B.A.R.F. stands for ‘bones and raw food’ and denotes a feeding regimen based on the dietary habits of the wolf and feral cats with the aim to mimic the composition of natural prey as much as possible. All components are fed raw. Cereals are not considered a classical component of B.A.R.F. rations as they are found only in small amounts in the gastrointestinal tract of prey and, like other starch-based feed materials, are only digestible after cooking. Main components are raw meat, offal and bones supplemented with oils, fats, fruits and vegetables. Although this allows the pet owner to provide a varied diet adapted to the pet’s preference, care has to be taken in several aspects such as nutritional imbalance and hygiene for both pet and owner when handling raw meat<ref name="Nilsson">Nilsson, O. (2015) '''Hygiene quality and presence of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in raw food diets for dogs'''. Infect Ecol Epidemiol 5:28758.</ref>. | B.A.R.F. stands for ‘bones and raw food’ and denotes a feeding regimen based on the dietary habits of the wolf and feral cats with the aim to mimic the composition of natural prey as much as possible. All components are fed raw. Cereals are not considered a classical component of B.A.R.F. rations as they are found only in small amounts in the gastrointestinal tract of prey and, like other starch-based feed materials, are only digestible after cooking. Main components are raw meat, offal and bones supplemented with oils, fats, fruits and vegetables. Although this allows the pet owner to provide a varied diet adapted to the pet’s preference, care has to be taken in several aspects such as nutritional imbalance and hygiene for both pet and owner when handling raw meat<ref name="Nilsson">Nilsson, O. (2015) '''Hygiene quality and presence of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in raw food diets for dogs'''. Infect Ecol Epidemiol 5:28758.</ref>. |