Various things can affect the choice of food we prepare for our dog. But, among all dubious and unhealthy options out there, one particular meal is an excellent source of all the necessary minerals and vitamins.
It’s bone broth!
In this post, we will show you how to easily make the super tasty bone broth that your dog will adore. We will focus on a simple recipe that will be useful even to those of you who aren’t good in the kitchen.
We guarantee that you will immediately want to grab some dishes and ingredients and start preparing!
Let’s jump right in!
Table of Contents
Why You Should Prepare Bone Broth for Your Dog
Bone broth is a powerful elixir full of essential supplements for the normal functioning of the dog’s body.
Bone marrow is extremely rich in minerals such as zinc and iron. During simmering, all these minerals pass into the broth. This way, by consuming bone broth, the dog satisfies the needs of its organism at an optimal level.
In addition to being a delicious meal, bone broth has a healing effect!
Bone broth will benefit your dog’s overall health in the following ways:
#1 – Stronger Bones
Bones contain collagen, which has a binding role in a way that it unites all the minerals found in bones. This way, it ensures that your dog has a healthy, strong skeletal system.
As your dog ages, the presence of collagen in its bones decreases. With the collapse of collagen, the bones become brittle.
By ingesting the bone broth, your dog’s bones receive an optimal level of collagen that prevents bone decay.
#2 – Improved Digestion
Collagen is also rich in specific amino acids that promote nutrient absorption and protect the digestive tract.
#3 – Liver Detoxification
Any dog ingests or at least comes in contact with various objects on a daily basis, potentially consuming food that can cause toxicity to the body.
This is most often caused by behavior such as sniffing the grass, playing with dirty toys.
Bone broth contains glycine. Glycine is an amino acid that enables your dog’s liver function to stay in “the green zone.”
Which Ingredients Make the Perfect Bone Broth?
Although it may sound complicated, preparing a tasty bone broth for dogs is not too much of a philosophy. The key is to choose the perfect ingredients.
We have focused on selecting only those ingredients that will suit your dog both when it comes to taste and health!
Ready to show you the power of picking the right ingredients, we have selected the following foods:
#1 – Beef or Chicken Bone
It’s all a matter of personal taste. We prefer beef meat, and we would recommend you try that with your dog first. The best parts for a perfect bone broth are legs, feet, and marrow bones.
The selected bones are full of nutritional values, while creating the perfect taste of the bone broth.
#2 – Apple Vinegar
Vinegar is an excellent natural acid. It will extract all the nutrients from the other ingredients and make your bone broth richer.
#3 – Carrot
Carrot is incredibly healthy food for your dog. It is a source of vitamin A, which has a positive effect on teeth. In addition to vitamin A, it contains a lot of fiber, which helps with digestion.
#4 – Parsley
With the help of this plant, you will provide your dog with a sufficient amount of vitamin C and antioxidants. Also, it will do a few beneficial things for your dog’s health, such as:
- prevent the chance of a urinary tract infection,
- and give a pleasant smell to your dog’s mouth.
How to Make the Perfect Bone Broth for Dogs – Our 6-Step Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound beef marrow bones
- 3 beef (or chicken) legs
- 3 carrots
- 1/3 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup parsley
To make the highest quality bone broth, you need about 12 hours of cooking on low heat.
Organize your time wisely. We suggest you start early in the morning so that the bone broth will be ready by the end of the day.
By following the following six steps, you will become a professional in making bone broth for dogs.
Let’s get started!
Step #1 – Prepare the Ingredients
- Prepare the spices. Be very careful only to put a tiny amount as most of the spices we use are too strong for our dogs. Healthy choices are, for example – parsley, ginger, basil.
- Chop all the vegetables into small pieces.
- When you are done chopping, pick a pot of an appropriate size. Make sure that you choose the suitable stockpot to fit all the ingredients nicely.
- Put all the ingredients into the pot. Start with the vegetables and put the bones at the end.
Step #2 – Boil the Water
Once you’ve put all the ingredients in the stockpot, it’s time to add cold water. Be careful not to overfill it so that the contents are not watery and tasteless.
The unwritten rule is to pour enough water to cover the bones by about 4 to 5 cm.
