Define Raw Diet for Dogs
This is a simple user guide to the BARF raw dog food diet and raw feeding for dogs. What is the diet? What does BARF stand for? Should your dog eat vegetables? There is so much confusing and conflicting information out there, so we wanted to provide you with a simple overview.
BARF s tands for a Biologically Appropriate Raw Feeding , or in some circles Bones and Raw Food. Essentially, it is all about feeding dogs a natural diet of 'species appropriate food'. It is based on a well informed 'guesstimate' of what wolves, the predecessor of modern-day dogs, would have eaten. The BARF raw food diet prides itself on working in line with what a dog can digest.
The evolution of a dog
By eating the foods they haveevolvedto eat, dogs enjoy betterhealth&longevity. We are seeing evidence, both from research and clinical feedback (results in clinics, vets surgeries, and health practices) to support this.
It's exactly the same in the human world, where the 'Paleo Diet' has swept us all by storm in the last few years.
The Paleo Diet [1] encourages humans to eat an 'evolutionary template of foods'… one which our bodies were designed to eat, to get the best from our bodies. Be thathealth,longevity,leannessorenergy. This diet includes:
- Meat
- Fish
- Vegetables
- Limited fruits and berries
- Healthy fats
It's the same story with our dogs. If you feed your dog a diet it has not evolved to eat, they will find the food more difficult to digest.
Think about the sloppy dog poos you see when you walk down the street (learn more about ideal dog poo).
Speaking of food your dog has NOT evolved to eat, find out why you should choose a grain free diet for your dog.
The rise of canine health issues
An inappropriate diet can affect your dog's blood sugar, create inflammation and lead to health issues.
Advocates of raw feeding attribute the rapid rise of dog cancer and early-onset autoimmune disease to the mainstream food and chemicals which dogs have been increasingly exposed to over the last 15 years. Ones which they were never designed to eat.
Just like with ourselves, we want our dogs to experience health, longevity and vibrant energy. By switching them over to the foods they have evolved to eat, most of the mainstream health issues dogs experience seem to be miraculously disappearing.
We wouldn't be surprised to hear the garage mechanic tell us we had voided the warranty on our new car because we filled it with wine, not petrol.
Why should we be surprised to hear that feeding dogsnewly invented,processed food which is high in sugar, carbohydrates and rancid fats is remotely healthy or helpful?
Feeding raw respects the 'warranty' on your dog, so to speak. This is what they're built for, so this is what you should feed them.
Dogs & wolves: the evolution of the canine diet
The limited number of studies are out there show that wolves were scavengers, predatory yes, but scavengers who preyed on a wide variety of meat, and wherever available, fish and seafood.
They ate whole carcasses, organ meats and whatever was in the animal's stomach; be it partially fermented grass, fruits, some vegetables. There was also plenty of fur and cartilage for fibre.
Depending on the year and availability, they may have even scavenged some berries directly.
In addition to this template, many believe that adding a few select vegetables and fruits can increase the antioxidant consumption of the dog whilst decreasing the risk of cancer and illness.
The key here is a 'few' and 'select'. If we stray too far from the path of a dog's evolutionary capacity, you can challenge their immune system and digestion rather than help it.
Increasing a dog's fruit (sugar) consumption beyond a certain level can contribute to
- Pancreatitis
- Obesity
- Inflammation
How dogs are different to wolves
By definition, dogs haveevolved from wolves in that they have changed, adapted and generally moved on.
They also sleep inside and have easier lives of it on the whole. Their digestion is slightly different.
Wolves and dogs are different, but share many characteristics and inheritances
But this is the key part: biological evolution often lags behind advances in the environment. It adapts or dies.
What we are seeing is that mainstream processed kibble, high in sugar, heavy in carbohydrates and laden with DNA damaging oxidised fat, is not promoting positive adaption, but instead earlier illness and death. [3] [4].
What goes into a raw dog food diet?
