BARF

BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, a diet built on [raw](/glossary/raw) meat, bone and offal, often including [green tripe](/glossary/green-tripe), and prepared either commercially or at home. Its premise is that an uncooked, ancestral-style diet suits the dog and cat, though this is a philosophy rather than a settled nutritional fact. Two cautions dominate the evidence. First, home-prepared BARF rations require careful balancing: improvised versions are frequently deficient or excessive in calcium, phosphorus and certain vitamins, so professional formulation is strongly advised, much as for any [home-cooked diet](/glossary/home-cooked-diet) (veterinary literature). Second, raw animal ingredients carry microbiological risks, and several health authorities including the FDA and WSAVA have flagged contamination with [Salmonella](/glossary/salmonella), [Listeria](/glossary/listeria) and other pathogens, which is a public-health as well as an animal-health concern because people in the household can be exposed through handling, bowls and faeces (FDA; WSAVA). Strict hygiene, a maintained cold chain and attention to [cross-contamination](/glossary/cross-contamination) reduce but do not eliminate this risk. The marker: BARF is a raw-feeding approach whose appeal must be weighed against real balancing and safety demands, evidence over enthusiasm, and any move to it is best discussed with a vet. See [raw](/glossary/raw) and [fresh food](/glossary/fresh-food) for the wider spectrum of minimally processed diets in the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary).

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General documentary information. For an individual animal, a veterinarian's advice takes precedence over any online content.