S.A.R.F. stands for Species Appropriate Raw Food. The Canid species (the dog) is
a carnivore by nature and design so they are going to thrive on a natural, raw meat
and bone diet such as they would eat in the wild.
The diet I will lay out here, differs from the diet you often hear referred to as
the BARF or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food diet, in several important ways. Those
who feed a BARF diet falsely assume that dogs are omnivores. Dogs do not need (nor
where they designed to even be able to properly digest) vegetables and fruits, and
neither do they need a lot of supplements. These are not species appropriate and
are simply "safety nets" to make owners feel better about feeding raw.
Another difference is that BARFers advocate feeding 50% bone--this is way too much
bone! Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation tells us that the bones and skin
of an animal compose no more than 25% of the animal's weight (pg126). In the larger
herbivores a wolf brings down, not all of the bones are consumable, which means
the percentage of bone a wolf actually receives is less than 25%.
BARF diet advocates claim to be correct in an evolutionary context, but evolution
and nature clearly demonstrate that wolves are carnivorous animals and that no prey
animal that wolves eat is 50% bone and X% veggies (since wolves don't eat stomach
contents as they have been studied and found they shake the stomach and intestines
out before eating). A species appropriate raw diet will model the prey killed by
wolves in the wild, recreating this complete and sufficient diet for our dogs.
So take the money you would spend on supplements and veggies and buy some whole
rabbits or chicken for your dog and if you have small dogs, simply cut it into appropriate
meal sized portions. You'll save a lot of time, too. But if you have your heart
set on feeding veggies, then feed veggies. Just recognize that your dog has no use
for them. If you want to feed veggies and fruits (many dogs and wild canids enjoy
the occasional piece of fruit) as occasional treats, then by all means do so, especially
if they are useful training treats. The occasional fruit or vegetable isn't going
to hurt your dog or throw off its feeding routine.
Over the years that I've been feeding a S.A.R.F. diet I've become convinced that
there is no genuine nutritional need for vegetables in the domestic canine diet,
especially since you will never see a wild dog out digging up carrots or stealing
broccoli or squash from the local Farmers Market. The other prominent difference
between BARF and SARF (Species Appropriate Raw Food) is that the SARF diet does
not alternate between raw meaty bone meals and meals consisting of ground, lean
meat (without bones and skin). All meals are based on RMBs.
Now, all this is not to say that the BARF diet is bad, only that we are going to
feed what is natural for our dogs in the wild. The true species appropriate raw
food (SARF) diet is, I believe, more nutritionally sound for domestic dogs. It is
essential, if we expect our dogs to thrive, that we feed them some form of raw,
whole food diet.
Achieving a species appropriate nutrition for our Boston Terriers, or any dog for
that matter, is so very easy. First and perhaps foremost, all ingredients must be
fed raw. No species of canine ever cooked its food. That doesn’t mean that, in most
cases, they can never have table scraps or treats that have been cooked, only that
the bulk of the diet must be raw and is much more nutrient dense when fed in its
raw form. See the article
Cooked vs. Raw for more information on what happens when we
cook foods.
The great majority of the diet (90 to 99%) should consist of RAW meat and bones.
Of that, about
10% should be raw organ meat. In the case of the RMBs (Raw
Meaty Bones), I aim for a meat to bone ratio of no more than about 75% meat to 25%
bone. While any of these may be fed either whole or ground, optimally, unless there
is some special need, we always prefer feeding all RMBs and other meat whole or
in meal sized pieces. There are a number of reasons for this.
1- It is simply more natural.
2- It provides much greater exercise for the jaws, legs, neck, and the entire body.
3- It promotes better tooth and gum health.
The only vegetable matter we ever include in this diet is only the occasional (once
a month or two) pulverized,
sprouted clover and/or other sprouts and dark
leafy greens. This constitutes no more than about 1% of the total dietary intake
and is never fed daily. There are a few other ingredients, raw eggs with the shell
for example and some supplements once or twice throughout the month, but raw meaty
bones and meat form the bulk of the diet.
