The BARF diet for puppies

The BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet is a raw food diet designed to provide puppies with a home prepared, biologically appropriate food that consists of raw muscle meat, organ meats and bones together with various plant material (fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds) that more or less mirrors what an ancient dog or its distant ancestor the grey wolf might have eaten in the wild. Importantly, the BARF diet for puppies totally eliminates all highly processed and highly inflammatory synthetic ingredients typically found in mass-produced commercial dog food.

It needs to be said right away, dogs are not wolves. Dogs have undergone many genetic changes in the thousands of years since they have been part of the life of human beings. Their DNA has changed from their wolf ancestors, with differences accumulating over thousands of years of domestication. That has led to changes in genes related to behaviour, diet and physical traits. While dogs and wolves share 99.9% of their DNA, these small genetic variations have resulted in significant differences. These include the dogs’ greater ability to digest starches. They also include alterations in neural crest development, which contribute to traits such as tameness and their diverse physical appearance.

That being said, just as wolves both in the wild and in captivity still include a great deal of plant material in their diet, your puppy’s BARF diet needs to do the same. It is not correct to say that dogs are strict carnivores. They are opportunistic omnivores, and as such, plant material remains an importance part of their diet.

The BARF model diet is one of the most popular raw diet options for puppies. A home-prepared BARF diet can be made with multiple ingredients to provide recommended allowances for most essential nutrients. It is a far more natural way of feeding, not just because it uses fresh wholefoods (unlike most commercial dog foods which are largely made using synthetic ingredients and nutrients), it is more natural because it incorporates variety, one of the cornerstones of a healthy diet for both dogs and human beings. Feeding a puppy a varied diet with alternating fresh whole foods ensures there are much less likely to be nutritional gaps as there are in the vast majority of commercial dog foods.

BARF model ratios for puppies

Whatever the method of feeding, ingredient ratios are slightly different from the BARF diet for adult dogs. While the diet of both includes protein, fats, vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts, the bone content in particular is likely to be greater.

The following are the recommended guidelines for a BARF diet for puppies.

Muscle Meat (58%)
Raw muscle meat in the puppy BARF diet serves as the primary protein source. It provides essential proteins and amino acids for building and repairing tissues together with fat for energy. Muscle meat also supplies important vitamins, minerals, enzymes and hormones. It is the main component of the diet, supporting strong muscles, a robust immune system, healthy skin and coat and overall physical well-being.

It is important to note that muscle meat in the BARF diet includes a variety of muscle tissues from various animal, fish and poultry sources and even traditional offal meats such as green tripe, heart, tongue and other muscle organs.

Raw meaty bones (fully consumable bones) with cartilage (17%)
Soft, raw, fully consumable bones (raw meaty bones or RMBs) are a hugely important component of a puppy BARF diet. They provide calcium, phosphorous and other essential nutrients.

The raw meaty bone content of your puppy’s diet should be in the region of 17% of its overall daily intake. This amount will vary from puppy to puppy. I suggest the 17% edible bone content purely as a starting point. Puppies generally do well on somewhere between 15% and 20% of raw meaty bones. Adjust the actual amount you feed according to your puppy’s individual needs.

Sources for fully consumable bones include raw poultry bones like chicken, duck and turkey necks, wings, backs and frames; rabbit and quail whole prey; fish bones, particularly sardines; smaller lamb and young pig bones such as ribs or necks. These bones must be fed raw as cooking makes bones brittle and dangerous.

Vegetables (7%)
Vegetables are highly beneficial and often overlooked ingredients in a puppy BARF diet. Vegetables provide a wealth of essential vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, antioxidants and phytochemicals which support overall health, boost the immune system and help prevent chronic diseases. The vegetable content of your puppy’s diet should be around 7% of its overall daily calorie intake. Once again, the exact percentage required may vary from puppy to puppy

Liver (7%)
Liver is an important ingredient in BARF diets for puppies. It’s a nutient powerhouse particularly rich in vitamin A together with other vitamins and minerals such as copper.

The suggested liver ratio for a BARF-fed puppy is slightly higher than the traditionally-recommended 5% of the overall canine diet in order to meet the higher nutritional needs of the growing puppy.

