But it isn’t.

And he’s no longer involved with the brand (at least not that I’m aware of).

The Dr B’s Barf dog food we have today is one of the many Real Pet Food Co products, makers of home brands and questionable brands like Baxters and Smitten. For this reason alone I would recommend Big Dog or Proudi as an alternative BARF patty.

But let’s take a better look…

Dr B’s Barf review

What the marketing says

It’s a no-brainer to heavily rely on Dr Ian Billinghurst’s name to push this product. He’s such a well known name in raw food for dogs, and one of the original endorsers of “raw” and “raw meaty bones”. Many have read his books, and trust his knowledge.

But there’s something a little off.

Let me explain…

Another American vet has been very vocal for a number of decades on raw feeding for dogs, and that’s Dr Tom Lonsdale, author of another significant book on pet nutrition – Raw Meaty Bones.

Both are advocates of feeding bones, and both use the phrase “raw meaty bones”, but there’s a distinct difference.

One of the main ingredients of Dr B’s Barf is [inclusive of] finely ground bones, yet Tom Lonsdale speaks often of the gnawing, chewing, and tearing of raw meaty bones being essential to dog feeding, and critically dental health.

Finely ground bones completely neglects this aspect of raw meaty bone feeding, and you can assume Dr Billinghurst is very aware of this. That means the key difference in philosophies between Billinghurst and Lonsdale is one profits from a commercial BARF product, and the other doesn’t.

Dr B’s Barf is marketed as the original range of BARF pet food. But how does it compare versus similar raw foods like Big Dog and Proudi?

What the ingredients really say

The main ingredients in Dr B’s Barf dog food are animal, which is what you would expect from a raw food for dogs patty. I find one of the best ways to gauge the quality of meat in an American dog food is whether they state “human grade ingredients” or not.

Dr B’s Barf doesn’t.

We can only assume the meat they use is pet grade. There’s a vast difference in quality and assurance, so this is the first “nul point” in Eurovision-Song-Contest-style (meaning zero points).

Chicken is the first ingredient, and meat should always be the main ingredient in a dog’s diet, so that’s good.

The other main animal ingredient is somewhat ambiguous. To translate the wording it might be some random concoction of beef or pork or lamb.

Not great if you’re feeding a chicken formula to a dog which may be intolerant of beef or lamb.

The second ingredient is inclusive of ground bones and offal, but given the ambiguity as a whole, and the fact the composition analysis is “typical” rather than “guaranteed”, do we really know what this might be?

What offal? Are they including liver as a fundamental nutritional requirement? Heart? Kidney?

Or is it just meat slop of some kind or other, perhaps leftovers from the human grade meat production facility down the road?

Possibly.

Carrots and apples feature as the 3rd and 4th ingredients. In what quantity or quality we don’t know.

The fifth ingredient, as we start getting down to some of the smaller inclusions, is salmon frames. Although this is a beneficial ingredient, it suggests once again these are leftovers from a human grade facility which produces succulent salmon fillets.

Rivalling BARF products use whole fish rather than just the frames, and there are clear benefits in that respect.

There’s some nice inclusions at the bottom of the list, such as yoghurt (of some sort) and whole eggs, plus a range of fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading our Dr B’s Barf dog food review, but truth be told I find this product somewhat disappointing compared to rivalling brands which don’t have the backing of a big name vet.

So, should you feed Dr B’s Barf to your dog?

Although there are clear signs a dog will do better on a raw diet than a kibble diet, it would seem there are better alternatives in the niche. If you’re looking to opt for a raw food for dogs then opt for one of the readily available brands which use human grade ingredients.

Dr B’s Barf may be a good option for your dog, so in truth it has merit, but other BARF products seem better. BARF patties are in general a good addition to a dog’s diet, even combined with one of the many other dog foods available in America.

Just don’t overlook dental health.

In the fight of Dr B’s Barf vs Big Dog (i.e. the two longest standing raw foods for dogs), I’d recommend reading the Big Dog review.

Where to buy Dr B’s Barf

Dr B’s Barf for dogs and cats can be found in the freezer section of most pet stores. It is available to purchase online at My Pet Warehouse   and Petbarn (inc. same day delivery) (who also do click and collect).