Something to remember when feeding this or any raw food diet is that variety is
important. Don't fall into the trap of feeding only chicken, say, with only an occasional
meal of some other meat.
It really is just very simple! If you feed your dog nothing but the above s/he will
be far better nourished than s/he would be on a diet of even the best kibble. All
our Bostons are fed this diet from weaning on. They are fed no grains or dairy products.
Adequate Nutrition vs. Proper Nutrition
Please note, adequate nutrition should not be mistaken for proper nutrition. A commercial
"dog food" can be analyzed by a chemist and assessed as having adequate nutrition
for health maintenance and growth and still not maintain dogs fed on this diet in
optimum health. Why? Two reasons really; one is that dog food companies are not
concerned with the actual food in the product they make, rather it is the laboratory
nutritional analysis which matters. The second is bioavailability.
If the nutritional elements in the food are not from sources which are bioavailable
to the dog, (foods the dog can readily digest and assimilate) even though they are
technically present in the food in what are assessed to be adequate amounts, dogs
being fed this food will not thrive.
One prime example of the importance of bioavailability can be found in soybeans.
Soybeans are very high in protein. However that protein is largely not bioavailable
to dogs. Dogs have the short digestive tract typical of carnivores. This digestive
system makes them unable to digest soy with any degree of efficiency. Therefore,
even though the protein is there in sufficiently large quantities to technically
meet the dog's needs, it is unavailable to the dog.
All of the above is also true of all grains, although most grains are not nearly
so high in protein. Dogs don't digest grains any better than they do soy. In addition,
the proteins contained in these items are not complete proteins for the nutritional
requirements of the dog.
The proper digestion of grains requires three things which dogs do
not have:
an enzyme called amylase in the saliva which starts a predigestion process; true
molars for grinding; and the long digestive tract required to fully digest grains.
These things are all common to you and me, but they are definitely not part of our
dogs’ physiology.
Therefore nutrients contained in grains, simply are
not bioavailable to dogs.
Even though a dog may appear from all outward appearances (particularly to the untrained
eye) to be quite healthy, if the dog isn't being fed a proper (species appropriate)
diet, many of the dog's systems will not be functioning at optimal levels. Evidence
for this lies in the fact that dogs fed on the "convenience" diet of processed dog
food, they will need far more medical intervention and "artificial" protection (antibiotics,
vaccines, and the like) from everyday pathogens than the dog fed a true Species
Appropriate Raw Food diet.
The most complete, most bioavailable source of nutrition for dogs is Raw Meaty
Bones.
The situation with minerals is very similar to that of protein. Some forms of dietary
minerals are quite different from others, making them more or less bioavailable.
The very best way for dogs to get the needed minerals is as natural components of
a species appropriate diet. This is true for several reasons.
1. The natural minerals contained in raw whole foods are overall more bioavailable
than those which are added to the food in the form of supplements.
2. The minerals occurring naturally in these whole raw foods are more likely to
be in proper balance, especially if the meat was raised organically. This is due
to the fact that these are the foods which are natural to the dog (species appropriate).
This is what dogs have been eating and upon which they have thrived for thousands
upon thousands of years.
3.The minerals added to commercial "dog food" are artificial/synthetic substances
created in a laboratory that are sprayed onto the finished kibble product (anything
that may have been in the meat used is long since dead due the cooking at such an
intense heat). There are also many problems with these artificial minerals not the
least of which is the fact that they are not as easily eliminated from the body.
They may, therefore, accumulate in the body causing a serious excess and/or imbalance
over time.
At best, a human formulated canine diet is an attempt to simulate the nutritional
makeup of those foods which the dog would naturally eat. At worst it is a convenience
product with most of its nutrition coming from artificial additives. A product created
to make a profit, not to make a more nutritious diet for our dogs. The only argument
that can be made for commercial processed "dog food" is CONVENIENCE. It is undeniably
more convenient to throw a scoop of kibble in a bowl than it is to prepare a whole
raw food diet. But do we really want to put convenience above nutrition?
