Key Takeaways
- Bone broth may be beneficial for a dog’s immune and digestive systems.
- It can also benefit bones and joints and is packed with minerals.
- Even inexperienced cooks can easily make bone broth for dogs – a recipe is included here.
- You can add other dog-friendly ingredients to your recipe or serve it frozen.
Still feeling stuffed from the holidays but reluctant to let those bones from your delicious meal go to waste? Do yourself (well, really your dog) a favor and make this easy bone broth they’ll drool over.
Benefits of bone broth for pups
There are many reasons that experts say bone broth is beneficial for dogs – particularly for senior dogs or those who may have chronic conditions – here are the top reasons:
- Supports your dog’s immune system
- Maintains healthy digestion & helps to soothe tummy troubles
- A natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin, both of which are excellent for bones and joints
- Packed with minerals, which are good for your pup
- It’s also very easy to make, for even the most inexperienced cook!
Although on the internet you can discover a ton of different ways to make bone broth (there’s no set way, so you’re allowed to get creative), here’s the basic recipe you’ll need – plus a few add-ons to keep things interesting.
Step one: Get everything ready for your bone broth
This means collecting the carnage of your holiday meal and creating something beautiful with it. Well, as beautiful as bone broth can be. Gather all of the ingredients together – you’ll need:
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Pounds Beef Marrow Bones
- 4 Raw Pig’s Feet (not smoked)
- 8 Celery Stalks
- 4 Carrots or 2 Cups Baby Carrots
- 1 Cup Roughly Chopped Parsley
- 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- Water
NOTE: There are many toxic ingredients for dogs in the food humans consume. Please make sure to know what’s not going in this bone broth – garlic and onions, tomatoes, and salt are just a few that you should avoid. Bones are okay in this instance as you’re not going to be feeding them directly to your pup.
Step two: Get to cookin’
- Put all of the bones in your crock-pot. You can also just use a pot on the stove, but using a crock-pot is the simplest way since you won’t have to worry about leaving it unattended.
- Add enough water to cover the bones by about an inch, then add two to four tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. The apple cider vinegar helps pull all of the minerals and nutrients out of the bones and into your broth.
- Set your crock-pot to low and let everything cook for 24 hours – though some (way more patient) people prefer cooking it for up to 72 hours. Keep an eye on your super-delicious creation adding water as needed to keep the bones covered.
Step three: Cool it now
By now, your broth is almost ready to use. You’ll want to first strain the bones from the broth and then cool before serving. Bone broth can be kept frozen (try using ice cube trays for easy portioning) for up to a year. Broth kept in the fridge must be used in 3-4 days.
Extra ways to spruce up your bone broth
- Chicken feet, joints, and knuckles add lots of flavor and gelatin
- Substitute apple cider vinegar with lemon juice – it works just as well!
- Make “pup-sicles” from the broth as a cool treat in the summer (pour into ice cube trays and serve frozen)
Winter is the perfect time to offer your four-legged friend this warm, tasty treat. So get to cookin’ and your dog will reap the benefits of the nutrients and love that delicious homemade flavor. Happy simmering!
This post is brought to you in partnership with Rover. Founded in 2011 with headquarters based in Seattle, WA, Rover is the nation’s largest network of 5-star pet sitters and dog walkers.
