How to Store and Serve BARF

BARF should be thawed at room temperature or in lukewarm water. It should never be exposed to high temperatures or boiled. Do not thaw in the microwave. Minerals and vitamins contained in raw meat are destroyed by heating. The most sensitive enzymes contained in raw food begin to degrade at temperatures as low as 37°C.

Once opened and thawed, BARF can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Thawed BARF that has not been opened can be refrozen, but this is not recommended due to loss of nutrients.

BARF taken out of the refrigerator should be served when it reaches room temperature.

Number and Size of Meals

Adult, healthy dogs are recommended to be fed once a day. If a dog is accustomed to eating 2–3 meals a day, it can continue in that rhythm.

Puppies, heavily pregnant bitches, lactating bitches, and dogs with health problems are usually fed multiple times a day.

The size of the meal depends on the body weight, activity, and age of the dog. The meal should amount to 2–5% of body weight, for moderately active adult dogs this is usually around 2% of body weight. Puppies require a larger amount of food, with the daily amount being around 3% of the expected body weight in adulthood. How to Determine Meal Size?

Small breed dogs are considered adults when they reach one year, medium breed dogs at a year and a half, and large breed dogs at two years.
If your dog is a mixed breed and you are not sure of the expected body weight in adulthood, you can determine the daily meal according to the current weight and age of the puppy.