Let's look at the following components of a healthy raw dog food diet
- High quality meat protein
- Offal/organ meats
- Seasonal vegetables
- Seasonal berries
- Amino acids
- Quality fats
Protein in dog food
There are many myths and misconceptions about protein in dog food. The top 3 are:
- Higher protein = better quality. Not so; better quality = better quality
- Protein is just protein. Not so, better quality protein is better quality protein
- Protein will make my dog angry, sad, grumpy or create liver and kidney disease. Not so; quality,species-appropriate protein will never do this. We have a great article around this topic – raw dog food can calm your dog down.
So what is a good quality species-appropriate protein?
Quality graded, animal-based protein – with all of the essential amino acids present and most of the others too, will help support your dog's health, energy and longevity.
High-quality meat will also help cell repair, promote recovery from exercise, and provide lots of vitamins and minerals to boot.
It's true that some dogs on higher protein diets have suffered from the symptoms, mentioned above, in the past.
These are invariably dogs fed on either rendered proteins, which have been highly processed, heated and oxidised or dehydrated proteins.
These force the liver and kidneys to work unnaturally hard. Raw food feeding is all about giving food to your dog in the most natural state possible with minimal processing.
Mincing, mixing and freezing is all you will ever need. The food will do the rest!
Many owners are seduced by the marketing of total protein content. However, it's really the amino acid profile and presence which is much more important. Read more about this below.
The role of offal in raw dog food
Offal or organ meats are the internal organs and stomach contents of an animal. To keep this simple, if you are sourcing your protein from reputable providers, then you should be feeding these to your dog.
Offal represents some of the most nutrient-rich food on the planet. Dogs and Wolves naturally gravitate to this for a reason.
A pack of wolves will always gravitate towards the stomach of a fresh kill, consuming its contents and the organ meats first.
They are jam-packed not only with essential amino acids, but also loaded with vitamins and minerals.
Why is a reputable source important? Because these organ meats can also be where the animal protein source harbours its toxins.
Say a cow has been fed on the cow equivalent of processed kibble, rather than allowed to graze outside.
It stands to reason that its liver won't be as healthy to consume as one that has been raised on a natural diet. After all, you are what you eat.
More resources about organ meat & offal
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An article by Amy Dyck for Homes Alive Pets looking into the benefits of tripe for dogs blog.homesalive.ca/what-are-the-benefits-of-tripe-for-dogs
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An article from 2017 in Medical News Today, medically reviewed by Natalie Olsen, R.D., L.D., ACSM EP-C looks at the superfood benefits and risks of eating organ meats/offal, including liver, kidney and heart www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319229#are-there-risks-of-eating-organ-meat
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Evidence-based article written by Daisy Coyle, accredited practising dietitian (APD) for Healthline looks at the benefits organ meats/offal www.healthline.com/nutrition/organ-meats
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A resource from the Canine Chef Cookbook looking at whether dogs can eat beef kidney thecaninechefcookbook.com/blog/can-dogs-eat-beef-kidneys
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A blog article from Sept 2020 by Julia Henriques for Dogs Naturally about 'why your dog should eat more liver' www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-you-need-to-feed-your-dog-liver/
The ratio of meat, vegetables & bones
The most well known of the raw diets for dogs is the BARF diet (Bones and Raw Feeding). This is one of the "Ancestral Templates" out there, which promotes an 80:10:10 ratio of meat, bones and offal.
Of the offal, many practitioners tout 5% liver and 5% other offal as an ideal mix. Whilst this is a great template and a sound guideline, it is my humble opinion that it is only that… a guideline.
The reason for this is that wolves, as scavengers, will have enjoyed hugely varied diets. Feasting on a wild boar or chasing down a pack of hares, all of these foods are equally valid but enormously different. We also have a seasonal overlay to put on top of this.
If you want our opinion, 80:10:10 is a great place to start your raw feeding strategy… but only that. There are loads of great things you can add to your dog's food to help them thrive.