Balance
The proper balance of nutrients is important. A dog can be getting all of the basic
dietary necessities but getting way too much of some and not enough of others. Calcium
and phosphorus, for example, should be present in approximately equal amounts (anywhere
from 1-1 to 2-1 calcium to phosphorus is acceptable) if the dog is to be able use
the calcium present. The dog can also be getting sufficient amounts of the basic
necessities in the right balance but way too much of certain components which dogs
do not need in any abundance in their diet. Things like carbohydrates for example.
This is invariably true of processed kibble.
So, not only must certain things be present in adequate supply, they must be of
the right kind and in the proper proportion to all the other components, and ideally
they should not be cluttered with things the dog doesn't need.
A "Balanced" diet is nothing but an insufficient human term, a vague concept that
pet food companies employ to make people buy the foods for their pets. When feeding
your pet carnivores, always remember the concept of "carcass".
You can logically ask: 'What is balance, anyway?' Balanced vitamins and minerals,
carbohydrates, fats, and proteins? Can we ever conclusively know what balance is?
How? No, this concept of balance is a myth. We hypothesize, guess, and draw up faulty
food pyramids in attempts to define 'balanced' diets, yet as a society we are still
plagued with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and 'rare' bowel diseases like Crohn's
disease that are becoming more commonplace (oddly enough, vets are seeing the same
things occurring in our canine and feline counterparts). The food pyramid is always
being revamped it appears. How many of you have bought pet food in years past that
stated it was 100% complete and balanced? Only to buy the same food a year or so
later to see it say "New or Improved"?
The concept of balance in our pet foods is one that needs be addressed. This idea
is one that was designed and continues to be perpetuated by the pet food companies:
"Dogs need complete and balanced nutrition in every meal." This is nothing but propaganda
designed to make people buy into commercial dog food. This is NOT how the canine
body (or any other body for that matter) —operates! Look at your own diet, for example.
Do you eat a complete and balanced meal every time you eat? No, I think not! If
you are health conscious at all, you eat a variety of foods over a period of time,
and yet your body generally does very well and exhibits no signs of nutritional
deficiencies. The same holds true for dogs, they do not need "complete and balanced"
nutrition at every meal. If they did, then any time they did not receive complete
and balanced nutrition their bodies would get out of whack and problems would suddenly
develop. This is not how it works. This is where we need to see the concept of "balance
over time" developing. This is the principle that I believe is adequate to explain
how all living things obtain the proper nutrition. Nutritional needs are met over
a period of time, and balance is achieved through time as the animal eats what it
needs at the time it needs it or whenever it can get it.
Because the dog is a carnivore, achieving balance over time is really very easy
to accomplish. The best way to accomplish this is by feeding a diet made up of whole
RAW food.
Although the wild wolves do eat some very small amount of plant matter in the form
of seeding grasses, berries and tree bark; when prey is scarce, it makes up an insignificant
portion of the diet. There was a time when we fed significantly more vegetable matter
than we do now. The primary reason was to add some dietary fiber. My understanding
now is that by providing a better meat to bone ratio the need for additional fiber
is eliminated.
If you feel compelled to include vegetables in your dogs' diets, be sure you pulverize
or juice them. This way the cell walls are broken down while the nutrients and enzymes
are left somewhat intact. Just remember that carnivores are not designed to require
or digest them.
Myths
We’ve all heard the horror stories about feeding our dogs bones, particularly chicken
bones. "Don’t ever feed your dog chicken bones or you will kill him. Chicken bones
will splinter and puncture your dog’s insides."
This is a partial truth. What truth there is to these stories is based on feeding
cooked and/or old, dry bones from the garbage which indeed can splinter and potentially
injure or even kill a dog. RAW fresh chicken bones, on the other hand, are very
pliable and, unlike the cooked bones, will not splinter when your dog eats them.
