw beef chunks (not ground), raw chicken, mackerel, or lamb etc. twice a week use liver or kidney.

Note: found in health food store or pet store

doesn't Barf usually involve pulped fruits and veges?

[greatdanes]

My dogs (Staffy and a mixed muttley ) are currently fed raw meaty bones, dry food and occasional egg/sardines.

I feed a handful of dry in the morning, and the rmb etc at night. Im not happy with their coats, and general look of health, so want to switch over to Barf.

I need a basic easy recipe to make a Barf mix, and also how much of this to feed, and do I still feed RMB as well?

Thanks in advance, and I only have a basic food processor.

• 3/4 pound Raw Meat -- *see Note

• 1 egg -- raw

• 1/2 clove garlic -- chopped

• 2 tablespoons yogurt

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon flax seed oil -- *see Note

• 1 teaspoon kelp seaweed powder -- *see Note

• 1 teaspoon alfalfa powder -- *see Note

• 250 mgs vitamin C -- for dogs

• 1/4 cup kibble -- optional

Mix together and serve.

*Note: raw beef chunks (not ground), raw chicken, mackerel, or lamb etc. twice a week use liver or kidney.

Note: found in health food store or pet store

doesn't Barf usually involve pulped fruits and veges?

yes you can add vegi if you want this recipie is for dinner i have a breakfast recipe that has fruit and veg

[JulesP]

The basis of BARF is raw meaty bones. I suggest getting the book.

If you are not happy with the coats then they may be lacking in oils. Feed your sardines (in oil) once a week and look at adding some omega oil (fish oil, evening primrose oil, flax oil).

[The Spotted Devil]

I'm happy to be corrected if I've missed something in the BARF diet but raw chunks of meat would result in a phosphorus-calcium imbalance....which is why raw, meaty bones are used instead. As I said....maybe I've missed something

[4 Paws]

to your fruit/veg mix add

one of the veg oils such as soyobean or safflower oil for energy and more essential fatty acids and anti-oxidents(vit e)

-some brewers yeast for vit b

-some kelp for iodine(which is deficient in Aust solis)

-a raw egg for extra protein,for choline and more essential fatty acids

-some acid cider vinegar,for its acidity and other helpful properties

-some yoghurt for the healthy bacteria

Do not store this vegetable pulp.It must be fed fresh.It goes off quickly becomes oxidised)and loses much of it's nutritional value

I suggest Dr Ian Billinghurst Give your dog a bone book.Let me know if you want me to send it to you to have a read

Edited January 20, 2008 by 4 Paws

[stormie]

I'm happy to be corrected if I've missed something in the BARF diet but raw chunks of meat would result in a phosphorus-calcium imbalance....which is why raw, meaty bones are used instead. As I said....maybe I've missed something

exactly what I was thinking

[JulesP]

Correct. I am not too impressed with the way the BARF diet has been changed from what it was originally.

Billinghurst does say that chunks of meat are better than mince though. As the chunks exercise the dogs jaws etc. But meat on the bone is preferred.

[Guest Tess32]

I am feeding a mixture at the moment, I just can't see the point of adding so many supplements and being so 'exact' about it? Surely dogs are just designed to eat raw meat and bones with some fur (or vegies in place of this) and all their *required* nutrients would be from that?

[The Spotted Devil]

Adult dogs can tolerate minor deficiencies quite well but animals in a 'growth' phase such as puppies/pregnant (esp. 3rd trimester) or lactating bitches/performance dogs can't as easily. Of course these dogs in the wild have to cope with all sorts of conditions/food availability but they were probably a lot tougher (think survival of the fittest), had the most suitable conformation for development and didn't live as long. The way I feed my pup now not only determines his development into a mature adult but also the incidence of arthritis etc in his twilight years. That's the way I look at it anyway

ETA: greatdanes - are you feeding the diet you posted above to your great dane puppy? If so I would have serious concerns for his bone development due to the P:Ca imbalance - sorry if this sounds impertinent but I truly only have the best interests of your pup at heart

Edited January 20, 2008 by The Spotted Devil

[JulesP]

I know of one pup that was on a RMB diet that was having fits. Puppy had a calcium deficiency.

The problem is lots of people aren't doing the research. They don't know why they are feeding the bones, supplements etc. Or what each bit does for the dog. Or the side effects. I think if you want to do this sort of diet you have to know how to balance it.

[Animal House]

THanks for the replies, its all very interesting to read the different points of view, ive decided to go with the Prey model diet, as that is easier and more natural (I feel) for the dogs.

[VintageDiva]

[\quote]

QUOTE(Cazablanca @ 20th Jan 2008 - 12:55 PM)

My dogs (Staffy and a mixed muttley ) are currently fed raw meaty bones, dry food and occasional egg/sardines.

I feed a handful of dry in the morning, and the rmb etc at night. Im not happy with their coats, and general look of health, so want to switch over to Barf.

I need a basic easy recipe to make a Barf mix, and also how much of this to feed, and do I still feed RMB as well?

Thanks in advance, and I only have a basic food processor.

My Stafford is fed the Prey Model diet. He gets a large fish head (50 cents from the local fresh fish shop) each week, and his coat is always shiny/healthy/soft. The fish oils no doubt help. He also gets four to five raw eggs each week.

If you're looking for a basic recipe to make patties (and if you're on the prey model diet you no doubt don't wish to feed vegies), here's the simplest one you'll ever hear: chop raw liver into small chunks and mix it with some roo mince or whatever's on hand/on special. This is then frozen in large ice cube trays, and depending on how much liver I've added to the mix, Bean would get a defrosted pattie for tea every second night or so. Throughout the week he'll also eat a couple of lamb hearts (actually organ meat, not offal - but he loves 'em!), some chicken giblets and his usual meat/bone portions from a variety of animals.

[rose of tralee]

When a variety of bone-in parts of a variety of whole prey over a period of time is fed, the Ca:P ratio is as nature requires.

The dog's physiology is robust enough to handle some flesh meals without problem; there's a good chance there is residual bone (slower to digest) in the gut anyway from the previous RMB.

cazablanca, you go! There is a large yahoo rawfeeding group if you want more, Oz owned. I've had the best 12 months reading its output.

[alananddora]

Our 7 month GSD gets a BARF diet. Reciepe is: crushed chicken wings/necks with bones (2kg), liver/heart (700g), natural yoghurt, ground flaxseed/Alfalfa/kelp, veggies (1kg), fruit (500g), garlic, good quality olive oil, VitC, Apple Cider Vinegar. This makes her main food batch for the week about 10 portions. Rest is a fish barf (x2) and then just raw meaty bones (whole chicken wings frozen, lamb/beef brisket).

I have started to give her whole filleted fish as well and last week she got her first whole chicken. She loves all the food she is given.

(I have a small bag of Eukanuba is reserve just in case).

[alananddora]

Also, for the crushed chicken wings I have a small cast iron hand mincer ($60 from Victoria Basement) and this is very effective at crushing the small bnoes in the chicken wings.

[Animal House]

Thanks for the offer 4Paws, will see how I go, I think our library might have the book.

Thanks for all the replies too, some interesting points to think about, so I may just have to see what the dogs do best on.