The other important point to note is that some relatively 'newer' breeds are so evolved from their wolf ancestors, that they may struggle with higher quantities of bone, the French Bulldog being one of them.
The benefits of a BARF raw dog food diet
When you feed raw dog food, you will begin to see amazing changes in your dog's health and happiness within days.
In fact, 92% of our happy customers said they noticed an improvement in their dog's health within only 8 weeks of switching!
Some of the more obvious benefits of raw dog food include less wind and firmer poo, an improvement in coat quality and more evenly balanced energy levels.
Are vegetables good for my dog and why?
Both emerging science and clinical feedback is showing us that dogs do benefit, quite significantly in fact, from the addition of vegetables to their diet.
Whilst they may or may not have evolved eating these, we will never truly know. What we do know is that dogs tend to live longer if they regularly have vegetables in their diets.
There are three main reasons that we believe this is the case.
- Antioxidants
- Microbiome
- Soluble Fibre (motility and probiotics)
We have a longer discussion on the role of vegetables in a dog's diet here.
Antioxidants
Vegetables bring a whole diversity and abundance of antioxidants to a dogs diet that cannot be achieved by eating meats, organs and bones alone. An antioxidant is something that 'neutralises' Reactive Oxidative Species (or ROS). These are the bi-products of your dog's metabolism, exercise and general living. They are normal but contribute to ageing. A brief explanation is, the more antioxidants you can put into your dog's diet, the slower your dog will age and the more resistant it will be to disease and illness. Here is a great article about this last point.
Microbiome
The microbiome is the bacteria that live inside your dog's intestinal tract, and help protect it from invading pathogens like bad bacteria, fungi, mould and other non-beneficial organisms. Vegetable fibres act like the compost that feed these beneficial bacteria. And as a rule of thumb, the lower in sugar the vegetable is, the more beneficial the bacteria tend to be that grow on it. This is even more pronounced when vegetables are fermented.
This excellent video from Rodney Habib and Dr Karen Becker explains this in greater detail.
Soluble Fibre
Fibre comes in two flavours, soluble and insoluble.
The insoluble form is often referred to as roughage. Contrary to popular opinion, science shows us that 'roughage' or insoluble fibre can actually harm both the insides of human and dog guts and may even contribute to leaky gut. Some examples of these insoluble fibres are wheat, bran and barley.
The soluble form of fibre is 'soluble in water' and soothes the gut as it passes through the intestinal tract. It also helps to maintain regular bowel moments, and can bind and help to escort unwanted toxins out of the back door as well as helping prevent leaky gut. Examples of soluble fibres include vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and kale. As mentioned above, these fibres also bring the additional bonus of feeding and creating a positive microbiome.
The amylase debate
There are three main types of enzyme help break down macronutrients in food:
- Protease, to break down protein
- Lipase, to digest fat
- Amylase, to process carbohydrates (also Maltase)
Many 'purist' raw feeders believe that dogs do not produce amylase, or very little, and are therefore ill-suited to digesting any form of carbohydrates. Science is much like a weather report, correct at time of going to press, but subject to updates… and that's exactly what has happened here.
Whilst it's true that dogs do produce very little to no amylase in the saliva, they do produce quite a significant amount in the pancreas. Scientists suggest this is for two reasons:
- Allows them to survive on other foods when they couldn't get access to fresh meat
- They benefit from some fermented vegetables and even some prebiotic tubers that they may come across in the wild.
As we now know from above, this contributes to better overall health and longevity.
A word of caution here… we strongly believe that focusing on feeding your dog a high starch diet, or high lectin diet not only negates the benefits of some vegetables, but can cause serious health issues. Pancreatitis is an obvious example of this.[1]
For those with your hands up in class already, yes the dog is still classed as a carnivore but the presence of amylase indicates that a dog is more adaptable and omnivorous than we previously realised. This fits neatly with its role as a 'scavenger'.
