The right food for your four-legged friend BARFEN for dogs | Organic, species-appropriate, raw feeding
WHAT IS BARF?
BARFing for dogs is not a new invention, but the most natural way to feed your dog.The dog - including yours - descends from the wolf.Wolves are known to be carnivores and feed accordingly on their prey.With BARFEN one tries to "rebuild" this prey animal quasi. Therefore the BARF feeding is composed of muscle meat, bones/cartilage, offal, fruit and vegetables.
Feeding is thereby RAW! Since nothing must be cooked off. In the free nature the wolf has also not the possibility its fodder times fast over the campfire to roast. Feeding raw also has the advantage that the ingredients (vitamins, minerals, etc.) are preserved.
And what about salmonella and co? Don't worry, your dog has a much stronger stomach acid than we humans do - he can handle it. When you get right down to it, the dog is actually a scavenger. If the meat is already rotting, does it taste especially good to the dog??? Important note: If you have small children at home, you should be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after preparing the raw dog food!
At Foggis you ll always get the meat fresh from the slaughterhouse. It is processed immediately upon delivery and then deep-frozen so that it can be kept longer. In our store in Premstätten you can also buy fresh meat for your four-legged friend. We have a fresh meat showcase similar to the one at the butcher. So you can easily BARF your dog properly!
HOW DO I BARFE PROPERLY?
Basically applies
70-80% meat (cartilage, bones, muscle meat, offal)
20-30% pureed vegetables and fruits
There is no universal instruction how to BARF your dog correctly. If you deal more intensively with the topic, you will quickly realize that opinions differ. For example, there are BARFER who feed their dogs exclusively with meat. However, we are of the opinion that a healthy portion of fruit and vegetables simply belongs to it.
AMOUNT OF FOOD PER DAY
Adult dog: approx. 2-3% of the body weight of your dog.
Ex. 20kg dog approx. 400-600g per day
Puppies 2-6 months: approx. 4-6% of the body weight of your dog
Ex. 5kg puppy approx. 200-300g per day
ATTENTION: If your dog becomes too fat, reduce the food. If your dog becomes too thin, then simply feed more!
Ingredients
"Barf leads to deficiency symptoms".
This claim is often heard from various feed manufacturers who advertise their "balanced" ready-made food. But this is wrong! BARFing dogs provides them in a natural form with all the necessary nutrients that they need for a healthy and vital dog life - namely, RAW. In this blog post, I'll give you some tips on how you can diversify your dog's BARF diet to suit your needs. You'll be surprised at what your dog gets to eat!
MEAT
MUSCLE MEAT: Main part of the meat ration. The muscle meat may be quietly streaked. Fat is the energy source for your dog in BARFING. Meat with a fat content of up to 20% is ideal!
Beef rumen rather counts to the muscle meat - It is healthy, but has a high proportion of connective tissue. That is why it is not well tolerated by every dog. If your dog tolerates rumen well, you can also have a rumen day!
INNERIANS: From the offal e.g. liver, lung, stomach, kidney etc. you should feed only small amounts (3-4x per week) and mix them best with the muscle meat. Offal contains many vitamins (especially liver). But if you overdo it, they can also cause diarrhea. If your dog does not tolerate offal, it is best to add raw yolk and cod liver oil.
PORK: Pork is generally okay, but a few years ago was often infected with the Aujetski virus. This virus is completely harmless to humans. For dogs, however, an infection with the virus ends fatally. If you do not want to do without pork, then always boil well!
ATTENTION: Do not feed wild boar. The Aujetskivirus is still very often detected in this type of meat! Cooked or dried wild boar is not a problem.
If you want to know more about our meat, you can find more information on the page Our Meat. Of course you can also contact us directly by email or directly visit our store in Premstätten!
BONE / CARTILAGE
Bones and cartilage are a super source of calcium and are part of a balanced diet. Your dog needs them for his own joint apparatus and they are therefore indispensable. These include veal breast bone, chicken necks dried, turkey necks dried or raw, carcasses, larynxes, calf bones, shoulder cartilage, etc.
Raw, meaty bones are best for your dog. If there is still meat or tendons on the bone, they can be digested better.
BUT CAUTION: Never feed bones cooked! They could otherwise splinter! Raw bones can be eaten by your dog without any problems - even raw chicken bones. Again, think of the prey animal: a wolf can eat a chicken with skin and feathers.
VEGETABLES
Vegetables are also part of a balanced dog diet. With BARFEN, you can either steam the vegetables or puree them raw with a blender. We recommend you the "blender variant", because vitamins and nutrients are lost by heating. In addition, the preparation is easier this way. You can also simply grate the vegetables, e.g. carrots or apples, over the food.
Your dog's stomach and intestines cannot digest the cellulose in the vegetables, so it is necessary to chop the vegetables. A teaspoon of oil will help your dog absorb vitamins. Vegetables are rich in fiber and will help maintain your dog's intestinal transit activity.
The following vegetables can be eaten by your dog:
Carrots (carrot soup helps with diarrhea), zucchini, broccoli, fennel, lettuce, kohlrabi, cucumbers, cabbage, squash, corn, chard, beets, spinach, parsley, root parsley and many more.
- All legumes such as peas, lentils and beans (of any kind) must be cooked first!
- Nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, hot peppers and peppers should only be fed in moderation and when overripe. It's best to just leave these vegetables out.
- Feed onion and garlic sparingly. They are said to be helpful against parasites.
Dried vegetable flakes are another option. These can be portioned super, keep practical also very long and should you therefore not spoil so quickly.
