BARF Dog Food Reviews: Benefits, Features, How It Works & More

Many canine owners have heard of the BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet. One company, BARF World Dog Food, is a pioneer in the raw pet food industry. If you are considering a raw diet for your pup, this is a company you will likely consider. BARF World Dog Food was the first commercial offering of its kind and was designed by pet care professionals, including a veterinary surgeon. Is this chow right for your pup?

Visit BARF World Dog Food Website

Key Features

• All-natural nutrition includes bones and organ meat
• Freeze-dried nuggets and raw product lines
• Grain-free recipes
• No preservatives
• Long-standing presence in the raw food industry
• Satisfied customers
• Customers report it is a good pick for picky eaters
• Multiple animal protein sources

BARF has been in business since 2000, meaning they have been making raw pet food for over 20 years. They are considered the “originators of the raw diet movement and the first to sell biologically appropriate raw food (BARF®) diets to pet owners.” They sell freeze-dried raw and frozen dog food, treats, and supplements. The company also makes cat meals and both dog and cat treats.

Quality & Safety Standards

When feeding uncooked meats to pets, there are some safety standards to keep in mind. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) cautions against feeding dogs and cats raw or undercooked animal proteins. Uncooked eggs, fish, poultry, and meats can carry harmful bacteria and pathogenic organisms, including salmonella, E. coli, listeria, and other foodborne illnesses. Safety is a priority for the brand, and they work to educate consumers on feeding and safety.

Along with the risk of pathogens, an uncooked meat diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies when not done correctly. For this reason, it is best to discuss this nutritional choice with your vet before making any significant changes. Commercial options like this can be helpful, as they offer balanced nutrition and save the owner’s time.

BARF takes a head-on approach and offers a large amount of educational material on its website, including information on the risks of eating uncooked meat. They also stress the importance of proper uncooked meat handling and storage (including picking up pet poop after eating uncooked meats), the safety of canines eating bones, and discuss some myths and misconceptions of the raw canine diet.

Have There Been Any BARF Food Recalls?

Recalls on pet products happen for varying reasons. Some are voluntary, and others can be imposed by other entities if there are safety concerns. The brand has issued one recall in its history. Keeping in mind that the company has been in business for over 20 years, we can only find a record of one recall. This recall occurred in 2013 due to a salmonella contamination risk.

No products tested positive, but a positive test was found in foods manufactured in the same plant. It affected three products: Lamb Patties, Combo Patties, and Combo patties sold in bulk. The recall only included products manufactured on one specific day.

We can find no other recalls involving this brand’s products.

Ingredients & Guaranteed Analysis

BARF uses high-quality, all-natural ingredients in its recipes. “All of our diets are Complete and carefully Balanced; a proprietary blend of muscle meat, organs, bone-connector tissue, finely ground bone, fruits, veggies, vitamins, and minerals.” Products are AAFCO certified, complete and balanced. Below we dive into the ingredients for all three recipe lines: Chubs, Patties, and Freeze-Dried Raw Nuggets.

BARF takes care to use natural ingredients. Proteins include chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, and fish. Organ meats are included. Other elements like flaxseed, fish oil, and ground bone are added. Some recipes also include fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients like kelp, fenugreek, and alfalfa.