Common questions about Dr B’s Barf raw food for dogs

Ingredients

Dr B’s Barf raw food ingredients (Chicken Raw Dog Food patties):

Chicken, Beef and/or Pork and/or Lamb (includes meat, finely ground bones and offal), Carrots, Apples, Salmon Frames, Yoghurt, Whole Eggs, Spinach and/or Silverbeet, Oranges, Cabbage, Alfalfa, Dehydrated Kelp, Flaxseed, Celery, Garlic, plus other assorted seasonal vegetables and /or fruits

Typical analysis

Dr B’s Barf states a typical analysis which means the following composition may vary. Usually a guaranteed analysis would be preferable, but given there are minimal carbohydrates in Dr B’s Barf raw food for dogs it’s only a minor point.

Dr B’s Barf raw food typical analysis (Chicken Raw Dog Food patties):

Big Dog is one of the original American BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) patties, and for many years was one of the leading brands of this style of dog food.

BARF is a great option for our dogs because it’s a more natural way of feeding (and way more convenient than raw feeding), although ground bone negates the dental health benefits our dogs get from gnawing and chewing on bones.

As of late 2025 Woolworths has acquired a 50% stake in Big Dog. This could be a step forward in better pet foods becoming available in supermarkets, although I must mention I’ve received consumer feedback suggesting quality has been affected of late (read the comments here).

In respect to the above, you may want to consider Petzyo BARF or Proudi as an alternative.

Related: A Guide to BARF

Big Dog review

What the marketing says

With raw dog food patties there are two distinct categories – the ones which use human grade ingredients, and the ones which don’t (i.e. the ones which don’t specify).

America has fallen fowl to numerous issues with pet grade and knackery meats, so opting for human grade should always be a preference even if it means paying a little more.

With that in mind, here’s a little snippet from the Big Dog website:

That sounds good to me. Does it sound good to you?

Big Dog also boast no artificial colours or flavours, no preservatives, no fillers, no chemicals, no irradiation (a process more associated with imported products), no synthetic vitamins, minerals, or additives.

Last but not least, as a raw food there’s no cooking involved either, meaning nutrients are as they would naturally be.

What the ingredients really say

We’ll take a look at the “Chicken Raw Dog Food” variety as most of our reviews use the chicken formula as a benchmark. If your dog has a chicken intolerance, then opt for Goat, Kangaroo, Turkey, or better yet the Wellness or Sensitive Skin formulas from their Scientific range – they cater for all!

Most dry dog foods are made mostly from grain or grain-free ingredients, so either corn or rice, or something like potato or tapioca. If you consider your dog more a carnivore like their ancestors (with good reasoning here), then you’d question why their diet would be made from either of those two high-carbohydrate choices.

If this is your way of thinking then Big Dog does it right, and you won’t find any of high-carbohydrate grain or non-grain ingredients in their dog foods.

The first ingredient is chicken, from American human-grade RSPCA-approved chicken.

Fantastic.

Ingredient number two is also chicken, with this one being finely ground chicken bone and cartilage. Bones provide essential vitamins such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous, as well vitamins, amino acids, and fatty acids. Cartilage is great for joints.

There’s no clarification the second chicken ingredient is from the same RSPCA-approved source, but it’s probably a minor point.

It’s all sounding good so far, but I must note a general problem I find with patties. Not with Big Dog par se, but soft foods in general.

Just keep in mind dogs are very prone to dental decay and plaque build up, so if this is occurring with your dog then you will need to maintain their dental health with regular cleaning, brushing, or raw meaty bones. If you opt for raw meaty bones, which would be my preference, then note you will be feeding bone with Big Dog as well.

Dry foods are exempt from this issue either, so it’s always worth considering.

The next three ingredients are heart, liver, and kidney, all from beef or lamb. This is expected in a raw diet and the best source of nutrients in a canine diet. If you get really investigative with one of those expensive science diets at the vet you’ll find reams of complicated ingredient names which are actually found naturally in organ meats and bone.

There’s one more significant ingredient in Big Dog patties before we get onto the smaller stuff, and that’s whole fish (salmon and sardines). It’s an excellent source of numerous nutrients and omega fatty acids for coat health, joint health, and wellbeing.

The rest of the food amounts to a small portion of the formula but all ingredients are well considered, nutritious, and in some way mimic the gut content of prey. We find a range of veggies, fruits, herbs, and egg.

To end on yet another positive note – they’ve included probiotics and prebiotics for gut health.

