BONE BROTH is one of the easiest foods you can make at home to add to your dog’s diet (and your own).
Bone broth is:
- High in minerals.
- High in collagen.
- High in micronutrients.
All the above are easily absorbed by the body, and being animal-based means bone broth is a natural food for your dog to eat.
Bone broth can be used as a simple broth as it makes an excellent convalescence food and is particularly good for immune compromised dogs or those with weak digestive systems/ leaky gut issues, those convalescing from any illness, underweight or malnourished pets or those dogs/cats with any joint issues.
Bone broth is healing and nourishing to the gut and is a great ‘tonic’ food (and yes, while it is not raw, it is still highly nourishing and easy to digest).
The high collagen content in bone broth helps strengthen bone, cartilage, and skin, and also helps increase your dog’s red blood cell and hemoglobin count.
There is no single recipe for bone broth. The two things all recipes have in common:
- The addition of an acidic liquid – This helps draw the minerals out of the bones more thoroughly. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is most commonly used as it’s well regarded by herbalists for its ability to draw out minerals. Lemon juice may be substituted.
- Long Cooking Time – This is necessary to get the full nutrition out of the bones. There is no “magic” time, but simmering for 24 hours in a crockpot or slow cooker is about right! A well-monitored pot on the stove works too, but requires much more monitoring (turn it off if you leave the house, and when you go to sleep), so investing in a slow cooker may be worth it!
Start with raw bones.
* Be sure to include joint bones with cartilage. ….bones such as chicken, beef and lamb, kangaroo, turkey and goat can be used but be mindful of your dog’s health condition.
For example, skin conditions and digestive issues do not respond well to beef or lamb in some cases.
Always try and source organic bones where possible.
How to make bone broth for your dog
- Completely cover the bones with water & add vinegar. Cover by about two inches of water, but not too much more… try to keep the broth dense.
- Add raw apple cider vinegar, (around 1/2 cup per kg bones) for an average full crockpot/slow cooker. Cover for the duration.
- Turn your cooker to High just to get it started for the first hour, then switch to Low.
- When finished strain the bones (do not feed these to your dog!). If you used bones with meat attached remove this once cooked.
- Once it’s chilled, skim the excess fat off the top of your broth if you wish (there may be less than you expect) or you may wish to leave some there – a small amount may be beneficial depending on the dog or cat in question. The remainder is your broth. If it has a jelly-like consistency when it is cold you’ve done a good job!
- You can freeze this broth in small containers (even ice cube trays) for easy dispensing. You can store it in your refrigerator for about 4 days but it should be frozen for longer storage.
- *Add in small amounts to food OR give alone.
