There are dogs that should not be fed raw because unfortunately there are a lot of myths that make caring dog owners unnecessarily worried, so let's take a look at a few of these.
MYTHS
BACTERIA
As with everything else, it's about choosing products from proper suppliers. When we talk about barf for dogs, it must still be made from proper raw materials, i.e. animals that are approved for human consumption and veterinary checked before slaughter, slaughtered in an EU-certified slaughterhouse and frozen immediately after slaughter.
When you handle barf yourself, you should of course use good general kitchen hygiene, but if you choose a proper product, you shouldn't be more worried about your dog's barf than about the meat you intend to eat yourself.
It's also worth bearing in mind that dogs' stomach acid is of a completely different caliber, which means they can munch on old, buried meat bones without making a single mistake. They are naturally adapted to handle raw meat and carrion, so the fear of bacteria is a bit exaggerated.
DOGS CAN'T TOLERATE LEGS
People often ask me if it's okay for their dog to have bones, because they've heard that they can't tolerate them. Rule number 1 is: bones should ALWAYS be given raw. Raw bones are much softer and more flexible than when they're cooked/smoked, and won't splinter. Personally, we avoid tube bones, as these have a different structure, which can cause damage to the teeth and can be very difficult to digest.
Rule no. 2: Bones MUST be included in your dog's diet if you want to feed raw, as it helps to keep calcium and phosphorus in a healthy balance. Calcium is also important for many functions in the body, including the absorption of vitamin D. If there is a major reason to exclude bones from your dog's diet, you can instead add calcium in the form of eggshell powder or algae lime. If you are afraid that your dog will choke on its bone, you can initially give chicken necks or chopped beef throats, which are very easily available. Always talk to your local barf shop before you start selecting bones for your dog yourself.
THEY DON'T GET ENOUGH VITAMINS AND MINERALS
As described in previous posts, yes – it is absolutely possible to feed your dog raw and at the same time ensure that it gets all the vital nutrients it needs. This myth has arisen from cases where dogs have not been given a correctly composed diet. It goes without saying that if you only feed pure meat, or only meat bones or only tripe and meat bones, etc., the dog will become malnourished in the long run. It is important that you thoroughly understand the matter before you just start feeding raw, but having said that, it is not rocket science either. If you want to be on the safe side, then simply supplement with a sensible vitamin and mineral supplement a couple of times a week.
Finally, I want to share the best news in the field of barf and raw feeding with you. As I said, raw feeding used to be a "raw" affair... where many people would sit and cut out cow stomachs, etc. That's not the case anymore, and if you want to try your hand at raw feeding, but don't dare to put it together yourself, in these new times there are several products that have collected the entire prey for you - and which means that you actually just have to take it out of the freezer and serve it thawed.
One of these products is the Finnish MUSH. It consists of balls of 25 grams each. In each ball you will find meat, cartilage/bone, offal and tripe from 3 different animals, and it is carefully described how much of each part is taken up. It actually doesn't get much easier, and there are 8 different variants.
Besides this, you can still give your dog a large, chewy meat bone or a salmon head, he will only love you for it.
Author: Camilla Brøgger, Barks n Bones
We have just changed our name from Trenddog, which has been selling quality products to Danish dog owners since 2005. We have been selling BARF since 2010 and place great emphasis on the quality of the raw materials, including origin, handling and veterinary certification. In addition to our selection of BARF, we also carry the brands Orijen, Acana and Ziwipeak within dry food. The common denominator between the two categories is a high content of meat of proper quality. We believe that food should be as natural as possible, we believe this gives the healthiest body, and therefore there should be no artificial or unfavorable ingredients in the products that we choose to offer our customers. You are always welcome in our store in Østerbro for a chat about what we can offer your dog
The Complete Meal - PART 3 of 3
There are dogs that should not be fed raw because unfortunately there are a lot of myths that make caring dog owners unnecessarily worried, so let's take a look at a few of these.
MYTHS
BACTERIA
As with everything else, it's about choosing products from proper suppliers. When we talk about barf for dogs, it must still be made from proper raw materials, i.e. animals that are approved for human consumption and veterinary checked before slaughter, slaughtered in an EU-certified slaughterhouse and frozen immediately after slaughter.
When you handle barf yourself, you should of course use good general kitchen hygiene, but if you choose a proper product, you shouldn't be more worried about your dog's barf than about the meat you intend to eat yourself.
It's also worth bearing in mind that dogs' stomach acid is of a completely different caliber, which means they can munch on old, buried meat bones without making a single mistake. They are naturally adapted to handle raw meat and carrion, so the fear of bacteria is a bit exaggerated.
DOGS CAN'T TOLERATE LEGS
People often ask me if it's okay for their dog to have bones, because they've heard that they can't tolerate them. Rule number 1 is: bones should ALWAYS be given raw. Raw bones are much softer and more flexible than when they're cooked/smoked, and won't splinter. Personally, we avoid tube bones, as these have a different structure, which can cause damage to the teeth and can be very difficult to digest.
Rule no. 2: Bones MUST be included in your dog's diet if you want to feed raw, as it helps to keep calcium and phosphorus in a healthy balance. Calcium is also important for many functions in the body, including the absorption of vitamin D. If there is a major reason to exclude bones from your dog's diet, you can instead add calcium in the form of eggshell powder or algae lime. If you are afraid that your dog will choke on its bone, you can initially give chicken necks or chopped beef throats, which are very easily available. Always talk to your local barf shop before you start selecting bones for your dog yourself.
THEY DON'T GET ENOUGH VITAMINS AND MINERALS
As described in previous posts, yes – it is absolutely possible to feed your dog raw and at the same time ensure that it gets all the vital nutrients it needs. This myth has arisen from cases where dogs have not been given a correctly composed diet. It goes without saying that if you only feed pure meat, or only meat bones or only tripe and meat bones, etc., the dog will become malnourished in the long run. It is important that you thoroughly understand the matter before you just start feeding raw, but having said that, it is not rocket science either. If you want to be on the safe side, then simply supplement with a sensible vitamin and mineral supplement a couple of times a week.
Finally, I want to share the best news in the field of barf and raw feeding with you. As I said, raw feeding used to be a "raw" affair... where many people would sit and cut out cow stomachs, etc. That's not the case anymore, and if you want to try your hand at raw feeding, but don't dare to put it together yourself, in these new times there are several products that have collected the entire prey for you - and which means that you actually just have to take it out of the freezer and serve it thawed.
One of these products is the Finnish MUSH. It consists of balls of 25 grams each. In each ball you will find meat, cartilage/bone, offal and tripe from 3 different animals, and it is carefully described how much of each part is taken up. It actually doesn't get much easier, and there are 8 different variants.
Besides this, you can still give your dog a large, chewy meat bone or a salmon head, he will only love you for it.
Author: Camilla Brøgger, Barks n Bones
We have just changed our name from Trenddog, which has been selling quality products to Danish dog owners since 2005. We have been selling BARF since 2010 and place great emphasis on the quality of the raw materials, including origin, handling and veterinary certification. In addition to our selection of BARF, we also carry the brands Orijen, Acana and Ziwipeak within dry food. The common denominator between the two categories is a high content of meat of proper quality. We believe that food should be as natural as possible, we believe this gives the healthiest body, and therefore there should be no artificial or unfavorable ingredients in the products that we choose to offer our customers. You are always welcome in our store in Østerbro for a chat about what we can offer your dog