Barf Diet

[Guest Tess32]

My pup is on a raw diet and has been since 8 weeks old :D

The food portions aren't really different at all How old is your pup? I began by feeding 10% of his bodyweight - when that exceeded 2% of his estimated adult weight, I began feeding that amount instead. But that's just a very rough guideline.

Other than that, they get the same meals as the adults.

[poodlefan]

Thanks very much for all the info !!, I priced some of the meats at our local butcher and we have a good chicken shop nearby to which has chicken necks and frames. I am going to start Rogue on BARF, I need alot more info on BARF and puppies before I can make the switch for Charlie because I read that the food portions can be different. Anyone fed there pups on a BARF deit?

I'd recommend you go out and buy Grow Your Pups with Bones which is the BARFers bible on puppy raising. Like Tess, I raised young Darcy on a totally BARF diet since I got him as a bub. The only difference between what he and the adults ate was that he got veggie mix one meal in two rather than one in three.

He started his RMBs with chicken necks and moved up from there. He grew slowly but ended up close to the top of the standard. I'll be raising any future pups the same way.

[poodlefan]

Squirt here is Poodlefans BARF diet if that helps.

I'm about to start making my own as buying the BARF patties is getting a bit exy.

Poodlefan’s BARF Veggie Mix

I based this on Dr B's recipe for veggie patties in GYPWB. Lets see if I can explain it like a cook book does!

Ingredients

1 small container of yogurt

2 tablespoons of flax seed oil

2 kg of mixed fruit and veggies (I use some root veggies, some fruit and some green veggies in every mix)

1 kg full fat beef mince

1 large piece of liver or a few kidneys

Optional: Any nutritional supplement as per directions eg. Missing Link, Green Pet

Method

1. Add yogurt, flax seed oil and supplement to a large container (I use a 20 litre bucket) and blend well

2. Add the mince and mix well .

3. Juice a little of the fruit and veggies. Add some of the juice to a blender and blend the offal until smooth. Resist urge to smell mix – you will regret it. Try not to vomit at result’s appearance and add to main ingredients.

4. Run the rest of the fruit and veggies through the juicer or blender. Add all the pulp to the mix and enough juice to obtain a firm but not sloppy consistency. You should end up with about 30% mince mix and the rest is veggies.

5. Put into storage containers and freeze.

I find this mix feeds 5 mini poodles for 5 meals. My mix is evolving over time. I’ve used other additives like Power Blend, Barley Grass Power, Brewers Yeast, Vitamin C – I just change them from time to time.

My large dog owning friends do all the stages from 1 to 3 and then freeze the mix, juicing fresh veggies separately to add to it. This cuts down on freezer space and the time taken to make the mix. I add one or two eggs to the thawed mix, blend them through and feed.

If you find your dog is not accepting the mix, add a little more fresh mince to their feed and slowly reduce the amount of mince they receive.

So, Im thinking a mix of Poodlefans and Tess' diet for my guys. Mildred can't eat bones though :D

Folks one change I've made to this recipe is to feed an oil blend rather than straight flax seed oil. I also add it to the thawed mix, rather than when I make it. I still add a general nutritional supplement. I also make it in way larger quantities these days and bought a commercial juicer to plough through all the veggies - best thing I ever did. Pumpkin features in every mix.. wonderful for anal glands and keeping the old boy 'regular'.

For those who are interested in alternatives to processed diets, I'd add Dr Barbara Fougere's book Healthy Dogs; A Handbook of Natural Therapies to your library. She is talking with Dr Jean Dodds at Parramatta Town Hall on June 30. If you are interested in alternatives to traditional veterinary/processed approaches to dog husbandry, I recommend you get there if you can. I'm coming up from Canberra.

Clyde, if you feed chicken pet mince which is minced with bones, that should help Mildred along.

Edited May 22, 2008 by poodlefan

[Malamum]

Anyone, before embarking on BARF. should obtain a copy of Dr. Ian Billinghurst's book - "give a Dog a Bone'. He is the originator or the BARF diet, and I think if you want to do something, going to the source is the right idea. It's a good book, with a lot of good ideas, and well worth reading for anyone interested in BARF.

Google Ian Billinghurst and the site will come up. You can order via the site.

Note - I don't get any advertising fees. Might ask though!!

I also highly recommend the book "Give a Dog a Bone".

The book is not so much about giving you recipies and telling you exactly what to feed, It more gives you background info on the whole concept of feeding raw vs commercial. That way you can make up your own mind about what you want to feed rather than just blindly following a specific recipe.