Find here some of the most common beliefs about this diet

The BARF diet (Biologically Appropiate Raw Food) has gained popularity among dog and cat owners in recent years. It basically consists of replacing the concentrate or croquettes with raw foods such as meat, bones, and vegetables.

Leer en español: Alimenta bien a tu mascota: los mitos y realidades de la dieta BARF

Although each person is free to feed their pet as they wish, there are many negative myths about the impacts that the BARF diet can have on pet’s health:

1. MYTH: Eating raw meat makes the animal aggressive

REALITY: According to Veronica Vicent, certified in Dietetics and Veterinary Nutrition, there is no study that shows that feeding dogs or cats with a raw diet can make them more aggressive than those feed with commercial croquettes.

The behavior of the animal has much more to do with education and genetics than with the diet that it carries. Even, according to Pets and Vets, a 100% natural diet can improve the dog's sense of smell, eliminate food allergies, and prevent the cancer that croquette preservatives sometimes cause.

2. MYTH: Meat from raw diets contains parasites and bacteria negative for the animal

FACT: a good BARF diet must be approved by sanitary controls and each ingredient on it must be sterilized and disinfected. In addition, the natural stomach pH of dogs and cats is 1-2; that is, it has such an elevated acidification that it kills many of those pathogens that would affect us as humans. On the contrary, commercial croquettes alkalize this stomach pH and make them less resistant to multiple diseases.

3. MYTH: Food should never be eaten raw

REALITY: generally, animals had better assimilated raw food. Raw foods contain enzymes that favor the immune system, while processed foods lose their nutritional properties.

Also read: Tips for traveling with your pet: everything you need to know

However, it is important to take IGNORE INTO account the needs and tastes of your pet. There are animals that cannot tolerate, either by pathologies or by taste, raw foods. Therefore, before changing their diet, you should ask an expert.

4. MYTH: With this type of diets your pet will lose its hair or suffer from scabies

REALITY: Animal fat, such as omega 3, 6 and 9 found in meat, contributes naturally to your pet having a shiny and hydrated hair. If your pet's coat falls off, you should go to the veterinarian to find the real cause of the problem.

5. MYTH: Excess of protein is bad and it will cause kidney failure

REALITY: it is important to understand that meat is not equal to protein and that a natural diet BARF contains the perfect amount of protein that your pet needs. In addition, the organism of animals is designed to consume a high level of protein and reserve it, transform it IGNORE INTO other nutrients or eliminate it.

Before making any decision, consult your veterinarian about the best way to feed your pet according to your needs and find out about the best BARF diets in the market.

LatinAmerican Post | Luisa Fernanda Báez
Translated from “Alimenta bien a tu mascota: los Mitos y realidades de la dieta BARF”