Most of us know the benefits to ourselves of eating raw fruits and vegetables.  A Live Food Diet focuses on Raw Meaty Bones and Raw Foods similar to what a dog would eat in the wild.

What's so magical about BARF? Simple! For any machine to work properly it must be supplied with the manufacturers recommended fuel, lubricants, and spare parts. Anything less will cause that machine to malfunction. Our pets bodies work on the same principle. A biologically appropriate raw diet is the only diet that will maximize health and longevity.

Lean Body Mass
By feeding a BARF diet, your pet will lose unwanted fat and gain that much desired increase in muscle mass. This not only makes your pet look better, it increases your pets metabolic rate, its activity levels and its healthy life-span. The effect will be more rapid if you combine a BARF diet with some normal exercise.

RAW FEEDING FAQ Jane Johnson The raw diet, like life, has many different successful routes. I have tried to detail some of the basic questions that you may have which will hopefully get you onto the raw diet track. People have different ideas about the raw diet and my suggestion if you become confused, is NOT to go back to commercial foods, but start thinking about what is best for your dog (or cat). Start with the basics - raw chicken bones - carcasses, wings, necks. For the majority of raw feeders - that is the base of the majority of their dogs meals. However, if chicken is not available readily, use what is available locally - raw meaty - lamb, beef, venison, duck, rabbit, kangaroo, pig, raw whole fish. You get the picture. Please note: Dogs do not have the digestive system to cope with grains. Grains are one of the biggest sources of allergies in dogs. Grains make up the majority of dog food company food sources. Many people find when they switch to an all natural diet, the allergies their dogs had disappear. This is common. Not only is feeding raw cheaper to feed than commercial dog foods, but there are enormous savings to be made by not having all those vet visits to fix your dogs' allergies. Are you asking yourself yet, "why hasn't my vet recommended this?" Yes, I would ask that of them too. Unfortunately most vets receive NO education at university on dog diet other than what the commercial dog food company reps tell them! (yes, this is the education they PAY to get - unbelievable. Luckily, some universities are realizing this mistake and are making amends). Why Should I feed a raw diet? A raw diet provides a range of benefits that commercial dog diets can never hope to even closely match. These benefits include: 1.  No doggy odour 2.  Naturally cleans teeth - no need for toothbrushes, de-scaling jobs, or gum disease 3.  The time it takes for a dog to chew a raw meaty bones give their stomach adequate time to get the acids moving 4.  Much less stools produced - and they are firm, and turn chalky after a couple of days 5.  Decreased or non-existant vet bills (your dogs are healthier!) 6.  Less cost for dog food - commercial dog foods are ludicriously expensive 7.  Mirrors what a dog would be getting in the wild - and certainly even the modern day dog has a digestive tract exactly the same as a wolf 8.  Puppies develop at a more appropriate rate - and quick growth spurts are avoided. A GOOD breeder will want to stop fast growth in any pup. 9.  The ripping and chewing involved in eating raw meaty bones develops the jaw, neck, and shoulder muscles of the dog. Commercial dog foods will never assist in this important muscle development. But aren't chicken bones dangerous?!!! This is one of the biggest myths of all time! Raw chicken bones are fantastic for your dog. They are soft enough so that they bend easily, and break well for the dog to digest. On the other hand, cooked chicken bones can be a problem, and I recommend that you DON'T feed COOKED chicken bones. So could a raw chicken bone kill a dog? Well I guess that anything is possible. Certainly scientifically you can't prove a negative argument. However what we do know is that dogs have died from inhaling kibble the wrong way and choking and suffocating to death. Feeding your dog is about management of risk. No matter which path you decide to take there is always risk. There is always someone who will criticise your decision. However you, and only you can decide what is best for your dogs. Weigh up all the benefits and risks. Do your own analysis. Do your research. Do what will have the greatest overall benefit for your dog. But what about bacteria on raw chicken? So many good questions! Ok, there is bacteria everywhere. Dogs have an amazing immunity system specifically designed to eat all manner of bacteria. And a healthy raw fed fed dog manages those bacteria without a problem. E-coli, salmonella, etc are found on raw