Once you add water, raise the temperature until the water boils. Then, add apple cider vinegar before the water boils.
With its acidic effect, apple cider vinegar will extract all the bones’ nutrients to get as tasty and healthy bone broth as possible.
If you don’t have apple vinegar, lemon will produce a similar result.
Step #3 – Simmer on Low-Temperature
Now comes the critical moment.
When the water has boiled, remove the stockpot from the heat. Put it on low heat and let it simmer for at least 12 hours.
Patience is the key! The longer you wait, the better taste you will get.
During these 12 hours of simmering, the water will slowly evaporate! Don’t forget to add water as needed. Don’t let the stockpot get dry.
Step #4 – Remove the Bones
After the cooking is complete, move the bones out from the stockpot. Remember, your dog is not supposed to eat these bones (no matter how much they like it).
To prevent your dog from getting into an inconvenient situation, immediately throw the bones into a bin.
Don’t throw away pieces of meat that you have separated from the bones. You can use them wisely for the next meal.
Step #5 – Filter the Bone Broth
The next step is the filtering of the bone broth.
With the final move of separating the meat of the bones, you have almost finished the whole job. All that remains is for the bone broth to be filtered.
During the simmering of bones at high temperatures, they become brittle and prone to breaking. That is why it is essential to remove these small pieces in time so that they don’t cause suffocation or other problems. This step is extremely important, so please don’t skip it!
Here, a mesh strainer could come as an aid, which will keep all possible small pieces created by boiling the bones out while the liquid goes through. Doing this a few times to be sure will make the broth bone-free!
Step #6 – Find the Ideal Place to Store It
After you have filtered the bone broth, leave it at room temperature for a few minutes. Now is the time to cool it down!
After some time has passed, leave it in the fridge until a layer of solid fat appears on top.
A gelatinous mass will form under the solid fat. Once all of this successfully happens, you will know that your bone broth for dogs is a complete hit!
It is also a sign that your dog will receive adequate supplementation that will contribute to stronger bones.
On the other hand, the lack of a gelatinous structure is a sign that you haven’t put enough vinegar, which is not a big problem. Your bone broth will still be healthy and tasty.
Now comes the interesting question:
Fridge or Freezer?
This is a matter of personal choice and a few other factors:
- When do you want to serve the bone broth to your dog?
If you want to serve it right away, the fridge is the better option.
- How long do you need it to last?
If you choose the fridge, you can store the bone broth for a maximum of 4 to 5 days. Meanwhile, it can stay in the freezer for several weeks.
- What time of the year is it?
The freezer is an excellent choice during hot summer days as you can give your dog ice broth cubes!
How to Serve Bone Broth?
Here are some cool ideas:
#1 – Serve It as a Main Dish
We recommend that you store the bone broth in the refrigerator or freezer after the final preparation. Choose which method suits you best using our tips above.
If you choose the freezer, before you decide to give it to your dog, you must leave it in the fridge (and then at room temperature) to melt. After that, all you have to do is put it in the bowl that your dog uses.
If it’s winter, you can even reheat the bone broth, which will warm up your little friend!
#2 – Serve It as a Topping
Yes, you heard that right!
You can also use bone broth as a topping. In addition to the main dish, you can add bone broth as a side dish. It will enhance the taste of the main dish, which your dog will surely appreciate.
#3 – Make a Broth Cube
Ice broth cubes can serve as a great treat on warmer days! It will provide your dog with nutrients and serve as a refreshment.
All you need is a freezer container.
Pour the contents of the broth into a suitable mold. Put it in the freezer and wait until ice cubes form. When the cubes are created, it is ready for use.
Conclusion
Bone broth is definitely a healthy choice for your dog, especially since it is an entirely natural recipe. Best of all, it is so nutritious that it will be great as a dietary supplement!
The most important thing to remember is that bone broth, although rich in nutrients, is not a complete replacement for a regular diet. Instead, treat bone broth as a supplement so that your dog is not in vitamin or nutrient deficit.
Let’s hear it from you now! How did you like this recipe?
Please rate it below in the comments and let us know what your thoughts are.
Happy cooking!