Dogs need meat and should get as much as possible of it every day, while other foods are insignificant. This is the mindset of many dog owners who decide to feed their dog the BARF diet.
In the following, we will explain why this can seriously harm dogs and how much meat your four-legged friend actually needs.
The argument that owners usually use as a justification for a diet consisting almost exclusively of meat is the fact that dogs have descended from wolves and therefore have to be fed in exactly the same way as them.
In fact, it is a huge mistake to rely almost exclusively on raw meat when feeding dogs, because an adequate supply of nutrients cannot be guaranteed in this way.
It is true that dogs have descended from wolves. However, their digestive tract has evolved over time. Furthermore, wolves never ate just meat. Instead, they have always consumed the entire prey animal.
Their diet therefore consists not only of the muscle, but also of the tendons, innards and the stomach contents of their mostly herbivorous prey.
When taking a closer look it should quickly become clear that dogs are not pure (or “obligate”) carnivores either and that their diet must at least to a certain extent consist of plant-based food.
The four-legged friends are therefore also referred to as semi- or facultative carnivores. This means that although their digestive system is primarily designed to metabolise animal fats and proteins, they also need a certain amount of plant-based food.
This is exactly the reason why Bellfor dog food contains other ingredients, such as potatoes and vegetables, in addition to meat or fish. Of course, this should also apply to the meals you prepare yourself in case you feed your dog the BARF diet.
How much food or how much meat a dog needs per day cannot be said in general, because the energy and protein requirements are influenced by various factors. In addition to the age, the weight and level of physical activity of the animal also play a role.
Puppies for example need more energy and protein than adult dogs in relation to their body weight. Their food must therefore contain a little more meat. The situation is similar with physically active sport or service dogs, which also have an increased nutritional requirement compared to pure companion dogs.
However, it is safe to say that on average a dog's diet should consist of 50 to 70 percent meat.
In principle the choice of meat that can end up in your dog's food bowl is very wide. The most common types of meat in dog food are beef and chicken. In addition, meat from lamb, rabbit or game is also suitable for dogs.
However, dogs should not be fed wild boar, as there is at least a small risk that they will be infected with the Aujeszky virus.
With dog food from Bellfor, you can of course rely on the fact that it always contains a proportion of meat that is appropriate for your dog's needs. In our range you will find grain-free dry and wet food, gluten-free dry food, puppy food or dog food with extra meat.
You can therefore choose the food that your four-legged friend likes best and that ideally suits his or her individual needs.
We use chicken, lamb and wild rabbits as well as various types of fish for our dog food. On the other hand, we deliberately refrain from beef, because even though it is suitable for dogs, it has a comparatively high allergy potential and is therefore often responsible for the development of food allergies.
More and more people attach great importance to sustainability and choose to forego meat or even all animal products in their own diet. Many owners want to do the same with their dog and are therefore looking for suitable alternatives.
Even though going meat-free is good for the environment, vegan dog food is not a good choice in this context. The protein contained in such food can often not be optimally metabolised by the dogs, which can lead to considerable problems in the long run.
However, this does not mean that appropriate dog nutrition without meat is not possible. All that is needed is an environmentally friendly source of protein that dogs can digest well.
Suitable alternatives for a meat-free diet for dogs basically just have to contain a source of protein that is at least equal to conventional meat in terms of quality and wholesomeness.
This is exactly the case with the larvae of Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly), which we use for our insect-based dog food. The insect protein has a particularly high biological value and a complex amino acid profile. It can be metabolised excellently by dogs and is also very easy to digest. An appropriate protein supply is therefore guaranteed even with a permanent switch.
At the same time, the production of insect protein is much more environmentally friendly than conventional meat production. Our insect-based varieties are therefore the ideal alternative for environmentally conscious owners who do not want to compromise on the quality of dog food.
Get to know Bellfor dog food with insects.
As you can see, there are still a lot of misunderstandings around the subject of meat for dogs. While some owners believe that they can only feed their dog healthily by giving exclusively meat, others rely on the exact opposite and feed their four-legged friend only with vegan food.
Either of these is not a good idea for your dog's health. As so-called facultative carnivores, the four-legged friends are dependent on a sufficient amount of animal proteins and fats as well as a certain amount of plant-based food.
You can offer your four-legged friend a balanced diet in a particularly convenient and reliable way by choosing high-quality ready-made food, such as the varieties in the Bellfor range.
However, if you prefer home-prepared meals with fresh meat for your dog, we strongly recommend that you study the subject in detail, buy only high-quality BARF ingredients and pay close attention to the appropriate composition of your four-legged friend's meals. The BARF diet can otherwise quickly lead to serious health problems, especially in puppies, and improper feeding of raw meat also poses a considerable risk for adult dogs.
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