What is a BARF diet for dogs?
A dog BARF diet consists of meat, offal, bones, various vegetables and fruits. At Nutriment, all our BARF food is natural, uncooked, easily digestible and packed with protein, vitamins, minerals as well as other essential nutrients. This mirrors their feeding behavior in the 'wild' and therefore supports what their bodily functions and systems were naturally designed to eat. A balanced BARF diet provides many health benefits, and you can consider this diet regardless of your dog's breed or age.
What is a BARF diet for cats?
Similar to a dog BARF diet, cat BARF diets only contains natural ingredients they would consume in the wild. At Nutriment, our Cat complete recipes contain meat, offal and bone, plus we have added a special superfood mix to our cat recipes for additional health benefits.
Muscle Meat
Packed with high-quality raw protein and many other essential nutrients. Raw meat, such as beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, duck, salmon and rabbit meat, should be the main constituent of any BARF diet.
Organ Meat
The essential nutrition available in organ meats, including kidney and liver, is a key part of a BARF diet for both cats and dogs. Combined with other high-quality raw meat, organ meat supports optimal nutrition with the addition of vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
Fruits & Vegetables
These are the types of foods that would be consumed secondarily from the prey's stomach or foraging. They provide a wealth of vitamins, fibre and nutrients which support your dog’s overall health. Our cat recipes do not include fruits or vegetables.
Superfoods
Superfoods, such as spirulina and bilberry powder, are rich in antioxidants and help to support dogs' and cats' overall health.
Bones
Raw bones should form around 10% of the overall BARF diet and contain a good source of calcium. Bones are also the perfect natural treat to complement raw food diets. Providing mental stimulation and supporting oral health, raw bones and other raw treats are ideal for dogs and cats on a raw food diet.
Health Benefits
One of the main reasons you should choose a BARF diet is because of the health benefits and support it gives for your dog or cat.
Some of these benefits include:
- Better digestion
- Supports joint health
- Improved skin and coat
- Helps oral hygiene
- Improved energy levels
- Reduced waste
- Supports allergy management
Taste & Variety
BARF diets can provide a healthy variety for your pets. Imagine eating the same kibble for all meals, day after day. It can get quite repetitive and can cause disinterest in food. Raw diets enable you to give your dog or cat tasty, fun and exciting eating experiences that can contribute to his or her positive mental health and happiness.
Convenience
This diet is highly convenient, making it ideal for all owners. From the moment you first explore our BARF products, to your first order and delivery, right through to you storing, defrosting and serving your pup or cat's first meal, you will discover healthy, nutritious and convenient food that your dog or cat will love eating. And you do not have to add anything to our raw diet as the food is complete.
How old does my dog or cat have to be to be fed a BARF diet?
Raw food is for every dog and cat, no matter their age or breed. For kittens and puppies, their diets can be raw from day one. Mothers on a raw diet will provide high-quality nutrition through their milk, and then specialist raw weaning pastes can begin the kittens’ and puppies’ own raw journey at around 3 weeks.
Nutriment’s formulations provide the exact nutrition, energy and goodness that each cat and dog needs at different ages, whether they are just starting out or in their older years.
How much raw food is right?
Each dog and cat is different, and their nutrition needs to be adjusted accordingly. Their size, age, existing medical conditions and activity levels all have an impact on their BARF diet requirements. Not only can you speak directly to a nutritional advisor here at Nutriment, but you can use our raw pet food calculator to determine just how much raw food your dog or cat needs.
