How To Make Bone Broth For Dogs

Bone broth is a great way to provide your dog with vitamins and minerals to help support them through their life. It's a delicious and nutritious treat for dogs and in this guide we'll walk you through the steps for how to make bone broth yourself, at home here in the UK. Homemade bone broth is easy to make and it's very cost effective, although you might find the cooking gets a bit smelly at times.

Is bone broth good for dogs?

Absolutely! As I'm sure you will agree after reading all of the benefits below, bone broth is fantastic for your dog in so many ways, it's a nutrient-rich addition to your dog's diet and can support their joint health, aid in digestion and boost their immune system. Bone broth is also suitable for all dogs and all ages. It is great to feed daily which helps to support them throughout their lives.

It has lots of benefits such as -

Boosts immune system - Bone broth is packed with all the essential nutrients to help boost their immune system which helps them fight diseases. Bone broth is a great way to help your dog when they are poorly as it helps them fight illnesses. If your dog has sickness, diarrhoea or an upset tummy then bone broth is great to give them instead of solid foods.
Helps improve their digestive health - There are many reasons why your dog’s digestive health is bad and one of the main causes is Leaky gut syndrome. Bone broth is amazing for this condition. A leaky gut is where small fissures grow in the gut lining meaning it can result in your dog not getting the nutrition they need. It also means that toxins, yeast and undigested food leaks out of their gastrointestinal system. Also having a leaky gut can lead to your dog having food sensitivities and allergies. When you give bone broth to your dog when they have this condition it helps them get the much needed nutrients to help their digestive health.
Supports their joints - Bone broth is packed full of Chondroitin, glucosamine and hyaluronic acid and these are all great at supporting their joints while repairing any damage. Bone broth is also full of collagen which is fantastic for stability and health of their joints. Bone broth is a great way to help prevent joint issues.
Helps with hydration - As we've said above that bone broth is good for when your dog has sickness or diarrhoea. It is also good because this can lead to dehydration. Therefore it helps them to get all their fluid back into their body. Bone broth is also good when the weather is warm to help your dog drink more fluids so they don't get heat stroke.
Helps with appetite - If your dog is anything like one of ours they can be fussy with their food at times, therefore we started to put bone broth on her food. She now never fails to eat EVERYTHING! It’s a great way to introduce new foods that your dog may be hesitant of or if they are just fussy! It is great for older dogs that are losing their appetite too.
Can help to fight inflammation - When a dog has inflammation it can lead to some nasty diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, specific types of cancer, dementia and arthritis. Bone broth is packed full of amino acids which are anti- inflammatories. Feeding your dog bone broth daily helps to fight inflammation and prevent these diseases.
Packed full of essential nutrients - Bone broth is packed full of all the nutrients your dog needs. It contains calcium and phosphorus which is vital for blood coagulation, their nervous system to function and for muscle growth. It’s also packed with magnesium which aids bone and muscle development and is vital for your dog to absorb calcium, therefore all these minerals work together to help keep your dog healthy.
Homemade recipe - Sometimes when we buy products we aren’t sure how they are made or what they contain but because you are making it yourself you know that it is made with high quality ingredients, no added fillers or chemicals and it's packed full of nutrients and minerals.
Helps to maintain a healthy skin and coat - In bone broth there is lots of collagen which helps keep their skin and coat healthy. When your dog starts to become older the level of collagen in their body drops meaning it could affect their skin and coat, so feeding them bone broth daily helps to keep your dog youthful.
Helps to detoxify their liver - As we all know dogs eat anything and EVERYTHING especially puppies and sometimes they can eat something they really aren't meant to. Your dog's liver helps to break down the toxins in their body. Bone broth is packed full of amino acids such as glycine, therefore feeding bone broth on a daily basis helps your dog to fight off these toxins even better.
Weight management - Bone broth is super low in fat and calories meaning it is a tasty treat that your dog will absolutely love but also guilt free for us as it has so many amazing benefits. With it being low fat it is a great alternative for dogs on a strict diet.

How much bone broth should I give my dog?

Here is a table below to show on average how much you should be feeding

Weight of dog (Kilograms)	Daily suggested amount (grams)
Up to 5kg	28 - 30 grams
Between 5kg - 10kg	31 - 70 grams
Between 10kg - 20kg	71 - 120 grams
Between 20kg - 40kg	121 - 220 grams
Above 40kg	220 grams plus 50 grams per additional 10kg

It’s great to freeze into the right amount of cubes or shapes (we love the silicone ice cube trays) that way it’s easy to take one out at a time and feed to your dog.

How should I feed bone broth to my dog?

Once you have made the bone broth and freeze it you can either feed it as a treat (great for warm weather) or you can defrost and pot it on top of their food or simply just put it on top of their food frozen. There are no strict rules, simply do what your dog likes. Bone broth lasts 4-5 days in the fridge so best to freeze it to last longer.

Can I feed human bone broth to my dog?

No it isn't safe and the reason for this is human bone broth can have added ingredients such as salt, onions and garlic, these are all toxic to dogs and can make them poorly. Bone broth is so easy to make and is much safer for your dog this way.

Bone broth for dogs recipe

Here are our step-by-step instructions for how to make bone broth, curated here in the Proper Natural kitchen.

Prepare all of your ingredients, we use:-
- Carrots - 2 large
- Celery - 2-3 sticks
- Knuckle bone
- Apple cider vinegar - ¼ of a cup
- Parsley - Small hand full
- Water - Just enough to completely cover the bone
We cut the carrots and celery into big chunks so they don't break down in the broth. You need to use apple cider vinegar as it helps to draw all of the nutrients and minerals out of the bone and creates the super tasty gelatin. Any apple cider vinegar is good but it’s even better for your dog if it has ‘the mother’. ‘The mother’ is a live bacteria packed full of prebiotics and probiotics.
Add all of your ingredients into your slow cooker and make sure the water covers everything.
Put your slow cooker on high for about an hour or until it starts to boil, then simply turn it down to low and leave it for 24-36 hours.
During that time you can stir the mixture to allow all of the marrow to come out of the bone.
After 24-36 hours, turn your slow cooker off. Take out the bone, vegetables and all other big chunks. You can feed the vegetables to your dog once cooled, they will be super tasty for them plus really healthy.
Pour into a pan or glass dish. As the broth has been cooking for over 24 hours it will stay hot for a long time so It is best to try to cool your broth quite quickly to avoid bacteria growing during the cooling period. To do this you can place the dish in a cold water bath in the sink, when your water has gone warm, simply replace it and continue to cool.
Once you have cooled the broth down, cover the top of the dish and place in the fridge overnight. The reason you place it in the fridge is to allow the fat to separate from the broth.
Remove the broth from the fridge and uncover. You will notice that the fat has separated from the broth and solidified. Remove the fat. The easiest way to do this is score the fat around the edges and it should lift away from the broth. The broth underneath should have a jelly like texture, if it hasn't then you haven’t used enough apple cider vinegar. Don't panic though it is still great to use and has all the same nutrients.
Now you can put it into moulds or a glass jar. If you have a lot and you won't use it before it goes off then it is best to put it into moulds and freeze. Make sure you portion it into the correct daily amount and simply take one out of the freezer the night before.