BAARF Feeders

Also known as the biologically appropriate raw food diet, the BARF diet is one of many “raw meat based” formulations that have gained significant popularity amongst pet owners in the last decade.1, 2 These diets often combine uncooked animal proteins such as meaty bones and offal with vegetables, pulses, grains, milk and eggs.3 This topic is worthy of veterinary attention as more owners start to base feeding preferences on unsubstantiated claims of nutritional benefit published extensively over the Internet by unqualified lay people.

The feeding of BARF diets to pets has become arguably one of the most contentious, controversial and debated topics in companion animal nutrition; the argument is two-sided, and these two sides are in vehement …show more content…
BARF feeders are abandoning commercial diets in favour of more “natural” diet which they believe better mimics the wild, ancestral diet of non-domesticated cats and dogs.1, 3 Proponents of the BARF diet insist raw foods are nutritionally superior and balanced when compared to commercially available diets.3 As stated by multiple authors, attributes such as providing the pet with cleaner teeth, better breath, a shinier coat, reduced allergies, increased energy, and smaller stools are regarded as “proofs”, whilst in reality these objective observations are, at best, consequential and anecdotal with no research-based evidence behind them.1, 4, …show more content…
Other pets could have similar disease manifestations and simply aren’t being published in current