Bone Broth Recipe For Dogs, Serving & Benefits

Many dog food trends come and go, like fashion and music. However, feeding bone broth to dogs has stood the test of time.

As is the case with every meal with more pros than cons, bone broths are healthy and recommended, though not as a main meal. With a bone broth recipe for dogs, the work is easier.

Experts like Dr. Judy Morgan, DVM, a renowned veterinarian, in her book Yin & Yang Nutrition for Dogs, emphasize the health benefits of bone broth.

According to Morgan, “bone broth is a strong rejuvenating potion high in minerals, amino acids, glucosamine, and many more valuable nutrients.”

Of course, you should discuss with a veterinarian before incorporating bone broth into your dog’s feeding plan.

The veterinarian (or a nutritionist) will work out a proportion fit for the dog’s size and age.

Fortunately, making a bone broth isn’t a difficult task. Homemade bone broth is often fresh and healthier than others bought at stores.

This makes it a preferred option for many pet parents.

Below is essential information on the benefits of bone broth, plus a bone broth recipe for dogs you can try out at home and tips to serve your dog.

What is Bone Broth?

Bone broth brims with minerals and is made by boiling bones for up to 24 hours. These bones can be boiled together with healthy dog-friendly herbs and natural spices for a rich result.

It is easy, high quality, and delicious.

Bone Broth has been a favorite for people who wouldn’t want to waste leftover bones from chicken and beef. It is nutritious for humans, and also for pooches.

Bone broth is often confused with stock due to its similarities.

The difference between bone broth and stock is the time spent cooking. Bone broth should be boiled for 12 hours or more using a stove, slow cooker, or instant pot. On the other hand, the stock would be ready after 2 to 4 hours of cooking.

As an added meal, bone broth is a healthy and beneficial feeding choice. 

What are the Health Benefits of Bone Broth for Dogs?

The importance of bone broth to the overall health of your pooch cannot be overlooked.

Far from being overrated, bone broth deserves all the attention it gets. From the numerous benefits, common ones include:

1. It assists the liver in detoxifying the body

Let’s face it, dogs eat crap sometimes. The unhealthy meal becomes toxic to the body. They also inhale harmful substances.

The liver is the one in charge of detoxifying the body, but the job can get too much for one organ to handle. That’s where bone broth comes in. 

Bone broth supplies glycine which adds up to the liver’s stock of amino acids. The reinforcement helps the liver move on with its work. 

2. It strengthens the joint

As dogs get to the evening years of their lives, they may encounter musculoskeletal issues that deal with a heavy hand on the joint.

Injured dogs also face the problem of damaged joints. Some dog breeds are equally prone to hip dysplasia and arthritis.

Bone broth is rich in gelatine, which contains collagen. Collagen is a protein that helps the joint stay firm, thus acting as a preventive measure against joint degradation.

3. It improves gut health and helps in digestion

The gut lining of a dog can become affected, leading to what is known as a leaky gut. Leaky gut occurs when tiny holes in an intestine change.

Those holes help nutrients pass through and block out the trash—undigested food and toxins. When the hole gets bigger, it lets this trash into the dog’s body. 

Bone broth helps heal the gut with gelatin. It also makes it easier for a dog to digest food. 

4. It brightens the skin and makes it polished

The gelatine in a dog’s broth does more than gut repairs and joint fixing. It also improves the coat health of a dog by adding collagen to the dog’s body.

The collagen improves a dog’s skin and hair. It also prevents possible skin infections.

5. It boosts a dog’s appetite

Closely related to the third benefit, an improved gut makes your dog have a good appetite.

Recuperating dogs and picky ones would also benefit from bone broth. 

Bone Broth Recipe for Dogs

Getting bone broth from the store may be more convenient and less tasking (especially if you have fear of cooking) but it holds more risk than a DIY, homemade bone broth.

One can never be sure what ingredients and additives were used on a product, even with the label in full display. To be on the safe side, many pet parents opt to tie an apron and make a bone broth.

A recipe is to a  chef what a map is to a traveler. It is a guideline that makes cooking regulated. A bone broth recipe for dogs will ensure you add the right dog-friendly ingredients in the recommended amount. 

Below is a convenient way to make a simple bone broth for your canine. Even if you’d rather dive off a helicopter than cook, you can attempt this.

