There are very few dog owners who have not heard of BARF or raw feeding, but not everyone feels comfortable with these concepts. The insecurity usually stems from uncertainty about whether the dog will get all the vitamins it needs, whether it can tolerate eating bones, or whether there is a high risk of bacteria, etc.
Before I describe more about my approach to BARF/raw feeding, I want to tell you a little about myself. I myself am the happy dog mother of 3 Alaskan Malamutes, who all eat raw today, but it hasn't always been that way, so I understand very well the uncertainty and skepticism that many people can feel when they think about having to take responsibility for their dog's nutrition themselves. My first two dogs got dry food from the vet, because I felt that I was definitely getting the best food – and it was eaten up, preserved – but sometimes it went a little sluggish, but then I just added some liver pâté, and voila, the bowl was empty.
Many people probably recognize that image and it proves very well the need that I also often encounter with my customers in the store; namely that many dog owners are often very focused on,
1: their dog has a healthy appetite
2: their dog likes his food
3: that we are sure that the dog gets what it needs
Unfortunately, one of my dogs suddenly became seriously ill, and after various investigations and many different bags of dry food, we finally came to the day when I served a bowl of raw meat. I have to be honest and say that it was actually a bit of a coincidence, it was reindeer and I thought it was funny because we had picked him up ourselves all the way up to the Polar Circle, where reindeer are teeming with them. But the fun suddenly turned into more serious when the bowl was empty within zero point five and for the first time in 18 months he didn't have an upset stomach, but completely normal stools and overall seemed incredibly happy.
After this experience, it was clear that I needed to learn more about putting together a complete meal for him based on raw meat. But after being used to just pouring pellets into a bowl for him, where I knew all the vitamins and minerals were added – to now having to figure it all out myself, made me worried and I was, to say the least, skeptical about whether it would be good enough.
So to those of you who are reading this and have the same concerns and scepticism, I understand you very well, and I would say that it is a sign of health, because when you want to start feeding raw, you also have to understand what your dog really needs. The good news is that it is not particularly complicated at all, and most people very quickly discover that their worries are replaced by joyful anticipation every time you put the bowl down in front of your dog and see how he eats the new meal of the day with the greatest pleasure. Before you know it, you are freestyling with different variations and may even be tempted to boost the meal with various superfoods such as spirulina, blueberries and sardines.
This is the first part of the TOPIC VIEW on raw feeding. The other posts can also be found here on the DogCoaches website.
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 1 of 3
There are very few dog owners who have not heard of BARF or raw feeding, but not everyone feels comfortable with these concepts. The insecurity usually stems from uncertainty about whether the dog will get all the vitamins it needs, whether it can tolerate eating bones, or whether there is a high risk of bacteria, etc.
Before I describe more about my approach to BARF/raw feeding, I want to tell you a little about myself. I myself am the happy dog mother of 3 Alaskan Malamutes, who all eat raw today, but it hasn't always been that way, so I understand very well the uncertainty and skepticism that many people can feel when they think about having to take responsibility for their dog's nutrition themselves. My first two dogs got dry food from the vet, because I felt that I was definitely getting the best food – and it was eaten up, preserved – but sometimes it went a little sluggish, but then I just added some liver pâté, and voila, the bowl was empty.
Many people probably recognize that image and it proves very well the need that I also often encounter with my customers in the store; namely that many dog owners are often very focused on,
Unfortunately, one of my dogs suddenly became seriously ill, and after various investigations and many different bags of dry food, we finally came to the day when I served a bowl of raw meat. I have to be honest and say that it was actually a bit of a coincidence, it was reindeer and I thought it was funny because we had picked him up ourselves all the way up to the Polar Circle, where reindeer are teeming with them. But the fun suddenly turned into more serious when the bowl was empty within zero point five and for the first time in 18 months he didn't have an upset stomach, but completely normal stools and overall seemed incredibly happy.
After this experience, it was clear that I needed to learn more about putting together a complete meal for him based on raw meat. But after being used to just pouring pellets into a bowl for him, where I knew all the vitamins and minerals were added – to now having to figure it all out myself, made me worried and I was, to say the least, skeptical about whether it would be good enough.
So to those of you who are reading this and have the same concerns and scepticism, I understand you very well, and I would say that it is a sign of health, because when you want to start feeding raw, you also have to understand what your dog really needs. The good news is that it is not particularly complicated at all, and most people very quickly discover that their worries are replaced by joyful anticipation every time you put the bowl down in front of your dog and see how he eats the new meal of the day with the greatest pleasure. Before you know it, you are freestyling with different variations and may even be tempted to boost the meal with various superfoods such as spirulina, blueberries and sardines.
This is the first part of the TOPIC VIEW on raw feeding. The other posts can also be found here on the DogCoaches website.
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