As we assume that you already know, BARF food consists of preparing menus with raw, natural foods, without cooking and without using chemicals or processes that destroy the properties of meat, vegetables or fruits as commercial feed does.
If you are not very clear about the issue of natural food, we strongly recommend that you read: What does the BARF Diet consist of?
Organs and Viscera:
Although it sounds a bit bad and somewhat disgusting, the truth is that it is very easy to find in any butcher, market or casque. It is part of our dog’s diet and we must always administer it in low amounts.
Some ingredients that you can use in this category are:
- Chicken liver or kidney
- Lamb liver, kidney or lung
- Beef lung
- Viscera of chicken, duck, lamb …
- Green casing
- Etc…
What quantities to buy to make BARF recipes?
It all depends on the number and size of dogs you have, as well as your storage capacity. Let’s give the example for a single dog, then you can make your accounts for the total number of dogs you have and their weight.
Normally buying in bulk (large quantities) you get a cheaper price than retail, but if you do not have a large freezer do not worry, many users of the BARF diet simply use a small space in our freezer or fridge (refrigerator ).
If your dog is a puppy, you should calculate that he needs 10% of his BARF diet weight on a daily basis, so if your dog weighs 3 kilograms, you should give him a total of 300 grams of BARF diet per day.
Those 300 grams should be divided into three doses (or four, it depends on each dog and the habit it has), so that you can give it 100 grams for breakfast, 100 grams for lunch and 100 grams for dinner.
Of that 300 grams, 60% must be meaty bones (180 grams), 20% of lean meat (60 grams), another 10% of fruits and vegetables (30 grams) and 10% of organs and viscera (30 grams). .
So if you multiply that by 7 days you will have the total ingredients that you will need in a week, if you multiply it by 30 you can get the total that you will need in a month.
You can prepare menus in individual bags (daily servings) and freeze them, to take them out day by day or two or three days at a time and store them in the fridge / refrigerator. As comfortable as possible 😉
If your dog is already an adult, his daily ration should be 2% to 3% of his weight, so if your dog for example weighs 30 kilos, his daily ration should be 900 grams a day (which you can divide by example three doses of 300 grams, breakfast – lunch and dinner or two doses of 450 grams breakfast and dinner).
Of the 900 grams that your dog must eat daily, 60% must be meaty bones (540 grams), 20% must be lean meat (180 grams), 10% of fruits and vegetables (90 grams) and other 10% of organs and viscera (90 grams).
As you can see, everything is making accounts in relation to the weight of your dog and if it is a puppy, where you should give him 10% of his weight, or an adult where you should give him between 2% and 3% of his weight.
If your dog eats 500 grams of meaty bones daily, you can make a weekly purchase of 3.5 kg of meaty bones or a monthly purchase of 15 kg of meaty bones and freeze them.
How much money do ingredients cost to make BARF recipes?
As we have already indicated, it is much cheaper to buy fresh food and feed our dog in a healthy and balanced way than to buy good quality feed. Of course you can buy poor quality feed at a very low price … but you will be poisoning your dog slowly.
BARF feeding is very economical, especially if you buy large quantities. We are going to leave some examples of what the ingredients used usually cost, keeping in mind that in each autonomous community or in each country these prices can vary greatly.
Remember not to go shopping at the mall, as this is usually where everything is more expensive (unless you find a specific offer). The most recommended is to buy in markets or neighborhood stores, those of a lifetime.
- Meaty bones: You can find chicken carcasses from € 0.30 per kilo to € 1 per kilo, look well and ask for prices.
- Lean meat: Searching and comparing prices, you can find quality lean meat from € 2.5 a kilo to € 5 a kilo. Sometimes even at a much lower price, it’s all about comparing and taking deals.
- Fruits and vegetables: Taking them in season and by weight, you will find really good offers. In general you can find various products at an average of € 2 per kilo (and much less actually)
- Organs and viscera: You can find chicken livers at an average of € 3 per kilo, for example, some other organs at a much lower price.
Now that you know what proportions of each ingredient your dog needs to have a balanced diet, you should simply prepare the menu to your liking.
You can mix the ingredients that your dog eats daily in a freezer bag (those used to freeze food) or in a tupper, as it is more comfortable for you. Leave one or two bags in the fridge / freezer and freeze the rest. When the refrigerator bags run out, take another couple of bags out of the freezer the night before so you always have defrosted meat to give your dog.
Remember that you should not cook anything, you should simply cook the vegetables. Some people think that dogs need carbohydrates and they also cook a little bit of pasta to add to the menu. Everyone is free to add what they see fit, but is not necessary. However, if you prefer to do it, adding an extra 10% of pasta in the daily amounts is enough, although it would be much better to use cooked oats than pasta (in addition to being cheaper).
