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The word BARF also responds to the acronym:
Biologically Appropriate Raw Food
.
In short, a new trend that proposes that
dogs
eat a
diet
based mainly on
raw foods
.
In recent years it has gained popularity due to the multiple benefits that are proposed about them, mainly through social networks.
Now that we statistically
have more dogs than children under 14 years of age in our homes
, what implications could this new trend have not only for dogs, but for humans?
X-ray of the BARF diet: what does it consist of?
The protagonists in this eating pattern are foods such as meat, organ meats and bones that have not been cooked.
The final composition of the diet ends up being higher in fat and lower in carbohydrates, although it will depend on the type of raw food included (logically it is not the same to include sirloin or "liver").
What are the benefits of the BARF diet?
According to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA)
there is no evidence that raw meat-based diets provide
health benefits compared to balanced homemade or commercial cooked diets.
On the contrary, this association (which collects scientific evidence on this and many other issues)
does warn that the BARF diet has some drawbacks
.
What are the negative points of the BARF diet?
Different studies show that raw meat can be a health risk, not only for dogs but also for their caregivers and by extension for the entire population.
Because?
1. Bacterial contamination:
Raw meat can be the perfect home for many bacteria, including the "bad guys" such as
E. coli, Salmonella spp, Yersinia, Campylobacter spp, Listeria monocytogenes, Mycobacterium bovis
.
An infection from these friends can be serious and even fatal for both dogs and their handlers.
Important!
There are people who are more susceptible to becoming infected by handling pet food or feces (even if they are not active caregivers, simply living in the same house since these animals can carry and spread pathogenic bacteria).
2. Parasite contamination:
Parasites have been found in raw foods and the bad news is that some of these protagonists (for example,
Toxoplasma
) can also infect humans.
This is something that should be especially taken into account in pregnant women as they are at greater risk.
3. Antimicrobial resistance:
Some of these bacteria may be resistant to antibiotics and what is worrying is that studies have been carried out where an association is observed between raw feeding and the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in dogs' feces.
We already know that
by 2050 more deaths are expected from antimicrobial resistance
than from cancer, so addressing this problem should be a priority from all angles.
Given these three problems, which can pose a risk to public health, many promoters of this diet argue that
raw meat is safe since it has followed certain controls and is also previously frozen
.
This statement is not correct in terms of food safety: it is important to clarify that although it is
meat suitable for human consumption,
certain pathogenic bacteria may be present and that freezing does not kill them.
In fact, freezing meat is like giving the
pathogens a frying pan to make them stay still, as if they were "asleep"
, but when they return to normal temperature, they come back to life just as hot.
Besides the "cons" for humans, can there be "cons" for dogs?
The scientific reviews focus on several critical points.
Regarding
offering bones to pets
, this could cause
broken teeth, intestinal or esophageal obstruction, and constipation
.
Nor have any benefits been found from feeding bones or in the reduction of bacterial plaque or tooth loss.
On the other hand, especially in
puppies
, it can lead to a certain
nutritional imbalance that leads to skeletal disorders
.
Additionally, although many pets can tolerate high-fat, low-fiber diets (raw, but also cooked) well, there are others in which gastrointestinal problems will appear, such as diarrhea or even pancreatitis.
Barf diet, yes or no?
Although evolutionary theories may be very convincing (the well-known argument: the dog comes from the wolf and the wolf ate raw meat), the truth is that about
15,000 years ago the dog began to approach homes
.
It went from being a wild animal to a domestic animal and this meant that it began to eat the remains or leftovers of its caretakers.
Leftovers and leftovers that were already cooked,
that is, thousands of years ago
dogs adapted to eating food that was not raw
.
Given that science has not found benefits but has found potential public health problems for humans, both due to the
antimicrobial resistance found and the presence of bacteria and parasites
, the recommendation from organizations such as the aforementioned WSAVA or the FEDIAF (European Federation of Pet Food) is
to avoid this type of diet
.