BARF or RAW? BARF!

We will try to answer this question in detail but simply.

• Vegetables, berries and fruits contain immune-boosting nutrients that are not found in any other food source. These include carotenoids, flavonoids, antioxidants and many other phytochemicals.

• Plant-based foods are rich in antioxidants such as lutein and beta-carotene. They help protect your dog’s body from unstable molecules called free radicals. Free radicals are a major cause of aging and disease, accumulating like rust in the body and damaging cells and organs. Antioxidants help stabilize free radicals and prevent them from growing out of control. Vegetables, berries and fruits are the only source of antioxidants

• Plant-based elements in a pet's diet are excellent fibers for the synthesis of vitamin K and maintaining digestive function. When digesting vegetables, fruits and berries, enzymes are released that help digest food and carry out metabolic processes. These enzymes are especially abundant in spinach. Some of these enzymes survive the acidic environment of the dog's stomach and enter the intestines. Here their function is to improve the immune system and slow down the aging process.

• Leafy greens (again, spinach is indispensable here) are rich in magnesium, which is often lacking when feeding a RAW diet.

• Vegetables, berries and fruits help maintain the proper balance of alkalinity and acidity in the dog's body. Meat and the proteins in it make the body more acidic. Plant-based elements have an alkaline effect, so the combination of meat, vegetables, berries and fruits in the BARF diet restores balance in the body. Broccoli is considered one of the most alkaline-acting vegetables.

• Phytonutrients are one of the most important nutrients you can give your dog. Phytonutrients are found ONLY in fruits and vegetables, so if your dog eats only meat, he is deprived of them. Scientific studies have shown that phytonutrients kill cancer cells, reduce inflammation, stimulate intestinal activity and support proper liver function. Perhaps the most abundant phytonutrients are found in broccoli.

• This helps maintain the required amount of water in the dog's body. A common pet suffers from a condition that veterinarians call chronic dehydration. Lack of water in the body contributes to problems such as kidney disease or the formation of bladder stones. Vegetables are an excellent source of water that helps solve the problem of dehydration. Broccoli, spinach contain more than 85% water.

• Vegetables, berries and fruits are a real vitamin bomb for your pet. These are vitamin B (gives energy, stimulates metabolism, improves the nervous and immune systems), vitamin C (especially important for older dogs or those facing stressful situations), vitamin A (strengthens the immune system, protects the eyes and skin, ensures excellent condition of teeth and bones), vitamin E (antioxidant, helps prevent cancer), vitamin K (especially important for bone formation or recovery from injuries, and also helps maintain proper liver function).

• It is a source of minerals. Green vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach, are rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium.

• And finally - the nature of the dog. Yes, the dog is a carnivorous predator, but even wolves living in the wild do not do without berries, fruits and vegetables in their diet. How do they get them? There are two ways - in the entrails of a hunted animal (it is not for nothing that predators eat it first) and simply by tasting various berries, herbs and other vegetation that they find.

In Top Dog Bistro recipes for dogs, 10% consists of a mixture of vegetables, fruits, berries: carrots, apples, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin and blueberries or other berries.