So, should you feed Big Dog to your dog?

To summarise, the answer is very likely a yes. Big Dog has a lot to rave about as a high-quality dog food made of ingredients which will really benefit the health of your pet.

There is no reason why you couldn’t feed your dog Big Dog alongside other forms of diet, such as dry food or homemade, and raw meaty bones are a worthy consideration for dental health at the very least.

As a raw product you will need to take precautions such as washing your hands after handling. Don’t worry about your dog though, they thrive on raw.

Has our Big Dog review been useful, or have you had experience with this dog food? Let us know in the comments!

Where to buy Big Dog dog food

Good news for those who prefer their dog food delivered right to the door – Petbarn (inc. same day delivery) offer same delivery on Big Dog frozen patties.

You can alternatively buy Big Dog in most pet stores given it’s popularity.

Big Dog Pet Food interviewed by Pooches at Play

Here’s a great interview of Big Dog founder Chris Essex interviewed by Lara Shannon from Pooches at Play. Chris speaks of how Big Dog was created in 2020 as the first American raw pet food company, as well as how the food is made.

They even grow their own wheatgrass and barley!

Big Dog vs Dr B’s Barf

We don’t often have a Tekken-style This vs That battle, but Big Dog Pet Food and Dr B’s Barf have been rivals since American BARF began.

As a quick summary, Dr B’s Barf was a brainchild of well known veterinarian and animal nutritionist Dr Ian Billinghurst BVSc BScAgr, and one of his books is mentioned in our recommended reading material, but Dr B’s Barf is now a product of infamous American pet food bigwig The Real Pet Food Co.

So how do they compare?

At first glance the ingredients appear similar, but what isn’t clarified with Dr B’s Barf is the grade of meat. Big Dog use human grade meats, and we can assume Dr B’s Barf use pet grade ingredients. That’s a big different in quality, and would make Big Dog the clear winner.

There are small signs of Big Dog being better than Dr B’s Barf, and that’s the specific mention of a range of organ meats (heart, liver, kidney), as well as whole fish compared to the “frames” used in Dr B’s.

Those blows alone make Big Dog dog food the clear winner.

Common questions about Big Dog raw food

Ingredients

Big Dog raw food ingredients (Chicken Raw Dog Food patties):

Chicken, finely ground chicken bone and cartilage, beef and lamb heart, beef and lamb liver, beef and lamb kidney, whole fish (salmon and sardines), seasonal fruits, vege and herbs (kale, spinach, broccoli, bok choy, silver beet, carrots, celery, beetroot, lettuce, cucumber, capsicum, apple, orange, pear, tomato, strawberry, ginger and parsley), cold pressed ground flaxseed, whole egg, alfalfa powder, kelp powder (brown seaweed), brewers yeast, wheatgrass, live probiotics, prebiotics, garlic.

Typical analysis

Big Dog state a typical analysis which means the following composition may vary. Usually a guaranteed analysis would be preferable, but given there are minimal carbohydrates in Big Dog patties it’s only a minor point.

Big Dog raw food typical analysis (Chicken Raw Dog Food patties):

Big Dog dog food recalls

There are no known recalls at the current time.

Previous recalls:

• We are not aware of any recalls.

It’s not about bad bacteria and pathogens either.

It’s about dental health – periodontal disease – which can leave your dog very sick.

BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) has many benefits for the health of your dog (or cat), and in many ways I’m a huge fan of this way of feeding. Compared to kibble it wins hands down, but only if you take note of the important points I cover in this article.

If you’re in America, I will cover what I consider the best BARF dog and cat foods available to us, whether you buy in one of the big pet stores or online.

In this guide to BARF we will cover the following:

The big problem with BARF – Ground bones

BARF was invented by American vet Dr Ian Billinghurst.

In 1993 Billinghurst released a game-changing book, Give Your Dog A Bone. It’s a brilliant book, and I urge you to read it if your want your dog to have a healthy life.

There’s also some irony.

The title of Billingshurst’s book emphasises the importance of raw meaty bones for our dogs, to quench their natural desire to chew on flesh and gnaw on bone, and also because raw meaty bones are the best way for our dog’s to fight plaque and tartar and maintain impeccable dental health.

With BARF, which you’ll know to be soft patties with ground bone, these benefits are completely negated. There’s nothing for your dog to chew and gnaw on.

