How to Make Bone Broth for Dogs: 5 Vet-Approved Recipes
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View 4 More +Bone broth is quite a popular food topper for dogs. You can purchase it online from the biggest pet food businesses or small fresh food companies. However, making it yourself can be more cost-effective, and you can ensure that your dog only gets the best ingredients.
If you’re here because you want to learn how to make beef bone broth for dogs, you’ve come to the right place! We have five recipes here for bone broth from beef, chicken, or pork that are easy to make and will likely make your dog quite happy!
The 5 Homemade Bone Broth Recipes for Dogs
1. Bone Broth With ACV for the Slow Cooker
Bone broth with apple cider vinegar (ACV)
Bone broth with apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a fantastic way to prepare this nutritious topper. The addition of apple cider vinegar helps draw out those nutrients in the bone marrow, adding to the health benefits of bone broth. This recipe can be done in a slow cooker, so it will take a bit of time.
5 stars from 1 vote
Prep time
5 min
Cook time
24 hr
Total time
24 hr 5 min
Servings
4 meals
Equipment
- Crockpot or slow cooker
- Strainer
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1.5-2 pounds beef marrow bones
- 2 knuckle-bones
- 4 carrots
- 1 cup roughly chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- Water
Instructions
- Place the bones and vegetables in the slow cooker.
- Add water to the slow cooker, and cover the bones by about 1 inch.
- Add the chopped carrots and parsley.
- Add the apple cider vinegar.
- Cover and set your slow cooker to low.
- Cook for up to 24 hours at least. Some people prefer to cook for 72 hours.
- While cooking, add water as needed to keep the bones covered.
- Remove the bones and discard them (do not give your dogs the bones, as they will splinter and cause damage).
- Strain the broth to catch the remainder of bone fragments.
- Allow the broth to cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate it. Once the broth has chilled, skim off the fat and keep it refrigerated, or you can freeze it. This way, it will last up to a year. Serve as desired to your happy pup!
Notes
2. Bone Broth Recipe for Dogs With Turmeric
Ingredients
Instructions
The broth can be refrigerated for up to 7 days or frozen for up to 6 months.
3. InstantPot or Slow Cooker Beef & Pork Bone Broth
Instructions
This recipe has more steps than the others, but if you enjoy cooking, it's an excellent one! Just remember to use only curly parsley, as other varieties can be toxic to dogs.
4. Slow Cooker Bone Broth for Dogs
Ingredients
Instructions
If you prefer, you can strain the bones and vegetables out of the broth instead of blending in the vegetables. The nutrients from the vegetables will have already been infused into the broth, but leaving them in can add extra flavor and texture.
5. Pet Bone Broth
Ingredients
Instructions
Using leftover chicken carcasses from whole chickens or picking up those convenient rotisserie chickens from the deli in your supermarket are great ways to use those leftovers. Keep in mind that chicken bones are smaller than beef bones, so they do not need to cook as long.
Do You Need a Slow Cooker?
You can certainly use whatever you have in your household; an instant pot, pressure cooker, or stock pot are all great options. However, slow cookers tend to be particularly ideal for making bone broth. Broths need a long cooking time, and recipes require anywhere from 24 to 48 hours of cooking. A slow cooker is a convenient and safe option for keeping the broth cooking overnight, so it might be worth investing in one if you plan to make bone broth frequently.
Why Should You Use Apple Cider Vinegar?
You may have noticed that most bone broth recipes call for apple cider vinegar, and there is a good reason for this. Apple cider vinegar aids in extracting collagen from connective tissues and all the beneficial minerals and nutrients from the bones. This is what gives the broth its gelatin texture. However, you should use unpasteurized apple cider vinegar that contains the "mother," which is a batch of live bacteria.
Serving Suggestions for Homemade Bone Broth for Dogs
For example, can you put beef broth in dog food? Yes! Many dog parents make bone broth specifically for this purpose. You can also:
- Freeze the broth in ice cube trays, which is perfect for hot summer days.
- Give your dog a small amount of broth in a bowl.
- Put kibble and bone broth inside a chew toy like Kong and freeze it.
- Add a dash of broth to your dog’s water to encourage more water drinking.
- Warm the broth, and serve it over your dog’s food at mealtime.
- Serve it straight from the fridge in its jellied form on a spoon.
- Use the broth in dog treat recipes in place of water—this should make them extra tasty!
Extra Notes
- Bone broth is meant as a treat and not a meal replacement.
- Only simmer the broth, which helps draw out the essential nutrients. Boiling will only burn off the liquid.
- If you can’t find any in the freezer section of your grocery store, ask the butcher for bones to make broth.
- If you plan to use leftover bones, ensure that they do not contain any seasonings or sauces that might contain toxic ingredients.
- Don’t add ingredients like garlic or onions to your broth, which are highly toxic to dogs. A small amount of garlic may have a few health benefits, but it’s not worth the risk.
- Salt is another dangerous ingredient for canines if they consume too much. Dogs don’t need seasonings that the way that we do.
- Remember to throw the bones away once you’re done with the broth. They are too soft and will splinter if your dog chews them, which can cause gastrointestinal blockage or punctures in the digestive tract and mouth.
- You can roast the bones before cooking, but this merely enhances the flavor and adds no nutritional value.
Final Thoughts
Making homemade bone broth for your dog can be a simple and rewarding activity. When you prepare broth at home, you have complete control over the ingredients that go into it, ensuring that your dog consumes only healthy and safe ingredients. Your dog is sure to enjoy your homemade broth while also benefiting from the hydration that it provides in a natural and nutritious way.
Featured Image Credit: Civil, Shutterstock
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Kathryn was a librarian in a previous lifetime and is currently a writer about all things pets. When she was a kid, she hoped to work in a zoo or with wildlife in some way, thanks to her love for animals. Unfortunately, she's not strong in the sciences, so she fills her days with researching and writing about all kinds of animals and spends time playing with her adorable but terribly naughty tabby cat, Bella. Kathryn is hoping to add to her family in the near future – maybe another cat or two and a dog.
5 Responses
Just wondering how much broth a serving is considered. I use bone broth (store bought) for making my homemade dog food, I am looking for a less processed and healthier way to do this. Thanks
I added the celery & carrots to the broth while cooking it. Now can I give the vegetables to my dogs also? Separately from the broth? Thank you for your response. Oh my dogs are 4 senior Siberian huskies, all of which we accepted when they needed to be rehomed.
Hi Jordan, thanks for getting in touch. That’s awesome that you’re making such thoughtful meals for your senior huskies! Yes, you can definitely give them the cooked celery and carrots separately from the broth. In fact, both veggies are great for dogs in moderation—they’re full of vitamins, fiber, and can even help with digestion. Just make sure to chop them up into small, bite-sized pieces, especially since they’re cooked, to make them easier for your huskies to chew and digest. :)
I just made Slow Cooker Bone broth for dogs #4 for the first time, didn't know what to expect. I threw in a bag of mixed vegetables and let it cook on low for 24 hours. I let it cool then put around a 1/8 cup on Hazel's (my little buddy, she's a 37 pound, 16-year-old mixed breed) evening meal. She appeared to really enjoy it. I put it in the frig, now do I need to skim the thin layer of fat off of it??? or is it ok to just mix it in her food???
Hello Orva, thank you for your message. We love to hear that you used our recipe and your Hazel enjoyed it! The fat layer on top of the broth is normal, fat is lighter than water, so when cooling down, the fat separates itself from the rest of the broth. When you will warm the broth, the fat will dissolve and mix with the rest of the broth again, so you don't have to worry about it. Just warm the broth up and mix it with Hazel's meal!