Chubs

Recipe	Ingredients	Crude Protein (Min)	Crude Fat (Min)	Crude Fiber (Max)	Moisture (Max)	Kcal/oz.
Meat Eater Diet	Chicken, Beef Kidney, Chicken Necks, Beef Liver, Beef Ribs, Broccoli, Egg, Flax Seed, Alfalfa, Carrot, Apples, Blueberries, Limestone, Salt, Fish Oil, Garlic	12%	10%	2%	71%	399 per 8 oz.
Beef Diet	Beef Heart, Beef Kidney, Beef Liver, Finely Ground Beef Bone, Egg, Broccoli, Celery, Carrot, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Ground Flaxseed, Apple, Pear, Grapefruit, Orange, Salt, Dried Kelp, Fish Oil	14%	10%	5%	70%	331 per 8 oz.
Chicken Diet	Chicken, Finely Ground Chicken Bone, Chicken Liver, Egg, Broccoli, Celery, Carrot, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Ground Flaxseed, Apple, Pear, Grapefruit, Orange, Salt, Dried Kelp, Fish Oil	12%	8%	5%	72%	272 per 8 oz.
Land & Sea	Beef Kidney, Chicken Heart, Chicken Necks, Beef Liver, Ground Bone, Beef Heart, Salmon, Carrot, Celery, Broccoli, Flaxseed, Alfalfa, Blueberries, Kelp, Salt, Apples, Limestone, Fish Oil, Fenugreek	14.5%	7%	1%	72%	303 per 8 oz.
Lamb Diet	Lamb Heart, Lamb Liver, Finely Ground Lamb Bone, Lamb Kidney, Egg, Broccoli, Celery, Carrot, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Ground Flaxseed, Apple, Pear, Grapefruit, Orange, Salt, Dried Kelp, Fish Oil	14%	14%	5%	65%	340 per 8 oz.

Patties

Recipe	Ingredients	Crude Protein (Min)	Crude Fat (Min)	Crude Fiber (Max)	Moisture (Max)	Kcal/oz.
Turkey	Turkey necks, Turkey gizzard, Turkey, Turkey liver, Egg, Broccoli, Anchovies, Ground Flaxseed, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Carrots, Dried Kelp, Pears, Oranges, Apples, Grapefruit, Limestone, Salt, Fish Oil, Celery	14%	7%	1%	72%	268 per 8 oz.
Land & Sea	Beef Kidney, Chicken Heart, Chicken Necks, Beef Liver, Ground Bone, Beef Heart, Salmon, Carrot, Celery, Broccoli, Flaxseed, Alfalfa, Blueberries, Kelp, Salt, Apples, Limestone, Fish Oil	14.5%	7%	1%	72%	303 per 8 oz.
Chicken	Chicken, Finely Ground Chicken Bone, Chicken Liver, Egg, Broccoli, Celery, Carrot, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Ground Flaxseed, Apple, Pear, Grapefruit, Orange, Salt, Dried Kelp, Fish Oil	12%	8%	5%	72%	272 per 8 oz.
Lamb	Lamb Heart, Lamb Liver, Finely Ground Lamb Bone, Lamb Kidney, Egg, Broccoli, Celery, Carrot, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Ground Flaxseed, Apple, Pear, Grapefruit, Orange, Salt, Dried Kelp, Fish Oil	14%	10%	5%	65%	340 per 8 oz.
Beef	Beef Heart, Beef Kidney, Beef Liver, Finely Ground Beef Bone, Egg, Broccoli, Celery, Carrot, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Ground Flaxseed, Apple, Pear, Grapefruit, Orange, Salt, Dried Kelp, Fish Oil	14%	10%	5%	70%	331 per 8 oz.

Freeze-Dried Nuggets

Recipe	Ingredients	Crude Protien (Min)	Crude Fat (Min)	Crude Fiber (Max)	Moisture (Max)	Cal/oz.
Chicken	Chicken, Finely Ground Chicken Bone, Chicken Liver, Egg, Broccoli, Celery, Carrot, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Ground Flaxseed, Apple, Pear, Grapefruit, Orange, Salt, Dried Kelp, Fish Oil	40%	27%	10%	5%	510 per 4oz. portion
Beef	Beef Heart, Beef Kidney, Beef Liver, Finely Ground Beef Bone, Egg, Broccoli, Celery, Carrot, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Ground Flaxseed, Apple, Pear, Grapefruit, Orange, Salt, Dried Kelp, Fish Oil	44%	31%	10%	5%	529 per 4oz. portion
Lamb	Lamb, Lamb Liver, Finely Ground Lamb Bone, Lamb Kidney, Egg, Broccoli, Celery, Carrot, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Ground Flaxseed, Apple, Pear, Grapefruit, Orange, Salt, Dried Kelp, Fish Oil	43%	38%	2.2%	8%	403 per 4oz. portion

How Does It Work?