chicken, but those nasties are also found in your fridge, in your sink, on your floor, in your backyard, in your car, on the footpath, down at the park, and perhaps in your bed! Interestingly, the only cases I have heard of dogs dying from e-coli or salmonella, were dogs fed commercial dog foods. The most important thing is to wash your hands thoroughly after feeding your dogs, and even after cutting up meat for your own meals. Our digestive systems are not quite as robust as our dogs, so we must protect ourselves. I use a spray bottle containg white or Apple Cider vinegar which I spray about when I need some disinfecting. I have been feeding my animals a raw for several years, and have yet to have a problem with bacterial infections with my dogs. They are so darn healthy, they are never at the vets! Well, except for when I got them micro-chipped. But my vet doesn't think that feeding raw is any good Then your vet needs some serious re-educating! Keep in mind that vets are told very little about dog diet at university. In fact, in some universities, reps from the dog food companies, come and do presentations on dog diet, as part of the curriculum. Many vets get their education on dog diet by dog food reps. And many vets make a lot of money by retailing dog foods. If you have a vet that doesn't want to be re-educated, or will not discuss options, then that is a very sad state of affairs. Here's hoping you can find a better vet. Given this age of the internet, there is absolutely no excuse for vets not to be educated on all feeding options. And there are plenty of vets on the internet who would gladly converse with other vets about feeding raw. You found this page, why can't they?!! That being said, there are plenty of vets out there now who realise that there are significantly better alternatives to commercial dog food. Many vets who have changed their ways are very sorry that they did not "see the light" much earlier. Grains?? PLEASE NOTE: I NEVER EVER FEED MY DOGS GRAINS - THIS MEANS, NO OATS, RICE, WHEAT, BREAD, CORN, ETC. Dogs do not have the digestive system to cope with grains. Most commercial dog foods contain more than 50% grains (yes, this includes all those fancy expensive ones too! ) Grains are one of the biggest sources of allergies in dogs. My dogs have a diet that is high in protein, and low in carbohydrates - like nature intended. Remember, this information is intended just to get you started educating yourself. When changing your pet’s dietary routine, please do as much research as you can so that all your choices are informed! If your pet has any medical conditions, be sure to discuss dietary changes with your veterinarian. One thing I believe for sure, our pets desperately need alternatives to toxic commercial pet foods. Whole, live, raw food may be part of the solution for many pet owners! Remember, raw food for pets is controversial among some vets and professionals, so do your homework and decide for yourself. Too many pet owners jump into raw food without properly educating themselves. It is easy to make mistakes and reduce the health of your pet! Nutrition is not intuitive - it is a science. Animals have different nutritional needs than people. Complete nutrition for an animal takes a lot more work to provide than simply opening a can or a bag. Raw products can vary greatly in quality and nutritional density depending on their source (organic sources are usually best). Please, If you don’t have the time to learn how to do it properly, please consider just changing your pet’s diet to fresh, home-cooked meals or organic prepared foods instead of toxic commercial foods. That alone will make a huge difference for your pet’s health and happiness. How do I learn more? There are several good books you can purchase.  Check out our Bookstore, we have several great ones available Also, I highly recommend you start surfing the internet. Here are a few recommended links Raw Food For Life BARF FAQ Raw Learning BARF For Beginners There are several good sites in the raw food web ring that will detail all you wanted to know and more about the diet. The webring is for people who only feed 100% raw food, and if you do, then you are encouraged to join the ring.  There are many Dog or Pet Forums on the web that feature topics on raw feeding. You can post questions and get in on discussions on raw feeding. The ones listed here have live chats available as well. :-) The Whole Dog Forum Co-OpWorld Dog Fourm There are also email groups/lists for people who are interesed in or already feed a Raw/BARF diet. Yahoo groups BARF-Modified List of BARF Yahoo Email groups There are even groups for specific breeds of dogs and BARF diets! Boston Terriers Brachy Breeds And the list goes on..... This site is a member of WebRing. To browse visit Here.