Vitamin A toxicity (hypervitaminosis) is a very real concern in dogs. If your pup’s stools look overly dark, slightly reduce the amount of liver in its diet. Feeding as low as the standard 5% liver will still provide your pup will all the vitamin A it requires from its diet.

Other organs (7%)
In addition to liver, other secreting organs are important ingredients in a puppy BARF diet. Your puppy’s other secreting organ meats can include kidney, pancreas, kidney, lung, spleen and heart.

As with the other ingredients in a puppy BARF diet, secreting organ requirements may differ from puppy to puppy.

Nuts & seeds (3%)
Raw nuts and seeds may look insignificant, but they are extremely useful in providing any potentially missing essential minerals, fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins in the BARF puppy diet. Think of them as filling potholes in the road. You don’t absolutely need those potholes filled in order to complete your journey, but everything works so much better if they are.

Seeds and nuts are beneficial for providing essential fatty acids for puppies, but here’s where opinion is divided. While no one denies that nuts and seeds should be ground for maximum absorption, some argue that they need to be pre-soaked in order to remove phytates which are also known as antinutrients. Antinutrients are compounds, often naturally present in plant-based foods, that can reduce the body’s ability to absorb and utilise essential nutrients. Common antinutrients include phytates and tannins, which interfere with mineral absorption, and lectins which can bind to the intestinal wall. While antinutrients can be a concern, they are generally not a health risk for dogs with a balanced diet, and many can be reduced or eliminated through cooking and other preparation methods such as grinding.

For me personally, the jury is out on this one. Pre-soaking might remove phytates and tannins, but what other nutrients are lost in the water you pour away after pre-soaking your dog’s nuts and seeds?

Grinding nuts and seeds is essential in order to make their nutrients more bioavailable to your dog. I’ll leave you decide whether or not to pre-soak nuts and seeds before grinding them.

Fruit (1%)
Fruit is an important part of the puppy BARF diet. Fruit provides phytonutrients and antixodiants not found in other foods. Because of concern about the sugar in fruit, many people argue for only including a limited amount in your puppy’s BARF diet. I have erred on the side of caution and suggested 1%, but I personally don’t stick to that ‘rule’.

According to research in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, during times when animal proteins are limited, blueberries can become a significant, or even primary component of a wolf’s diet, making up as much as 83% of their weekly intake. This berry consumption, which is also an important food source for wolf pups, is particularly prevalent when other food sources such as deer fawns and beavers become scarce. This highlights wolves’ adaptability and opportunistic feeding habits.

So while I have listed fruit as being 1% of your pup’s BARF diet, it would not be uncommon for fruit to comprise in the region of 5% of my own dogs’ diets, particularly as I endeavour to feed my dogs seasonally.

Other additions
Other beneficial additions to your puppy’s BARF diet can include eggs, dairy products, kelp, mushrooms, healthy oils, herbs and spices.

Adding wholefoods to a BARF puppy diet ensures that the diet is nutritionally complete and balanced by providing essential vitamins, minerals and fibre often missing in a diet purely comprising raw meat and bone. These whole foods—including fruits, vegetables and organs offer phytonutrients, antioxidants and beneficial fibre that support gut health, reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve overall vitality, functioning at a cellular level for a dog’s well-being.

Preparation of the BARF diet for puppies

When preparing your puppy’s BARF diet, the vegetables will need to be puréed or lightly cooked by boiling, steaming or baking in order to make their nutrients bioavailable. (Dogs have difficulty breaking down the cellulose in raw vegetables).

The tops of many vegetables are the most nutritious. You can happily cook and feed your pup turnip greens, parsnip greens, beetroot greens, celery greens and carrot tops. All these are more nutritious that the parts of the plants we humans choose to eat. Don’t waste these.

Similarly, don’t waste broccoli and cauliflower stems. They too are highly nutritious. Chop them up and cook or blend them with the rest of your pup’s vegetables.

The above percentages are for guidance only. Always adjust your puppy’s BARF diet to suit its individual needs and your own circumstances.

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