When feeding with raw food, it is essential to ensure that your dog has a properly balanced meal plan. Unlike kibble, with BARF you don’t have everything in one bag. You need to research what each food contains and how much of each to put in your dog's bowl. Nevertheless, feeding natural food is the best thing you can give your dog, so it’s worth learning how to properly create a BARF meal plan.
Read these tips that will help you put together a meal plan.
Meat and Bones
Since dogs are predominantly carnivores, the basis of their diet should be meat and also bones. About 50 - 60% of a dog's meal should be meat and 20 - 30% should be bones. Different types of meat contain different amounts of proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, etc. Besides muscle meat, dogs also need to be given offal. Bones, on the other hand, are the main source of calcium and other minerals. Their chewing helps dogs exercise their jaw muscles and clean their teeth.
Tip: It’s important for your dog’s meal plan to be varied. It’s good to rotate different types of meat and include not only the usual chicken or beef but also game, fish, rabbit, and lamb.
Side Dishes
Vegetables and fruits are beneficial not only for people but also for dogs. However, to make them more digestible, it is necessary to grate, blend, or cook them for a short time. Apart from vegetables and fruits, you can also give your dog rice, pasta, boiled potatoes, oats, or buckwheat flakes, etc. Although it’s not essential, it can be beneficial for some dogs. For example, for dogs that need to gain weight, pasta is a great side dish.
Dogs that refuse side dishes should at least occasionally be given unwashed tripe. It contains partially digested plant residues, which are very digestible and beneficial for dogs. Of course, you can also give tripe to a dog that normally eats side dishes.
The side dish should make up approximately 20 - 30% of the meal.
Tip: Be careful about foods that could harm your dog. You can read about them in this article.
Supplements
You can enrich your pet's diet with various supplements. Plant and animal oils have positive effects on the skin and coat. They also help dogs absorb fat-soluble vitamins from their diet. Marine and freshwater algae are rich in minerals, have antioxidant effects, and support the immune system. Joint supplements are useful for older dogs with joint issues or as a preventive measure for growing puppies.
Tip: Herbs are also great dietary supplements. You can give your dog nettle, chamomile, parsley, basil, oregano, rose hips, etc.
What Else Can You Put in Your Dog’s Bowl?
You now know what forms the basis of a dog’s diet. But if you want to treat your furry friend, you can occasionally add unsweetened dairy products to their meals. It is also beneficial to add an egg, nuts, or seeds to the meal from time to time. The main thing is that your dog enjoys the food and thrives on it.
You can learn more about feeding with raw food in other articles on our blog.
