# Mixed BARF and Kibble Diets



## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

I have been giving my dogs a mixed diet of BARF and a high end Kibble. A friend of mine told me that I should not be mixing bones and raw food with the Kibble. His reasoning was the dogs digest BARF differently then Kibble. He went on to say if I want to continue doing both BARF and Kibble, I should seperate the foods. For example, feed BARF in the AM and Kibble at night.

Is he right???


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## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

That is the general consensus. 

But I know a friend who feeds both at the same time w/o any ill-effects or complications. He feeds dry in the morning, and raw in the evening. His GS puppy would fuss and pick his morning meal and after a time frame has passed, he will remove and store the left-overs, and add the raw meat on top of the kibble for dinner.

The puppy always cleans up his bowl in the evening. 

I too have done it in the past. No ill effects. The rare occasions I do feed kibble for one meal, I end up saving the rest for the evening anyway, along with her usual raw fare.

To me, if it isn't causing any trouble, it is OK. And I *know* my babies,

I see it as a human eating sushi ... raw meat and cooked grains. I never had the runs. Nor digestive upsets.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

I have never been able to find a real write up of any kind on why we're not supposed to feed them together, just a lot of websites that say so.

That said, I have fed seperate and together and it makes no difference with Dante.

My $0.02 is that if a dog is doing well with it mixed, mix it. If not seperate it.


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## artisgsd (Nov 16, 2005)

I agree with Barb...I've found the same with my boys. When we first started RAW only, we had some digestive problems until we got settled. I started traveling for work and dh wasn't comfortable doing the raw himself, so they went back to kibble. I haven't made the switch back to all raw again, I just mix now and I can easily mix kibble and RAW without any problems-same meal.


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

The kicker on my end, is my Female GSD always has the pooper runs with the mixed diet. Of course, I have no idea if the mixed food is the reason.

The guy says it is.


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## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

Hi Timber, 

You could try and feed each separately for a period of time to see if there is any difference. 

It might even be just the dry food, or one of the raw meats that your girl is reacting to. 

How was your transition onto raw like? 

I am a little out of the loop, so I do not know how long you have been feeding raw and the degree of variety either. 

Perhaps it was a new meat you introduced? 

Janka took quite a while to acclimate to beef heart. Even a little back then would give her the runs.







I had to eventually just tighten my boots and kept offering it to her in little portions and slowly work it up.

She is fine with a variety of meats now.

I am holding back on rabbit though, in case we ever have to do an elimination diet.


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## Cooper&me (Dec 18, 2007)

he is right.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: mjb03he is right.


So why can my dog eat kibble and raw all in one meal?


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## kelso (Jan 22, 2007)

We also used to do just raw, but now feed kibble as well. Sometimes seperate meals, sometimes together. no problems here


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Rafi gets raw and kibble for both meals. Chama ate raw and kibble for years without any problems.


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## CampPappy (Sep 10, 2007)

Axl and Gretchen also get raw & kibble together in the same meal. No poopy problems at all. Axl was always a picky eater....took him FOREVER to eat a meal (when I was feeding only kibble)! Now he scarfs it down looking for more. No upset tummies on either of them.


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## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

I don't know, Barb. Good question though. 

But I do know the Japanese have been doing that for centuries, mixing raw with cooked. And humans have an even longer digestive tract for that stuff to stew and sit around it ... with less tolerance for bacteria. 

So I don't see why it would be a trouble for dogs, who occasionally would raid the garbage and live to see the next day.

Food is food, so long as it is fresh and good quality. And this practice appears to be totally fine.

Besides most dog owners know their dogs best. I am not one to impede since I prefer others to not doubt my actions and sense.

Regards,
Rei


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

I've done mixed raw muscle ground up with kibble, no problems. Done it for years.


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## IsisUnselke (Mar 30, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Angela_WI've done mixed raw muscle ground up with kibble, no problems. Done it for years.


Same here.


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

<Deleted duplicate posting>


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

Barb,

someone mentioned your experience in a personal E Mail and I cannot disagree with your comments.

My European GSD has never had a problem with the mixed diet after a few years. However, a rescue dog I adopted a few months ago, just has runny poops, but perhaps it has nothing to do with her diet.

As an aside this is not diarrehea, just runny stools.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

Timber1-Have you had the Giardia Antigen run?

It may be the food it may not be. My problem with Michelle's comment above was that after a number of us said that we fed/feed a mixed raw/kibble diet with no issues she responded that the person that told you it was the mixture was right.

Sadly there isn't one right answer for most of this. I don't buy the digesting at different rate thing being an issue for most dogs because often things are fed at once that digest differently. I would bet that canned food fed with kibble digests differently. I would bet that the "goodies" that many add to their dog's kibbles digest differently with no issues.

I do however feel strongly that not everything works well for every dog. 

It took months to find out what was up with Dante's gut, it was finally the Giardia Antigen that came back positive (2 regular Giardia fecals came back negative) that put him the path to perfect poop!


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

I gave my pooper a bit of boiled rice and chicken for a few days and that seems to have solved the problem.

I was concerned about the comment a person made that said BARF and Kibble (dry) should never be mixed. No one else has agreed with that comment, so I assume we are doing OK.

My other GSD, has been on a mixed diet for quite awhile and never had a problem.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

The idea is that since raw and kibble digest at different rates you may slow down the raw and allow for a greater chance of intestinal problems.

I have never seen proof that raw and kibble digest at different rates so I don't agree with that.

I have known dogs that just couldn't handle raw AND kibble in the same meal. Not sure why but they just couldn't.


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## kallie (Sep 3, 2001)

I have done it both ways for a number of years. I currently have 2 dogs on RAW and kibble. Sometimes I mix it and sometimes I feed it separately, never an issue either way..I think it just depends on your dog on whether they can handle it, rather than a golden rule it should not be mixed together.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I feed raw and a few times per week, kibble with canned mackarel mixed in. The prices of meat has skyrocketed, and I can no longer even get turkey necks. I am almost forced to feed kibble more often, as the variety and cost of raw is limiting.


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