VITAMINS AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS

It may be taken as a given that vitamins and minerals at optimum levels promote growth, health, stamina, reproductive ability, disease resistance detoxification and longevity. If we accept the truth of that statement, we are left with an important question. “Do dogs and cats eating BARF require extra vitamins and minerals by way of supplementation?’ When seasons are good, our pets’ wild counterparts have access to wide variety of fresh whole raw foods, which are rich in vitamins and minerals. These foods include fresh raw meant and bones, raw organ meat and fresh, raw totally pulverized vegetables, all of which are vital components of the BARF diet. In other words, a properly formulate BARF diet will contain an abundance of vitamins and minerals, which will be delivered in a biologically appropriate form and should therefore not need to be supplemented. This brings us to the question:

“WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR SUPPLEMENTING VITAMINS AND MINERALS?’

For most pet animals being fed a broadly based, well-constructed BARF diet, vitamin and mineral supplementation will usually not be necessary. However, food grown on poor quality soils, harvested before ripe  and transported long distances, may have lower levels of vitamins and minerals than expected. In addition, some animals with specific needs, in particular life stages, or suffering particular health problems, may need supplementation of vitamins or possibly minerals, over and above basic BARF.