Caution on garlic, onions, and lemon for dogs

Another reason why it is safer to make a bone broth on your own is the issue of garlic and onions. A lot of bone broth out there contains garlic and onions. These ingredients are unhealthy for dogs and should be avoided in large quantities.

Garlic and onions may result in hemolytic anemia, gradual destruction of a dog’s red blood cells. This is a serious and fatal condition that is treated as an emergency. Also, we don’t recommend feeding citrus to dogs.

Highlights

• Preparation Time: 5 minutes
• Cooking Time:  5 to 9 hours 
• Total Time: 9 hours 30 minutes
• Type: Meal Mix-in
• Cuisine: English
• Recipe Yield: About 8 cups of broth
• Calories: 31

Recipe Ingredients

• 4 pounds beef bones, marrow, or bones with a little meat, like oxtail and ribs. 
• 1 leek. 
• 2 medium carrots (unpeeled), cut into 2-inch pieces  
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons of black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
• Water

Equipment

• Oven
• Stockpot 
• Large cooker
• Stovetop

Instruction and Process

1. Start by preheating your oven to 450°F. 

2. Put the beef, carrot, and leek on the roasting pan.

3. Roast for 20 minutes, then flip the pan’s contents.

4. Roast for about 20 minutes more. 

5. Fill the stockpot with 12 cups of water. Ensure the water is enough to cover all that is in the pot.  

6. Put in celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, and vinegar. 

7. Add the roasted beef, carrot, and leek. 

8. Simmer it on low heat on a stovetop or slow cooker. Do not cover the pot completely. 

9. Let it simmer for 8 to 24 hours.

10. After it simmers, remove the pot and let it cool. 

11. Use a sieve to separate the broth from the bones and vegetables.

12. When it gets warm, store it in the fridge. 

How to Store Bone Broth

After you’re done preparing the bone broth, it’s time to get it stored. You wouldn’t want to waste your bone broth. It shouldn’t also be left to get spoilt.

There are different ways to store bone broth. Some of them include:

Freezing

This is the most common method used by many people, especially in the Western world. Freezing should be done after your bone broth is ready.

With the help of an ice cube tray, store the broth in your refrigerator till it freezes. When it does, get an air-tight storage dish to store the bone broth frozen for up to 12 months.

Dehydration

Another way to store bone broth is to turn it into powdery form. While this may be less common than the refrigerator, it is efficient.

To go about this, reduce your broth till it becomes a thick syrup (more on reduction soon).

You’d then need a food dehydrator and ParaFlexx Sheets. Put the bone broth on the latter and keep both in the dehydrator to become brickle. Break the bone broth, then process it till it gets powdery.

Reduction

This is done with an oven. Reducing is about compressing the bone broth till it turns into a syrup. It depends on the length of time you take to simmer the bone broth.

How to Serve Your Dog Bone Broth

With the dog bone broth ready for consumption, the next step is to pass I on to the consumer. There are different ways you can serve bone broth to your dog. 

Serving Suggestions

Serve your dog according to their size. Small breeds, for example, should not be served like larger breeds.

A veterinarian or nutritionist will put you through for your dog, but here are some serving suggestions you can implement, using oz bags as measurement. 

• Give 1 oz to a dog that’s 20 pounds or lower.
• A dog that’s between 20 to 40 pounds can take 2 oz.
• 3 oz is convenient for the 50 to 80 pounds pooch.
• When a dog is 80 and above, 6 oz of bone broth is sufficient.

Serving Ideas

Serve the bone broth normally

No gesticulations or special processes are needed. You can simply get the bone broth out of the fridge, let it defrost, then serve in your dog’s bowl and watch him lick it up. 

Add it to a meal as a topping

Another way to serve a bone broth is as an escort to normal food. This helps especially when you’re feeding your dog solely dry food.

Bone broth helps the food digest and keeps your dog hydrated. 

Serve as cubes

A third (and rather interesting) way to serve bone broth is to present it in the form of ice cubes.

This would help them cool down when the weather turns hot, and even work on their minds and jaws.

Related Questions

Related: Can Dogs Eat Pork Rib Bones (Raw or Cooked)?

In Conclusion

The trend is justified. Bone broth is not something you should deprive your dog of, as it is a key to maintaining a dog’s health—keeping them active, healthy, and fully alive.

You can choose to purchase one from a store or cook for your dog. 

If you want to buy from a store, prioritize quality regardless of the cost.

For the homemade bone broth, our bone broth recipe for dogs is a good aid.