There are those who say: "The dog food companies have spent millions of dollars
researching canine nutrition and developing their formulae. Therefore they know
what is best for your dog. Consequently commercial processed dog food is the best
food for your dog, as it is based on all those millions of dollars of research and
development."
The first of those statements is undeniably true. The second of those statements
may very well also be true. The third of those statements, however, is not. The
fact that all that money was spent and all that research was done doesn't necessarily
mean that it led to a superior diet for dogs.
Why? Because what they were and are developing was and is a convenience product,
not a superior diet for domestic dogs. The motive was profit, not improving canine
nutrition. What they were and are selling is convenience not better nutrition. They
may be advertising better nutrition and or palatability but what they are selling
is convenience.
The "dog food" companies have worked hard at, and to a great extent, have succeeded
in, convincing the dog owning public that only they (the "dog food" manufacturers)
can provide proper nutrition for our dogs.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
How is it that we have the intelligence and understanding to feed and nourish ourselves
and our growing children, but are too stupid to formulate a nourishing diet for
our dogs?
The "dog food" industry would have us believe that each meal must be complete and
balanced. This is simply not true.
Granted, complete and balanced nutrition is necessary. However, this balance can
be and ideally should be achieved over a period of days, even weeks. Most natural
canine nutritionists agree that it is probably preferable to use the “balance over
time” approach.
The "dog food" industry also spends millions convincing us that variety is bad for
our dogs, and that they should eat the same thing at every meal, every day.
This too is untrue. The reason for telling us this is so that we will keep buying
their product. Their products are formulated in such a way as to make changing from
one brand to another hard on our dogs' digestive system. However the same is not
true for changing from one kind of meat to another.
Imagine how our health would deteriorate if you ate the same thing, particularly
a highly processed food, for every meal every day of your life. For instance, Some
breakfast cereals tout being 100% complete nutrition and balanced. Would you eat
that cereal every day for the rest of your life? If you did would you be healthy???
When feeding a species appropriate diet, variety is desirable, even important to
the maintenance of optimum health. Feeding raw meaty chicken carcass one day and
raw beef or lamb the next with a few organ meats thrown in every other day or so
will not cause stomach upset the way switching from one brand of kibble to another
will. So obviously it isn’t variety that is bad for our dogs, rather, it is commercial,
processed "dog food".
There are those who would try to convince you that the dog has evolved, or rather
that we have evolved the dog, into some human creation capable of digesting and
thriving on, even requiring, a highly processed (cooked) diet consisting primarily
of grains.
THIS IS ABSURD!
Even if we were to be able to effect such an evolutionary change it would take hundreds
of thousands of years not the very few, 60 to 70, that we've been feeding our dogs
this kind of diet. Even if one uses the entire period of domestication of the dog
it doesn't approach the great period of time required to accomplish that kind of
evolutionary change in an organism as complex as the domestic dog. At best we have
forced our dogs to ADAPT to this inappropriate, un-natural diet.
For all the changes we've made in our domestic dog they remain relatively unchanged
in every way but appearance and temperament.
In spite of the tons of grain, beet pulp, cellulose, animal byproducts, preservatives,
and artificial nutrients that we have poured into our dogs in the form of kibble
"dog food" over the last 60 or so years, dogs, all dogs, even Boston Terriers, remain
carnivores.
The Relationship Between The Wolf And The Domestic Dog
There has been much said recently about the wolf/dog relationship. Geneticists,
for example, have found that the DNA of the domestic dog and that of the wolf are
so identical that they consider them to be one species. As further evidence of the
wolf and the domestic dog being a single species, wolves and domestic dogs can also
interbreed and produce fully fertile offspring, something which is generally not
possible between different species. If it were, we wouldn’t have different species.
By now we would all be members of one species which obviously isn’t the case.
