A dog's diet has a major impact on their health, digestion, and long-term well-being. In addition to dry and wet food, more and more dog owners are choosing alternative forms of feeding, such as BARF or freshly prepared dog food. Both concepts rely on fresh ingredients and a natural diet, but they differ fundamentally in preparation, safety, and practicality.

To make an informed decision, it is important to first understand the individual types of feeding before comparing their advantages and disadvantages.

BARF stands for “Biologically Appropriate Raw Food” (sometimes also “Bones and Raw Food”). In this form of feeding, dogs receive predominantly raw meat, supplemented with offal, raw bones, vegetables, oils, and, if necessary, nutritional supplements.

The basic principle of BARF is to replicate a prey animal's diet as closely as possible. It is often argued that dogs are direct descendants of wolves and are therefore adapted to a raw meat-based diet. The goal is to avoid industrial processing, artificial additives, and highly heated food.

In theory, this makes BARF particularly “natural,” original, and healthy.

BARF is perceived as particularly natural by many dog owners. The use of fresh, unprocessed ingredients allows for a high degree of transparency regarding the food's composition. In addition, the portion can be individually adjusted—for example, in cases of food intolerances or allergies.

If planned correctly by a professional, BARF can theoretically provide all the necessary nutrients and represent a high-quality diet.

However, practical implementation shows that BARF involves significant challenges. Studies on the nutrient composition of homemade BARF diets repeatedly find that a large proportion of these food plans are not nutritionally adequate¹. Deficiencies in iodine, zinc, copper, and fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin D are frequently observed. An unfavorable calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is also regularly identified and can lead to bone metabolism disorders in the long term¹².

Another critical aspect is microbiological safety. Raw meat can be contaminated with pathogenic germs such as Salmonella, Listeria, or Campylobacter. These germs pose a health risk not only to the dog itself but also to people in the household³. Studies also show that dogs fed BARF more frequently excrete antibiotic-resistant germs, which is also problematic from a public health perspective³.

Feeding raw bones poses additional risks. Tooth fractures, blockages, or injuries to the gastrointestinal tract are known complications that can even require surgical intervention in individual cases⁴.

In addition, the organizational effort is high: BARF requires exact portion calculations, strict hygiene measures, and sufficient refrigeration and freezing capacity. For many dog owners, this is difficult to sustain in the long term.

Freshly prepared dog food follows a similar basic idea to BARF: It relies on high-quality, fresh ingredients and avoids heavy industrial processing. The crucial difference, however, lies in the preparation. Fresh food is gently cooked, rather than fed raw.

Typically, freshly prepared dog food consists of meat, vegetables, selected carbohydrates, as well as oils and mineral mixtures. The goal is to provide a complete, balanced diet that is both fresh and nutritionally balanced.

Gentle cooking reliably kills pathogenic germs while simultaneously preserving many nutrients or even making them more available⁵. Proteins and starches become easier to digest through heat treatment, which relieves the gastrointestinal tract and improves nutrient absorption⁵.

Another advantage lies in the exact calculation of nutrients. Vitamins, minerals, and trace elements can be precisely dosed, making the risk of deficiencies or oversupply significantly lower than with homemade BARF¹².

Freshly prepared dog food is also highly accepted. Its smell, consistency, and taste resemble home-cooked meals, which can lead to better food intake, especially in sensitive or picky dogs.

Its practicality in everyday life is also high: Fresh food is pre-portioned, hygienically safe, and easier to handle than raw rations.

A major disadvantage of freshly prepared dog food lies in the requirements for storage and logistics. Since fresh food is only minimally preserved, continuous refrigeration or freezing is necessary. This requires sufficient space in the refrigerator or freezer and demands a certain level of planning in everyday life.

Storage of freshly prepared dog food can also be more challenging on the go or while traveling, especially if no refrigeration options are available. These aspects should be considered when choosing fresh food, as they can affect its practicality depending on your living situation.

From a nutritional perspective, the disadvantages of fresh food therefore do not affect the quality or safety of the food, but rather primarily organizational and logistical factors.

While BARF relies on raw ingredients and requires a very high level of owner responsibility, freshly prepared dog food combines the idea of fresh food with the advantages of modern nutritional science. Fresh food offers higher microbiological safety, a more stable nutrient supply, and better practicality in everyday life.

BARF can work if it is planned correctly by a professional and consistently implemented. In practice, however, this is rarely the case. Fresh food reduces key risks without compromising quality or naturalness.

BARF is a demanding feeding method that requires sound expert knowledge, precise planning, and strict hygiene measures. Errors in implementation can have long-term health consequences.

Fresh food incorporates the positive aspects of BARF while reducing the major risks. From a nutritional and veterinary perspective, gently cooked fresh food is the more balanced, safer, and more practical solution for many dogs.

¹ Axelsson et al. (2013): The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet. Nature.
² Dillitzer et al. (2011): Nutritional adequacy of homemade diets for dogs. Journal of Nutrition.
³ Finley et al. (2006): The risk of salmonellae shedding by dogs fed raw meat diets. Canadian Veterinary Journal.
⁴ Freeman et al. (2013): Current knowledge about the risks and benefits of raw meat–based diets for dogs and cats. JAVMA.
⁵ Zentek, J. (2016): Ernährung des Hundes – Grundlagen, Fütterung, Diätetik.