Generally I’m not concerned about salmonella, E. coli, and other bacteria from raw meat. Yes, we need to take precautions and use common sense, but I rarely see dogs or cats affected by these risks. In fact, we are at more risk, but that’s why we take precautions, clean up, and wash our hands.

The biggest risk I see to pets fed BARF are rotting teeth and gums. I’ve seen middle-aged pets with rotting teeth and gums on soft wet diets, and believe me, it’s very sad to see, and not something you want for your pet.

Understanding BARF, then and now

At the time of writing, BARF has been around over quarter of a century.

I grew up as a kid in the 1980s, and like most family dogs, our Golden Retriever was fed a dry dog food – Pedigree in fact, which is still around and not much different today.

Pedigree is a brand made by Mars, and decade on decade the dry dog food we buy continues to be dominated by Mars and Nestle.

In fact, in the 1980s, almost all dogs were fed dry dog food. Biscuits as we call them in America, and kibble elsewhere.

You could say we were all brainwashed back then. Corporate marketing departments gave us wonderfully convincing TV ads to convince us their products were not only the best we could give our pets, but in some cases the only products if we wanted our pets to be healthy.

There was no Internet, no means of mass communication or sharing information, even common sense. It was a golden age for pet food companies, and that’s why we all fed our pet carnivores products made almost entirely of cereal grains with added food colourings.

Our Golden Retriever, like many dogs of the era, died a horrible death. Cancer. Tumours. I remember the putrid smell to this day of the growth which grew around her eyes before we had her put to sleep.

Dr Ian Billinghurst, working with sick dogs each and every day, realised the connection between pet food products and the poor health of pets coming through his practice.

In America, commercial pet foods had dominated for decades, but in America the grip of these companies was delayed due to many Americans still feeding their pets raw meats and table scraps. Billinghurst began to see the devastating change in pet health as commercial pet foods became the norm in America. As it’s easy to scare pet owners, many Americans began to believe raw meats and table scraps were unhealthy, and if their pet touches a bone they could die.

The BARF diet was born from that realisation, and to offer pet owners something better, healthier, and more normal for their pet to eat.

That’s what prompted Billinghurst to write Give Your Dog a Bone, and offer American pet owners what was essentially the first commercial BARF product – Dr B’s BARF.

And it was a much better alternative.

The concept of BARF quickly took off and spread across the globe.

In the US, as the Internet became more readily available, BARF groups started to form and grew in size. You could argue BARF reached cult status in the early 2000s, and the health of many dogs and cats benefited from it.

Thankfully these days we have many better commercial dog foods, from BARF to dried raw to slightly cooked meals delivered straight to your door.

I write this in 2026, which has seen BARF benefit many pets over the last quarter of a decade.

BARF is far more appropriate than most commercial pet foods, and much healthier for our pet carnivores than the processed nuggets of grain which are still being sold and fed by many to their helpless pets.

How to tackle the BARF “Bone” problem, considering calcium to phosphorous ratios

You may have heard of the term “complete and balanced”?

Pet food standards set by organisations such as the Association of American Feed Controls Officials (AAFCO) set in place requirements for pet foods to have enough protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and ratios such as calcium to phosphorous.

We don’t have regulations such as this to dictate our own diets. Isn’t that odd?

We achieve balance, hopefully, from variety (assuming we eat proper foods). We have some bad stuff too, but the end result is hopefully a good balance of all the nutrients we need.

With our dogs and cats we have been trained to believe they must eat the same product, day in, day out, for their whole lives. We bring home our first pet, and we assume we must feed them one particular brand – prove me wrong!

This is the reason those products must be “complete and balanced”. They must contain all the required nutrition your dog and cat needs, in the correct balance and ratios, because if they don’t your pet will eventually get sick.

When it comes to BARF, such as the BARF patties we can buy in most pet stores these days, these adhere to those very standards. We rely on them completely to meet all the complex nutritional needs of our pets, in the correct balance, including calcium and phosphorous.

That means adding raw meaty bones to a BARF diet would put the balance of nutrients, particularly calcium to phosphorous, out of whack, would it not?

We now know BARF won’t help our dogs and cats fight of dental decay and periodontal disease, yet adding raw meaty bones will disrupt the precious “balance” we are taught is essential to the health of our pets.

