Prey-Model feeding and "BARF": What's The Difference?

Within the general concept of "raw feeding" there are many different approaches one can take to formulating actual meals. Within different raw feeding communities, there are two particular camps: People who use a natural prey animal as a model for the diet they feed and people who feed what many call a "BARF" diet (an acronym for "Bones And Raw Food" or "Biologically Appropriate Raw Food"). It doesn't really matter so much what you call the way you feed (I call it dog food!), but the different styles and terms do come up from time to time -- especially in internet forums -- and it can lead to questions and confusion.

I think the main difference in the prey-model and BARF styles is really more the humans who feed these diets and their take on what is appropriate. It comes down to what their interpretation of a dog's natural diet should be, as well as what they feel they can provide food-wise. Most "prey-modelers" (myself included) believe that their dogs are carnivores. Maybe not absolute obligate carnivores (like cats), but carnivores nonetheless. Some apply the term "opportunistic carnivore" to what a dog is, meaning that they will scavenge if they need to and eat non-meat items once in a while, but overall they eat a diet of animals and only animals. Most prey-model feeders also believe that the most accurate representation of what a domestic dog's diet should be is the diet of wolves in the wild. The studies of wolf researchers like David Mech have shown that wolves don't actually eat the stomach contents of larger prey animals like deer and elk, so prey-model feeders don't believe that vegetable and fruit matter should play a role in the domestic canine's diet, either. They think that if one provides a dog with all the parts of a wolf's natural diet that this will promote optimal health and nutrition.

Many BARF feeders believe that dogs and/or wolves are omnivores. The BARF diet as set forth by Dr. Billinghurst is higher in bone content than what the prey-model folks tend to think is a good amount, and a significant amount of pulped or liquefied veggies (between 5 and 30 percent of the total diet depending on who you ask) is important to them to mimic the a dog eating the stomach contents of prey animals. Dr. Billinghurst's ideas about canine health use other wild canids besides wolves as a model for appropriate nutrition, which accounts for differences between the BARF diet and other types of raw feeding.

The people within both camps of raw feeding have different ideas about what supplements may be important. Many agree that feeding organic/free range meats will provide better nutrition and fewer unhealthy chemicals than conventional meats.

Some people have it in them to search out and handle a variety of meats and "weirder" animal products that are important to a prey-model diet, while others would rather base a diet around muscle meat and try to fill out the requirements for vitamins and minerals with pulped veggies and supplements. The effectiveness of either way of feeding raw can be argued, but I think both groups agree that grains are a no-no, and that there is a direct link between commercial kibbles made from ingredients of questionable quality cooked at high temperatures and chronic illness. The important thing to remember is that all dogs are individuals, and what may work for some dogs may not work as well for others.


© Anika Evans 2006