Feeding our canine companion only the best nutrition is of high importance for pet parents. Some dog owners have researched and found that many commercial dry dog foods are packed with unhealthy additives, preservatives, and chemicals that can have a horrific effect on the health of our dogs. Although the best dog food items in market that are healthy and full of natural nutrition, many pet parents have begun to feed their dogs a raw or cooked diet that may contain chicken, lamb, or beef in addition to many vegetables and fruits. In addition to these, pet parents have also been learning how to make bone broth for dogs.
In addition to the best bones for dogs, homemade bone broth itself is a highly nutritious and easy-to-make treat for dogs, many pet owners love! Bone broth has so many health benefits because it is full of minerals and vitamins that can supplement a high-protein diet already in place for your dog. In addition, bone broth is delicious, and your dog will thank you for making this tasty treat.
Article Summary
Why would I want to make bone broth for my dog?
Bone broth can contribute to your dog’s “gut” health. Bone broth actually improves your dog’s gut health, which can make Fido overall more healthy. Your dog will experience improved digestion as well healthier skin, bones, and teeth.
Did you know that bone broth can boost your dog’s immune system? You’ll find that your dog may improve some conditions that have been plaguing him for some time when you offer bone broth on a regular basis.
Because of the vitamins and minerals in bone broth, it can improve your dog’s joint health. This means improvements where osteoarthritis is involved as well as other minor joint issues. Bone broth contains magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur, and calcium, as well as a host of other minerals.
What do I need to make bone broth?
Many individuals use a bone broth recipe using a crockpot or by boiling the ingredients on the stove or a slow cooker. The key is to keep the ingredients covered so that the bones cook thoroughly. If you do use a regular pot on top of the stove, you’ll need to let the bones cook on a low setting overnight.
One can use almost any bones; however, chicken feet tend to have a lot of joints in them, and they provide a little more of the minerals and vitamins than if one uses other types of bones. The idea is to fill one’s pot with as many raw bones as possible for your chicken broth.
Now, let’s discuss seasoning. Some vegetables are toxic to dogs should they ingest the vegetable itself, but using powdered versions of seasoning is harmless to your dog.
You can add salt and a small amount of pepper, but you shouldn’t add too much salt as it is harmful to your dog.
If you can find organic, grass-fed animal bones, these are the best bones to use in your both. You can also use discarded bones from your own meals; they will work just fine for your purposes.
Now, you’ll need to cover the bones completely with water and three or four tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Be sure to cover the bones and add about two or three inches of water on top of the bones.
Why choose apple cider vinegar? This special ingredient will ensure that all the minerals and vitamins are removed from the bones. The apple cider vinegar will ensure that the minerals stay in the broth as well.
In case you don’t happen to have apple cider vinegar, the same amount of lemon juice will do the trick, too.
The acids in the vinegar (or lemon juice) give your finished product a tad of gelatin as well, which is also nutritious for your dog.
If you’re cooking the bones in a crockpot, then turn the device on a high setting for about an hour. Set a timer so that you’ll remember to go back and turn the crockpot down on low. You will need to cook the bones overnight in the crockpot as well.
Some pet parents will let the broth cook on a low setting for forty-eight hours. This is completely up to you; you can cook as long or as little as you like as long as the bones are soft when you decide to pull the broth from the stove.
Straining the Bones
Once the bones are completely cooked, then you’ll need to strain the bones and any meat attached to said bones out. You want to make sure there is no meat or bones leftover at all in the broth—never give a dog cooked bones. Even if the cooked bones have softened, swallowing a bone could pose a great health threat to your dog [1]. Splintered bones especially can damage your dog’s mouth, esophagus, and tummy.
Keep in mind that the “good parts” of the bones are already in the broth—all the vitamins and minerals have been extracted into the broth already.
Optional: Adding some extras.
Once you’ve strained the bones, you can add some optional extras that serve to add nutrition to the bone broth. Some pet parents will add sliced or diced carrots, kale, and even green beans that have been cooked. Pet parents can also add broccoli, kelp, and some nutritious herbs, including cooked mushrooms.
