Can someone explain me BARF diet or RAW food diet?

I joined the group "raw feeding" in yahoo. It seems that most people on the group just feed anything raw to their dog and these dogs get sick. I have only received updates of people asking why their dogs are sick. I don't want to take that chance. I would like to create a meal plan of preferably cooked food and have it approved by my dog's vet. Finally, can someone explain me what benefits my dog receives from this type of meal plan: better coat, skin, expanded life expectancy, etc.Can someone explain me BARF diet or RAW food diet?
The benefits to your dog of you being the nutritional expert for him are minimal compared to feeding it a high quality dog food. Consider this small example -- dog food manufacturers rarely make mistakes in preparing dog food. The self-appointed home-nutritionist experts often make mistakes -- mostly by leaving something out. Guess which one your dog would pick!!!Can someone explain me BARF diet or RAW food diet?
To suggest that an intelligent pet owner isn't competent enough to provide their pet with a well balanced, nutritious diet isn't correct. I've been "raw feeding" my dogs now for over eight years and have yet to have either one get sick from the food I'm feeding. I didn't just forge ahead and start feeding raw meat, I read as many books on raw feeding as I could lay my hands on and did many, many hours of research on line.



The benefits for my dogs are that I rarely take them to the vet for anything other than their annual check up and my vet has actually told me I'm feeding the dogs the best diet possible for this breed. I have Westies that are prone to allergies and skin problems.Can someone explain me BARF diet or RAW food diet?
Excuse me? the "BARF" diet? eww.....



This should explain it:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_feeding

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