The only part of the wolf/ dog relationship that is pertinent here is that they
have essentially identical digestive systems. They both depend on raw meat and bones
as the mainstay of their diet if they are to be maintained in optimal health.
The evolution of the dog has made it a scavenger carnivore, what I call an opportunistic
carnivore. That is, it can eat and get the needed nutrition from fresh killed prey
or old and decaying meat (carrion). It can and does also get some small, insignificant
amount of nutrition from raw vegetation. The domestic dog's physiology, just as
that of the wolf, depends on these raw foods to maintain optimum health.
To deny this, is to deny a fact of nature.
What About Supplements?
We do not live in a perfect world and it is a well known fact that we can no longer
get all the nutrition we need from our food alone.
I have known of many SARF feeders that eliminate supplements for the most part as
they feel the dog is getting everything it needs from its proper diet. I know of
other raw feeders that tend to over supplement and that can cause problems as well.
I personally believe in a balance. I only supplement my own dogs every now and again.
I believe if you are providing a good varied diet and using organic meats whenever
possible, that you will be providing pretty much what your dog needs - all in a
highly bio-available form. My first preference when looking to a certain vitamin/minerals
will always be to provide it in its natural form first if at all possible. So if
I feel I need to provide more Vitamin B for example, I would consider what foods
contain that vitamin first (e.g. liver) rather than reaching for an artificial supplement.
That said, I certainly believe in and see a benefit in supplementing those things
that our dogs may be missing in the translation from a 'wild' diet to its 'modern'
equivalent. As we don't necessarily feed the whole animal for example (eyes, brains,
stomach and intestines etc. etc. as well) the addition of things like EFA's (e.g.
fish oil) on occasion can be useful. I would include probiotics in this category
too - they are the good bacteria which a dog may otherwise have got from eating
the occasional stomach contents/intestines etc. Fresh green tripe fed once a month
or so is high in good bacteria needed for optimum intestinal health and a strong
immune system.
I personally add a bit of Kelp and/or DE (Diatomaceous Earth) every now and again
for its trace elements. Modern soils have been depleted by over-cropping etc. Most
of America's soil is lacking and pretty much depleted in selenium and Australian
soils in particular are low in iodine. Kelp adds back these trace elements into
the diet.
I also add Vitamins C in the form of Wolf Berries (Goji Berry) and essential plant
oils in a juice called
NingXia Red. Wolfberries contain 500 times more vitamin C by weight than an
orange and are known for their antioxidant properties and their value to optimize
health - particularly in our modern polluted environment. Vitamin C is particularly
good in times of stress and growth of bones and connective tissue in puppies. I
am more likely to include it in a puppy’s diet (until a year of age) or dogs traveling,
whelping, showing, etc. then than at other times.
Now, please realize that while I do include these supplements in my own dog’s diet,
I do not include them every day. I don't believe they are necessary every day except
some in certain circumstances and perhaps only for short periods. Of course
every
dogs and every situation will be different (if I lived in a city I might give
more C and E for example to combat higher pollution). But remember you are now providing
a much more nutritious diet to begin with raw natural foods. They are probably getting
more nutritional value now out of a varied SARF diet without the supplements than
they ever did on kibble.
Antioxidants and Polyscraides
Also called “master molecules” by virtue of their ability to harness the body’s
most important biochemical defense systems, I feel the occasional addition of antioxidants
and polysaccharides are important due to the fact invading free radicals are part
of our pets (and our) environment. Our water, chemical pesticides sold by your veterinarian,
cleaners we use on our floors, The chemical preservatives in processed pet foods,
the very air we breathe, anything that is foreign to the body can, potentially,
become a free radical.
Since the dog's body is constantly bombarded by free radicals it is virtually impossible
for their antioxidant defense system to be consistently at peak performance. To
a great degree, immune activity is aided by antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that act as shields or barriers to prevent the invading
free radicals from doing harm to cells. Antioxidants not only increase the number
of white blood cells it also enhances antibody formation. The only logical solution
is to help the ailing antioxidant defense system through the use of antioxidants.