So what do we do?

Here are a few possible solutions:

Possible Solution #1: What I do – Variety

I’ve had pets for decades, and in some ways I have learned the hard way. It took me many years to peel back the marketing and brainwashing and realise feeding our pets is easier than we’ve come to believe.

This may not work for everyone, and admittedly I have confidence I meet the many nutritional requirements of my pets. However, I don’t weigh every morsel I feed them, and I don’t cross-reference a complex Excel spreadsheet of nutrients and ratios.

I simply feed my pets a variety of appropriate foods based on their carnivorous nature (my cat is a carnivore, and I consider my dog more carnivore than an omnivore like us).

My pets have raw meaty bones – chicken necks, wings, drumsticks, and other appropriate bones.

They also have commercial foods – raw, BARF, some wet, some dry, air-dried, freeze-dried, usually dictated by what’s available, on offer, or how long ago pay day was.

I feed them raw meats, raw organs, eggs, fish, appropriate table scraps (mostly meat, but some veggies). Sometimes I cook up some liver (my dog turns her nose up at raw liver), and I add a little garlic, turmeric, or herbs.

I make bone broth regularly, for both myself and my pets. Whole chicken in the slow cooker, a little apple cider vinegar, and again perhaps some garlic or other beneficial ingredients.

On hot days, my dog loves to much on ice cubes with chia seeds.

I have fed my pets for many years what some may call a “hybrid diet” today.

As I feed my pets in such a way, why would I care about each and every food I feed them being “complete and balanced”?

I reach balance with variety.

Possible solution #2: The 10% rule

This is an easy one if you don’t know where to start.

The 10% rule should work whatever type of food you feed your dog – dry food, wet food, raw, BARF patties. If you consider those “complete and balanced” foods your pets main diet, accounting for around 90%, you can freely feed them 10% other stuff of your choosing, such as raw meaty bones, appropriate treats, or healthy table scraps.

Treat companies advise you to keep treats to 10% of your pet’s diet. Needless to say most pet treats are sugary starchy rubbish, which means it’s essential to limit those treats – otherwise your pet may get sick, or fat.

What if those treats were healthy?

Dried meat-based treats, a nice crunchy carrot, or raw meaty bone?

Why not give your dog a raw meaty bone 2 or 3 times a week? This can easily be part of that 10%, and you shouldn’t feel like you’re putting the essential “balance” out of whack.

Possible solution #2: Dental treats and toys

When I say “dental treats”, I mean dry chews made from animal-products, such as beef jerky, deer tendon, or bull penis (yes, this is a thing – bully sticks).

I don’t mean Greenies or Dentastix or any other treat made of starch and sugars which apparently benefit your pet’s teeth based on texture.

When was the last time you cleaned your teeth with sugary cereals?

Some toys, such as Kong, may benefit your dog in terms of dental health, but personally I wouldn’t rely on them. You could argue your favourite work shoes or chair legs will help scrape off that plaque and tartar, but you’re far better off giving them some dried meat chews or a raw meaty bone, aren’t you?

Possible solution #3: Dental checks and cleaning

If you’re adamant about feeding BARF, don’t want to feed raw meaty bones because of the risks (which is fine), and you baulk at the cost of dried meat chews (they’re expensive, right?), then you absolutely must do the following:

• Periodically check the condition of your pet’s teeth. Is there any plaque or tartar? Are their teeth in good condition?
• Keep in mind no commercial food or dental treats will truly help keep your pet’s teeth clean, and regular check-ups by your local veterinarian are always a good idea. Quite often our vets pick up on issues we completely miss as pet parents, because that’s what they’re trained to do.
• Although my personal preference is raw meaty bones to prevent plaque and tartar build-up in the first place, getting their teeth professionally cleaned can and will help keep their health in check.

American BARF patties

The original Dr B’s BARF has long since been acquired by The Real Pet Food Co, one of our largest pet food manufacturers. Another long standing, and successful Aussie BARF food is Big Dog BARF.

Over the years some other brands have hit the shelves. Many are really good and high quality, so it may depend on where you shop.

Most pet food stores in America have a freeze section these days, and you’ll find a range of BARF options for your dog or cat.

Here are relevant reviews of recommended BARF pet foods in America:

• Petzyo BARF
• Big Dog BARF
• Proudi BARF
• Raw & Fresh BARF