The BARF method
The BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) method involves comprising a diet of differing raw product components, which are: Meaty bones On average, 50% of the diet should comprise of meaty bones. This is an important source of calcium and phosphorus in the diet. Meaty bones can be used from many kinds of animals. However, it’s important to pay attention to the hardness of the bones. Below is an overview of the hardness of the meaty bone products sold by Kiezebrink. One and two bones means soft bone, which is suitable for beginner raw eating dogs and cats. Products with three and four bones are suitable for dogs with experience with BARF. Five bones means very hard bone structure which is for experienced raw eating dogs which is too hard to digest (and therefore only suitable for chewing). Not all meaty bones contain the same ratio of meat to bone; the ideal ratio would be 1:1. This ratio is important because bone is an important source of calcium and meat is a source of phosphorus. Calcium and phosphorus should be available in the diet at a certain ratio (1:1 – 1:2) to be absorbable. When a bone contains little meat, it must be complemented with extra meat. Another factor is the structure of the bone; hard bone contains more calcium than soft bone. It’s therefore important to pay attention to the faeces of your dog or cat. When the faeces are hard, this usually means that there is too much bone in the diet or the bone structure is too hard. Organ meat A balanced diet contains on average 15% organ meat. It’s important to vary the diet with differing organs such as; heart, tripe/rumen, kidneys, lung and liver. These organs vary in amino acid profiles and vitamin and mineral contents. Liver for example is a very important source of vitamin A, which is why we advise to feed liver but no more than 5%. Vitamin A (and D, E and K) are fat soluble and can therefore be overdosed in a diet. Furthermore, liver can have a laxative effect on animals if fed in too high a volume. When a dog or cat has too loose a stools this may be an indication of too high a proportion of organ meat in their diet. Muscle meat Muscle meat is an important source of amino acids, zinc and vitamin B12. We advise to feed on average 30% muscle meat. This part is very dependent on the amount of meat on the meaty bones that are fed. Others Finally the diet can be completed with seeds, vegetables, fruit, eggs and oils. These additions can supply extra vitamins, minerals, fibres and fatty acids. When for example fish is not fed every week, this can be compensated by adding fish oil. & Types of meat It’s not only necessary to vary with muscle meat, bones, organs and additional products but also to vary the types of meat. NRV Method Another feeding method is the NRV method (Natural Raw Food). When feeding according to this method typically whole prey items are fed. Prey species which are usually used are: fish (sprat, herring, sardine etc.), day old chicks, mice, quails, pigeons, guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens. Also remember when feeding according to this method variation is still very important Supplements If, for whatever reason, a particular nutrient is missing from the diet, it is advisable to add a supplement. Kiezebrink offers two supplements in its range to complement a raw meat diet: Raw meat supplement (calcium-free), suitable for complementing a diet containing meat bones, muscle meat and, where appropriate, organs.Raw meat supplement + calcium, suitable for complementing a diet that does not contain meat bones but does include muscle meat and, where applicable, organs. This supplement contains calcium, which ensures that the animal’s bone development is not compromised when meat bones are not included in the diet. Both supplements contain all the recommended vitamins and minerals to meet the nutritional needs of dogs and cats. As well as adding vitamins and minerals, it may also be beneficial to add extra omega-3 fatty acids. Fish and game meat are the main sources of these. If a diet does not contain these components (in sufficient quantities), we recommend adding salmon oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids. Hygiene Raw foods and whole prey naturally contain various bacteria. These bacteria do not cause illness in healthy animals. However, for humans – particularly young children, the elderly and those with a weakened immune system – these bacteria may potentially cause problems. It is therefore important that raw meat products are handled correctly.