FRUITS
While one should commit oneself with the meat to 2-3 kinds, the fruit and vegetable addition (mashed or steamed) for BARFen with dogs can be varied. Fruit can and should be fed even when overripe.
The following fruits are healthy and taste good:
Apple, pear, banana, berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, currants, etc.), cherries (without pits), kiwi, rosehip, lychee, tangerine, mango, mirabelles, nectarines, plum, papaya, peach, melons.
APPLE: They are low in calories and make you feel full. They also provide good digestion. Always finely pureed and as red and sweet as possible!
BANANA: Good for the stomach and intestines. Best when the peel is already dark yellow and has brown spots. Too much banana can be constipating!
KIWIS: Kiwis have a lot of vitamin C and strengthen the immune system. Beware of dogs with stomach problems. Best fed overripe and peeled.
MILK PRODUCTS
Dairy products, while not a naturally occurring food for canids (carnivores), can provide a good alternative source of fat and protein when raw feeding if your dog can tolerate lactose. Untreated goat's milk is best, as it is particularly high in vitamins and fat. In addition, goat's milk is easier for your dog to digest.
High-quality dairy products such as buttermilk, yogurt or soured milk contain live cultures that benefit the intestines. Cream cheese has relatively little fat and is well tolerated. Curd is also digestible, helpful for skin conditions and can help your dog gain weight. Butter can also be fed in small quantities. It serves as a fat supplier and flavor enhancer.
CONCLUSION: Dairy products can be fed - but don't have to. Always test first if your dog tolerates them.
CEREALS
Grains yes or no? In barfing, carbohydrates play a rather subordinate role and you can actually do without them. However, if your dog is too thin or generally bad at gaining weight, we recommend adding carbohydrates.
Suitable cereals for the dog:
- Millet, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat - all cooked!
- Potato, rice or pasta - only cooked!
- Flakes well swollen (at least 4 hours).
TIP: Psyllium is a good remedy for constipation!
OTHER
EGGS: The whole egg (including shell) off in the blender. Eggshells work wonders against diarrhea and are good sources of calcium! Only egg yolk is even healthy! Egg white alone should not be fed.
OIL: For the right omega 3/omega 6 fatty acid ratio, use oils. With meat from fattening animal husbandry, the omega 3/omega 6 fatty acid ratio unfortunately no longer fits (also for us humans!). Omega 6 fatty acids, which promote inflammation, predominate here. Therefore, oils are used to balance this imbalance.
If you were to feed only pasture-raised meat or game meat, you would not normally need to supplement oils.
The following oils work very well for BARFing dogs: Fish oils (salmon oil, krill oil), linseed oil, hemp oil and various ready-made blends.
Signs of a fatty acid deficiency are itching or poor hair coat.
HERBS: Herbs are a good source of minerals and vitamins. Pay attention to where the herbs come from. There are many cheap suppliers where the goods come from China, for example. This is usually not subjected to any pollutant controls. Herbs that are suitable for feeding: Alfalfa, borage, nettle, watercress, dill, rose hips, dandelion, parsley, mint, ribwort, mallow, basil, great burdock, goutweed, chickweed.
FOOD SAVINGS: A healthy dog will tolerate food scraps as long as they do not become a main part of the diet. Care should be taken with sugary foods or heavily seasoned dishes. Compost is often a better alternative.
SEA SAILS: They provide minerals, trace elements (iodine, copper, zinc), vitamins and proteins. They are also a super source of calcium.
NEW ZEALAND GREEN LIP MUSCLE EXTRACT: Promotes the regeneration and building of cartilage and connective tissue. In large-breed puppies, mussel extract helps build and maintain joint lubrication. This is useful in breeds prone to joint disease.
DO NOT FEED
Avocados
Elderberries
Quinces
Star fruit
Stone fruit (only without seeds)
Eggplants
Grapes
Raisins
Dark chocolate
COOKED BONES!
Ready-made food ;)
ADVANTAGES
If you barf, you do something good for your animal - whether cat or dog.
- You know what ends up in the bowl of the animal
- You can compose the food yourself
- Barfing is species-appropriate - the dog or cat gets what the body is designed for. Dogs and cats are carnivores, you can see that in their teeth alone. Also, the entire digestive tract of dogs and cats is designed so that meat, bones and cartilage can be ideally metabolized.
- The fact that the body utilizes the food well can also be seen in the amount of feces - this is much lower than with ready-made food (on average one poop per day).
- The dog becomes more robust and agile.
- The musculature improves
- Puppies have less growth problems
- Beautiful, shiny coat
- Digestion works well
- Ideal for allergies or food intolerances
- Dog does not drink as much because there is a lot of water in the meat.
- Chewing bones cleans teeth in a natural way
- Barfed dogs have a pleasant body odor
Of course, barfing is not for everyone. Some dogs also do not tolerate this type of feeding well or reject it. In addition, barfing is not a cure-all. It is a way to feed your dog healthy. If you want to barf, you should study the subject. A few rules must be followed.
Barfing and "feeding raw" are not the same thing. If the BARF store is not just around the corner, of course you need space to store the food. You should also think about that. With a large dog this can be 30kg of meat for a month. Many "Barfers" create their own freezer for the dog.
Of course, there are some veterinarians who are not convinced of barfing. But this is also understandable, because they learn nothing about the subject during their training. They have to acquire the knowledge about BARF themselves. If you are afraid of doing something wrong, you can go to a vet who advocates BARF or ask in a BARF store. At Foggis, the staff is very knowledgeable about the subject and will also help with shopping. We are happy to prepare the food for your four-legged friend (for two weeks) on site.