Chris Elson’s eldest dog, a female Border Collie, use to suffer from epilepsy, colitis and a problematic thyroid.

After taking her to see various specialists, Elson was told that the only way to ease his dog’s suffering was to place her on suppressive medications, including potassium bromide, which Elson, a veterinarian at the Beech Animal Hospital in Etobicoke, says turned his lively dog into a zombie.

“It really changed her personality,” he says. “It suppressed her to the point that she didn’t even notice when someone walked into the room.”

Then a trusted friend of Elson’s told him about the Biological Approved Raw Foods (BARF) diet. After researching the diet and speaking to animal nutritionists he decided to put his two dogs on it and has never looked back.

Two to three months after starting the diet his dog’s coat, which had turned grey from the medication, returned to its shinny black colour. Her thyroid levels started to rise and she was able stop taking potassium bromide. Six months later she was taken off the rest of her medication.

BARF is based on the belief that to be healthy, dogs and cats should eat what they evolved to eat -- a diet consisting of raw meat, bones and vegetables. It mimics the way animals in the wild eat and is gaining popularity as the healthiest diet for domestic pets.

“People are eating better so inherently they think their pets should be eat better too,” Elson says.

Lisa Formosa a veterinary assistant and homeopath at the East York Animal Clinic says many of the cats and dogs there are thriving on the BARF diet.

“We (the clinic) feel fresh raw food is the best diet for pets,” Formosa says.

Recently a Boxer came into the clinic that at age two had never had a solid bowl movement. The dog’s owners had worked with another vet who had put the dog on various diet supplements, but nothing seemed to work.

“After about two weeks on the BARF diet, they (the dog’s owners) called us excited,” Formosa says. “They almost wanted to throw a party because this dog had its first solid poop.”   

She explains that the problem with dry and canned food is that they use too much grain as  filler, are highly processed, don’t contain a good source of protein and are full of chemical preservatives.

“How else do you make chicken stay on the shelf for months?” Formosa says.

Before starting a dog or cat on a BARF diet, Formosa recommends the pet owner collect as much information as possible and finds a vet to provide guidance.

Even though Elson believes the BARF diet is the healthiest way to feed domestic pets, he warns the diet isn’t for everyone.

“I don’t recommend it as a first choice to my clients,” Elson says. “It takes a lot of work, it is very difficult to go from feeding dry or canned food to feeding raw food.”

In addition to the many problems that can occur with the BARF diet (such as food poisoning and choking), time and accessibility are factors that need to be taken into consideration.

In a large city, like Toronto, if pet owners don’t have the time to prepare these meals themselves, they can purchase pre-made BARF bags and keep them frozen, but for pet owners living in smaller communities this option is probably not available.

Elson himself doesn’t have the time to prepare his dogs meals so he buys them from two BARF manufactures’ that he trusts, Home Made 4 Life and Paws and Claws.

Kim Ferenczy, a customer service representative at Home Made 4 Life, says their food provides all the necessary nutrients and is safe as long as it is stored and used properly. To avoid potential problems, like food contamination, she recommends that users handle the food the way they would handle raw meat.