‘BARF’ diet plan meets criticism

Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst, who introduced his raw petfood diet known as BARF several years ago, is facing new criticism from veterinarians and petfood manufacturers, according to an article by the San Francisco Chronicle. BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
Billinghurst wants dog owners to reproduce the elements of a prey animal when they feed their pets. He recommends a diet of muscle meat, organs and bones along with pulverized raw vegetables, probiotics, cultured foods like yogurt and a few supplements.
The article said that people perceive locally grown fresh foods cleaner, more humane and better for their animals and the environment, despite health warnings from veterinarians and petfood manufacturers stating that homemade raw diets cannot possibly provide all the necessary ingredients for pets’ health that commercial petfoods do.