The Ningxia Wolfberry, (also called Goji berry) is the highest ORAC antioxidant
known.
In an animal study done at a hospital in Beijing in 2002, Wolfberry was found to
stimulate interleukin-2 and gamma interferon, two anti-inflammatory substances important
in supporting a healthy immune system.
The wolfberry also contains over 20 trace minerals such as iron, copper, calcium
and zinc, and are the richest source of carotenoids, including beta–carotene (with
more beta carotene than even carrots), in the world.
Another "supplement" I use on occasion is Apple Cider Vinegar.
Of the 22 minerals essential for health, apple cider vinegar contains 19 of these
in exactly the right amounts. *Some* of these minerals are potassium, phosphorus,
sodium, magnesium, sulphur, iron, copper, silicon and pectin. ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar)
also contains natural malic and tartaric acids which are important in fighting body
toxins and inhibiting unfriendly bacteria. There are claims that the additional
acidity of ACV helps the digestion process and actually turns alkaline in the body.
Some people soak the RMBs in ACV prior to feeding, to aide with the digestion of
bones. Again, the option to use ACV is purely another personal choice...some do
and some don't. Oh, a teaspoon of ACV (daily) in your dog's food (or water which
is what I will do from time to time instead of putting on the meaty bones) also
removes tear stains. Results are usually begun to be seen in 7 to 10 days. (Check
back soon for more on ACV).
Using Food For Vitamins, etc.
Kymythy Schultze in her book, "The Ultimate Diet", states: "Alfalfa contains vitamins
A, B1, B6, B12, C, D, E, K AND U, plus beta-carotene, niacin, pantothenic acid,
biotin, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper,
protein, amino acids, trace elements and fiber. It reduces tissue damage from radiotherapy,
helps bleeding disorders, has antibacterial action against salmonella and has a
protein with known anti-tumor activity. It's used as a general tonic, to detoxify
the body and to treat colon disorders, hemorrhages, diabetes, ulcers and arthritis.
Use the alfalfa leaf and stem in powdered or liquid form. Do not use alfalfa seeds
as they contain a natural toxin.
Kelp contains vitamins A, B1, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C and E, plus zinc, viotin, bromine,
calcium, choline, copper, inositol, iodine, PABA, potassium, selenium, sodium and
sulfur. Its iodine content is very good for glands and organs, especially the thyroid
and liver. It can bind with chemical pollutants in the gastrointestinal tract and
prevent their absorption by the body. It increases the contractile force of the
heart, improves circulation and is often used for hair loss, goiter, ulcers, obesity
and mineral deficiency. Equal parts of alfalfa and kelp in your dog's or cat's food
provides a vast array of health-enhancing nutrients as a complete vitamin and mineral
supplement.
Other green foods you may use include algae (chlorella, spirulina, blue-green),
aloe vera, grasses and sea greens. Since these are plants, they should be fed to
carnivores in fairly small amounts, proportionately"
Raw meat, fish and eggs provide an array of amino acids/protein, enzymes, antioxidants,
Vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, biotin, choline, folic acid, inositol,
iodine, pantothenic acid, paba, fatty acids, caldium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron,
potassium, chromium, copper, manganese, selenium, sodium, sulfur, vanadium, zinc
and CoQ10 (see pg 26 of "The Ultimate Diet").
Many of us are of the opinion that our dogs, who are healthy, get the vitamins they
need from the varied diet they are fed.
I must say here, If you do not feel comfortable feeding a raw food diet to your
dog/s, for whatever reason, then you should definitely not do so. However, if after
reading this and doing your own research/homework, you find that this, more natural
approach to nutrition for your dog/s, makes sense to you, I'm sure you will be as
pleased with the results as we have been.
If you feel you need support and help to transition your dog to a raw diet please
contact me for a
consultation.
Originally published here: http://www.thewholedog.org/feedingsarf.html
Website: The Whole Dog
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