Sadie's BARF Page

In the wild, dogs would kill rabbits, chickens and other critters, and would eat pretty much the whole thing, meat, bones, organs and the guts. Normally, they would not eat vegetables, other than what they found in the stomachs of their prey. Dogs are opportunistic and will eat dead fish they find next to a lake or creek. They are very happy to eat any eggs they might stumble upon. Dogs are also scavengers, their jaws and teeth are designed to eat the bones that are left after the other scavengers have had their fill.

Their digestive systems are not designed to handle grain, the major ingredient in all commercial dogs foods. Grains are largely responsible for most health issues that our dogs suffer.

Dogs never figured out how to control fire, and therefore never learned to cook. Somehow I think that even if they did, they would prefer their meat raw. Raw food is more nutritious for a dog, since cooking kills the enzymes that they need. I prefer my steaks rare, too.

When deciding what you should and shouldn't feed your dogs, just think about the types and the appropriate proportions of the foods they would eat in the wild.

• 40 percent Raw Meat and Bone (1/2 meat, 1/2 bone)
  • Chicken necks, backs, leg quarters, wings
  • Pork neck bones, feet, ribs
  • Beef ribs, ground beef
  • Goat heads, whole rabbits, turkey parts
• 10 percent Organs
  • Beef kidney, livers, heart
  • Chicken and turkey gizzards
• 30 percent Veggies
  • Spinach, zucchini, squash
  • Broccoli, green beans
  • Carrots, sweet potatoes, yams
  • Plenty of Garlic for flee control
  • Anything except tomatoes, potatoes and onions
• 10 percent Fish
  • Whole raw fish, fish heads
  • Canned fish like jack mackerel and tuna
• 5 percent Eggs
  • Whole raw eggs
• 5 percent Yogurt
  • The cheap stuff, fruit is OK
• Extra Supplements
  • Salmon oil for coat
  • Glucosamine, Chondroitin & MSN for joins
  • Vitamin-Mineral Supplement
  • Kelp or Alfalfa powder

10. No more itchy, dry, flaky skin! No more hot spots! No more allergies! The majority of allergies are caused by feeding grains that dogs cannot digest. Trust me, it works.
9. Bones, Bones, Bones! Yes, you can feed your dogs bones. Yes, chicken bones are OK. BUT NO COOKED BONES! Cooking bones makes them hard and brittle. Uncooked bones are fine. They keep the teeth clean and strengthen the jaws. Dogs were meant to eat bones.
8. Less poop! Since there are no grains in the diet, poop is reduced dramatically, like one fourth as much. And poops are just little, hard, white, calcium pellets. My dogs get constipated occasionally, when they do, I just give them an all vegetable meal.
7. Easy meal packages! When I buy a package of meat for my dogs, I divide it up into individual meals and put them in the plastic grocery sacks. One goes in the fridge, and the rest go in the freezer. When I use the package in the fridge, I pull another out of the freezer to replace it. It isn't a lot of work if you do it this way.
6. A day of fasting! Yes, that's right, my dogs don't eat one day a week. This allows their bodies to devote their energy to repairing their joints and muscles rather than digesting food. It also helps keep constipation under control. Not all BARFers fast their dogs, and it is optional. I don't fast my dogs now, due to a past bloat problem, but when I did, they didn't mind at all.
5. Veggie Glop! Cut up raw sweet potatoes and carrots. Throw them into a blender. Add raw spinach and squash. Add some fresh basil and cilantro. Thrown in five or six cloves of garlic. Drizzle in some olive oil. Maybe add a couple vitamin C pills. Turn that blender on and enjoy the great smell. Like doggie pesto. The dogs will love it. If they don't, add a can of tuna and/or some raw eggs.
4. No reason to stress out! Dogs should have a balanced diet over a two week period. If you don't have one ingredient, no problem. Every meal doesn't need to be balanced. Just try to provide all the elements of the diet over a two week period.
3. Lean, muscular, energetic dogs! This diet gives dogs exactly what they need to build muscle and increase their energy level, and nothing more. Dogs won't put on fat since they are eating their ideal diet.
2. Looking for bargains! I was spending $40 per month on premium dog food. When I switched to BARF, one goal was to save money. This can be done, if you look for bargains, go to the Mexican and Asian grocery stores. Read the newspaper. Look for items that are reduced for quick sale. It really is fun. Below, I'll list some of my favorite bargains.
1. Do you think dogs like to eat raw meat and bones every day? Are you kidding me, they love it! No commercial dog food can make a dog as happy as a nice meaty bone. They will love you for it.

• Chicken necks from the Pilgrim Pride processing plant are $8 for a 40 pound box, that's $.20 per pound. They are very fresh and provide the perfect balance of meat and bone. This makes up the majority of my dog's diet.
• $.14 per pound turkey on sale. A 20 pound bird makes 13 meals for my dogs, at a cost of $2.80.
• Whole Tilapia from Fiesta Mart. At $.99 per pound, this is an affordable way to add fish to their diet.
• Albertson's frequently sells beef kidney for $.59 per pound. I stock up when it is available.
• Veggies from Farmer's market. I usually get a big bag of spinach for a buck. You can sometimes get a good deal on squash as well.
• Canned veggies from Albertson's are occasionally on sale, four cans for a dollar. My dogs love the green beans. It is nice to have the canned veggies on hand for when I don't have any fresh veggies.
• Pork Neck Bones can usually be found for $.79 per pound in the family packs. Occasionally, I can find it for $.59 per pound, stock up.
• Look for sales on chicken leg quarters or chicken legs in a ten pound bag. I've found them for as low as $.19 per pound. That's less that two bucks for seven or eight meals for my dogs.