BARF sells products mainly in bulk, so they work a little differently than some other pet meal delivery companies, like The Farmer’s Dog, Nom Nom, or Ollie. Instead of a monthly delivery, their products are sold in bulk sizes. Depending on the recipe, 2-pound Chubs (meat tubes) come in 6. 12, and 24 packs. These range in price, and some proteins are more expensive. The Juicy Chicken Chub is a top seller, so we are using this as an example.

Price

Pricing varies depending on the product you purchase, how much of it, and how often you want it delivered. The company offers an Auto BARF Membership, which is a monthly automatic shipping and membership program. Some rewards and benefits accompany those, and there are three membership levels to choose from.

Chubs

• 12 lb. case, 6 – 2 lb. chubs $128.97
• 24 lb. case, 12 – 2 lb. chubs $189.97
• 48 lb. case, 24 – 2 lb. chubs $308.94

Patties

Patties are sold in 12-pound boxes. Owners can purchase one, two, or four 12-pound boxes. These range in price, and some proteins are more costly. We look at the raw lamb patties price.

• 12 lb. patty box $148.97
• 2 – 12 lb. patty boxes $219.97
• 4 – 12 lb. patty boxes $356.94

Freeze-Dried

Freeze-dried meals come in 14 oz. bags. One pound of freeze-dried meat is the same as 3.5 pounds of frozen raw meat when reconstituted. Owners can purchase 1, 3, 6, 7, or 15 bags. Below we list the prices for the Freeze-Dried Beef Nuggets.

• 1 bag $40.97
• 3 Bags $110.97
• 6 Bags $163.97
• 7 Bags $184.97
• 15 Bags $315.94

Potential Benefits Of A Raw Diet

Raw dog food generally includes no fillers, preservatives, or artificial ingredients. This often leads to smaller bowel movements. Proponents of this dietary plan believe that this also aids in digestion and nutrient absorption. Frozen raw is far less processed than any other kind, including freeze-dried.

Feeding canines uncooked meals have been the subject of debate for quite a long time. Research has been done, and some evidence exists of healthier intestinal microbiomes and improved stool quality for some pets on this diet. However, many veterinary and nutritional professionals say there are no proven clinical benefits. Some holistic, chiropractic, and other vets do recommend a raw diet for individual dogs.

BARF World goes a step beyond and can put many owners’ fears of a raw diet to rest, as they have worked since the very beginning with Dr. Ian Billingshurst, who is considered the founder and father of the BARF diet.

This brand is a trailblazer in the raw pet food industry. They have been doing it longer than just about anybody else. They stress safety, proper handling, and serving. The company discusses several benefits of feeding dogs their recipes. These include:

• Healthy Teeth & Breath
• Healthy Skin & Coat
• Optimum Immune System
• Degenerative Disease Care
• Improved Stool Odor & Less Volume
• Healthy, Lean Body Mass

BARF gets very high reviews from customers. Many report happier pups, fresher breath, healthier coats, more energy, fewer allergies, and improved bowel movements. Several owners report this being a tremendous success with picky eaters. Additionally, the customer service is superb, and customers feel very much cared for and prioritized.

What’s Our Final Verdict

After doing our due diligence, we can say this brand is very high quality. The company is a true pioneer in the fresh pet food market and has been making its recipes far longer than most competitors. We appreciate that they are more than just a gimmick. They have the research, expertise, and experience to support these claims.

While a raw diet is not for every pup, this is a top pick for owners who choose it. We like the fact that they offer both frozen and freeze-dried products, as fresh food can be hard to take on the go. The sheer amount of information the company provides customers with is impressive. They cover many topics and keep their website current, regularly adding new information. Additionally, they offer supplements, treats, and health condition-specific bundles.

BARK World Alternatives

If you are still determining if BARF World is suitable for your pup and want to review other options, we can help. Check out our review of We Feed Raw, as well as our guide to the best raw dog food delivery services. We also discuss the best fresh, human-grade, and delivery dog food options and even have some recipes for homemade dog food.

As always, discuss any major dietary changes, including an uncooked meat diet or adding supplements, probiotics, or digestive enzymes, with your veterinarian before doing so. This is especially important with a raw food diet, as you must work closely with your vet to ensure your pup gets balanced nutrition. Choosing an option like BARF is safer than making it yourself, as they have teams of experts and years of experience.

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