The simplest thing is to have one bag per day, from there you go taking to make the rations, if your dog eats twice a day you divide the bag in two. If your dog eats four times, divide the bag into four and give him a serving at each feeding.
Remember that your dog does not have to eat the exact grams of everything at each meal, if he eats more meat for breakfast and more vegetables for dinner, absolutely nothing happens. So the menus do not have to contain the exact amount of grams of each thing, if one day you eat more meat and another bone, nothing happens, simply make balanced menus so that weekly you eat more or less what is indicated (neither give one day only vegetables and another day only meat … but don’t be obsessed wit
h the accuracy of the percentages)
On the other hand, you can also make individual portion bags, it will be more comfortable for you without a doubt. But it will also be more laborious to prepare and probably tire soon.
We recommend making daily rations and freezing them. Always leaving a couple in the fridge without freezing to feed your dog.
If I use BARF feeding, does my dog need any supplement?
No, if you prepare a balanced menu the truth is that your dog will not need any vitamin supplement or anything similar. Although it is true that many people who use this feeding system incorporate some extras in their menus, such as in a 30-pound dog:
- One or two plain (unsweetened) yogurts with forks per week.
- Two raw eggs without shell per week
- A can of tuna or a few anchovies (whole) once a week
- A small spoon of brewer’s yeast two or three times a week (very cheap in herbal shops)
It is not something that must be done on a mandatory basis since they do not need accessories, but the truth is that all of the above is completely natural and can benefit you.
On the other hand, there are those who use a clove of garlic in the preparation of the menus. Garlic can be beneficial in very small amounts for our dogs, but in high doses it becomes toxic, which is why we do not recommend its use.
BARF Diet Recipes – Does raw meat or fish contain parasites or diseases?
The truth is that all the meat or fish that we give them raw will contain bacteria, it is something completely normal and that they eliminate in their digestion, since they use gastric flows and highly acidic enzyme systems.
Some people prefer to freeze all meat and fish for a few weeks before feeding them to their dogs, and others don’t give it much thought.
The food you buy must be fresh, bought in markets and stores where it is sold for human consumption. In this way you ensure that they are of quality.
Bacteria are present in all foods, also on the ground, on their paws, on your clothes … Your dog will surely take and eat things from the ground on the street, or suck parts of other dogs to greet them … well, that bacteria They are present in everything and you should not be obsessed with food.
Of course there are risks, but you can also get run over or get sick even if you eat the best feed in the world. No one and nothing is exempt from suffering any disease.
You simply have to internally deworm your dog as you usually do, once every two or three months with a specific pill for it, which is sold by all veterinaryns.
What other important things should I know about the BARF diet recipes?
The most important thing of all when using this type of diet is to use common sense. If your dog is getting fat, lower the daily amount of food a little. If your dog is losing weight, increase the amount of food daily.
It does not hurt that every two or three months you do an analysis of your dog in the veterinary clinic, to verify that it is healthy and does not have any deficiency. This should be done both if you eat raw food or if you eat feed.
If you dog is constipated, you should add more vegetables to your diet mix. If it is loose in casings, reduce the vegetables a little and increase the meaty bones. The fleshy bones constipate.
If your dog has diarrhea, something is wrong. Usually it is usually some fruit or vegetable that does not sit well, so you simply have to remove ingredients one by one until you find the one that feels bad. Although generally all the dogs admit the foods that we have mentioned well, there are always exceptions.
On the other hand there is the issue of the feeder, the clay or plastic feeders are not as hygienic as the aluminum ones, which you can find at really cheap prices.
Common sense is what will make everything go well, apply it.
What benefits will I notice in my dog if he eats BARF food?
The benefits are many, and they are almost immediately noticeable. It won’t be a week before you start noticing them.
You will see how your dog’s health changes, it will become more cheerful, energetic, vigorous, in short, it will be much better and happier.
Of course you will notice an incredible improvement in his hair, his teeth, his breath and his poop. Yes, your poops will be much less abundant (but much, since it will take much more advantage of nutrients) and they will also smell much less. Your dog will stop farting too.
At lunchtime, you will see what a dog is enjoying its food. Nothing to do with the feed, your dog will enjoy every second of his food, you will notice it right away. As a tip, unless your dog is very old or he just asked you to do so in his own way… we recommend feeding adult dogs three times a day and puppies three or four times a day.
Your dog will be stronger against diseases. Your immune system will be much stronger due to the healthy food you are receiving.You will notice because he will not get sick as often.
Did you find it very complicated? It is actually very, very simple. Perhaps the first time you do it it seems complicated, but once seen … everyone is ready. You will see that it becomes very simple, very economic and very healthy for your dog.
I encourage you to search Facebook for groups on the Barf Diet, to watch YouTube videos on the BARF diet and you will see how it is much simpler than you think.