Alternative raw feeding strategies for dogs
You will hear of two main 'alternatives' to BARF or the 80:10:10 templates… the ancestral diet and the whole prey diet.
What is the ancestral diet?
This is an approach which is not so much of an alternative, but in fact the parent of the BARF, 80:10:10 and the whole prey diet. It looks at how the ancestors of dogs fed and evolved, endeavouring to imitate this so that it is 'species appropriate'. The common analogy would be that you must know your engine, so you can put the correct fuel in it. The ancestral diet hinges on the fact that dogs are both carnivores, developed from wolves, as well as being scavengers , scavenging prey and as such, need to eat a meat or at least a protein-based diet.
What is the whole prey diet?
This is what is says on the tin, or the bird, or the rabbit. It means feeding the dog raw prey, essentially what it would eat in the wild; the whole carcass and virtually nothing else. The belief system behind this being that dogs have evolved from wolves, which is an undisputed fact. It believes they are ill-adapted to digest vegetables or fruits, and if they do, it has a 'negative load' on their pancreas that could create pancreatitis or other nasty conditions.
The Bella & Duke approach
An evolutionary template with a sprinkle of modern day science
The big question is… what is the right diet for your dog?
Honestly, no one knows for certain. Anyone who presents their findings as overwhelming fact, is perhaps being a little naive, a touch over zealous or at least less open to new developments.
At Bella and Duke, we accept that we might be wrong, but that right now we are doing the best we can, using cutting edge research and tried and tested methods, approved by pets and their owners.
Our best-informed guess, from trial, error, experience & interpreting the science we have to date, as well as the success stories with various approaches is the following:
- Dogs thrive on a largely carnivorous diet, especially when the source of protein is quality assured. This latter point is essential. A slice of processed bacon is not the same as a raw, outdoor reared turkey
- Dogs DO benefit from some seasonal vegetables and some fruits. Whilst they may not digest all of it, it is a source of additional very useful antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that protect them from various cancers. As per the latest studies, these also serve to improve gut function, motility and feed a healthy microbiome
- Whilst excess carbohydrates are shown to challenge dogs' health, especially the inflammatory types found in grains or vegetables which contain lectins, the type and amount of vegetables in a Bella and Duke meals have virtually no sugar content. There is certainly not enough to affect the insulin level of the dog. For example, if we were to put 15g of raw carrot (one of the most carbohydrate-rich vegetables) into every 100g of food, there would be less than 1g of carbohydrate and at least two-thirds of which would be soluble fibre. Your dog, therefore, remains true to its evolutionary correct eating template, whilst also benefiting from the latest developments in scientific understanding.
Even if you disagree and opt for a prey-based, 80:10:10 diet, we still believe you are gaining the main, and easiest benefits, simply by eliminating processed food, low-quality protein, bad fats and the evil G-word… grain
Find out why choosing a grain free dog food is beneficial for your dog
The rest, as they say, is detail. As we learn more, we will improve more. Until then, rest assured we are doing everything we can, to help you enable your pets to live longer, healthier and happier lives.
A lot of the information I have summarised and gleaned from Amy Marshall's fabulous article at Primal Pooch[2]
The evolving world of science is educating us all on what may, or may not benefit our dogs. We promise to remain open to new research to help us continuously get better at what we do! Our team of experts are always researching what is best for your dogs, and you will be the first to know when we learn more about this subject.
Please leave your most valued feedback, as we love to hear what you think. After all, you are an essential part of our evolution.
Related articles:
- What is Raw Dog Food
- Getting Started with Raw for Puppies
- Successfully Switching Your Dog Over To a Raw Diet
- Allergy, Intolerance and Sensitivites Explained
- A Guide to Pancreatitis in Dogs
- Help your dog lose weight with our obesity guide
Source: https://www.bellaandduke.com/learn/guide/barf-dog-diet/
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