Even if your dog doesn’t usually care for veggies, a tasty bone broth will allow you to add these packed nutritional powerhouses, and it can only benefit your dog’s overall health.
It’s best to add these ingredients while the broth is still hot. Allow the veggies to simply “veg” in the broth; just their being in the broth will soften them up enough for Fido to enjoy.
Allow the broth to cool before storing.
Allow your broth to cool on the stove for an hour or so before moving to a storage container, then the fridge. You may also use ice cube trays for equal portioning.
Once the broth cools, you’ll be able to see whether you have a “good” batch or not. Your broth should have a layer of fat on top that is usually hard. Pull the broth out of the fridge and remove the top.
Here’s the surprising part – your broth will now look like jelly. This is the consistency that you want for your broth. The jelly-like consistency means that you have just the amount of gelatin in the broth. This is what is so good for your dog’s joints. It also helps to prevent leaky gut and allergies. It also improves your dog’s digestion! In fact, the more jelly-like, the better!
If for some reason your bone broth doesn’t look like jelly, then don’t be disappointed. This just means you need to add a little more apple cider vinegar to the broth when cooking.
Your broth still has lots of nutrients even if it doesn’t have a gelatin consistency.
How can I store my broth?
A large batch of bone broth can last your dog for five to ten days, depending on how often you serve it and how many dogs you have. However, you don’t want to keep the fresh broth in the fridge for over a week, so freeze any leftovers after seven days.
You can also put the leftover broth in mason jars and store it in a cool, dry place.
Some pet parents will put the broth in ice trays and freeze it. This works really well for those with small dogs who will only eat a small portion at one time.
Bone broth is a lot like having chicken soup on hand. It reheats well, and it’s always a tasty treat for dogs.
How Do I Serve the Bone Broth to my Dog?
Some pet parents will simply add the broth (two or three large spoonfuls) over their dogs’ usual meal. Most dogs will lap up the broth, especially if it retains a little of the jelly-like consistency.
You can warm it up before serving, but make sure it’s not too hot for your dogs. You don’t want to burn their mouths with the tasty treat.
If your dog will lap up the bone broth like water, then you can serve it in between meals. Some dogs will treat it like a “salt block” licking the cube or spoonful until it’s all gone. Serve the treat the way your dog enjoys it best.
FAQs
1. How do you make bone broth for dogs?
Making bone broth is really easy. Place several bones – even those leftovers from your own food – in a crockpot or a large pot on the stove. Cover the bones completely with water. You’ll need to cook the bones overnight. You can add some salt and pepper to taste as well as other flavors, but not necessary. You should add two or three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the water. After twenty-four hours, allow the broth to cool, strain the bones out, and put in the fridge for storage.
2. What bone broth is safe for dogs?
Any bones can be used to make bone broth. Some pet parents even use chicken feet as there are many joints in the bones, which adds to the joint benefits you want for your dog.
The most important thing is to strain off ALL bones once the broth is made. Even tiny shards of bones can damage your dog’s mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach. It is important to make sure you remove all bones by straining the bone broth thoroughly.
One can even use the bones leftover from one’s own family meals to cook for the bone broth.
3. How do you make bone broth for dogs fast?
Unfortunately, there is no way to speed up the cooking of the bone broth. It may be appropriate in some instances to use an instant pot to soften the bones, but even then you’ll still need to cook the bones for at least twenty-four hours.
If you make the bones in a crockpot, then you’ll need to turn the pot on high for the first hour of cooking, then you cook it overnight on low. If you use the stovetop to cook the bone broth, then cook overnight on a low setting. Make sure that you have plenty of water to cover the bones. You may have to re-add water from time to time.
4. Can dog drink regular bone broth?
If you have cooked the bone broth, then yes, dogs can eat it. There are ready-made bone broth packages one can purchase online or at a local pet store. Most of these are organic, grass-fed and they are better for your dog.
Never purchase regular broth from chicken or beef bones for your dog. These items contain a great deal of sodium and can be harmful to your dog. It’s always best to make your dog’s bone broth yourself so that you know the amount of sodium in the product.
