Is Bone Broth Good For Dogs?
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There's a good chance that you have fond memories of your mother making heavenly bone broth out of vegetable scraps and bones. Not only is it delicious, but its health properties seem almost magical. But if bone broth is so great for us, what about our furry friends? Is bone broth good for dogs?
The answer is a conditional, but emphatic "Yes!"
While bone broth is great for your dog naturally as it has many practical and medical benefits, including boosting their immune system.
However, it requires extra consideration when it comes to choosing ingredients that are healthy for dogs.
Why Is Bone Broth Good For Dogs?
The benefits of bone broth for dogs come in many forms.
You should know that bone broth is made from boiling raw bones and joints from animals such as chicken or cattle to produce a nutrient-dense liquid broth that any dog can consume easily, regardless of appetite or teeth issues.
These bones are more than likely too big for your dog to enjoy and get all the benefits from. Making bone broth from them is the perfect way to not waste food.
The reason the bone broth is a superfood of sorts is the bone marrow from animals' bones and joints are rich in collagen protein and amino acids.
Also, you can add extra nutritional value by boiling many kinds of vegetables with the cooked bones too.
Not to mention, the rich flavor gives bone broth for dogs a lot of utility as a treat or a means to make bland food more appealing.
We have also reviewed the best store-bought bone broth for dogs, so check that article too.
Enhance Your Dog's Diet
You can also use bone broth to make bland foods more appealing and win over your picky eater canine.
In other cases of poor appetite, regular food topped with bone broth or bone broth diluted in water can be a valuable means of encouraging your dog to consume nutrients and calories.
Top Unappetizing Dry Food
Does your dog turn its nose up at dry food? If so, you can use bone broth in its existing form or make gravy and drizzle it over dry food to make it more appealing.
Curiosity should get the dog to take a bite, but the flavor will have them eating the whole bowl.
Make Bone Broth Dog Treats
One simple way to make irresistible canine treats is to freeze diluted bone broth in an ice cube tray or popsicle mold.
Also, you can also mix hot broth with flour until you have a dough, cut the dough into suitable shapes and sizes and cook it in the oven.
Benefits of Bone Broth for Dogs
If you decide you might like to try bone broth for your dog, with your veterinarian's okay, you can do the following:
Encourage Hydration
While bone broth is too rich to rely on for hydration on its own, diluting it should still provide the flavor and aroma to encourage your dog to drink more.
Provide Valuable Nutrients
Collagen and amino acids are some of the nutrients present in bone broth, and they offer valuable boosts to the proper functioning of many systems in your dg's body.
Not only that, other ingredients can also give a nutritional boost to your dog's diet.
Aid in Joint Health
The healthy joint function of your dog relies on the state of the collagen in their joints and there are few better sources than bone broth.
That's not all, though: bone broth is also rich in other compounds that improve joint health, such as chondroitin.
Promote Gut Health
A dog's intestine is lined with millions of tiny openings that enable the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream.
However, poor gut health can lead to these openings widening, at which point they allow undigested food particles and toxins to enter the bloodstream (they can suffer from leaky gut too!).
Collagen and other compounds in bone broth can help serve to keep the intestine healthy and avoid this condition.
Healing Properties for Sick Dogs
There are many cases where bone broth is suitable for a sick dog.
A diet rich in collagen protein and fats can aid in the recovery process and the broth is easy to consume and appealing when illness has generally killed their appetite.
Dogs with Cancer
Dogs with cancer often suffer from poor appetite, which can lead to malnutrition and weakened ability to fight the disease.
If you can supplement their nutrition with bone broth, it can be an excellent way to ensure they get part of their necessary nutrition.
Before making any decisions, though, you should consult your veterinarian and create a complete diet plan that it can be a valuable part of.
Dogs who are Stomach Sick
Stomach aches, diarrhea, vomiting and other common and minor ailments in your dog may be treated effectively by bone broth.
Not only is it gentle on an upset stomach, but it can also help combat the dehydration diarrhea causes.
Deliver Healthy Spices and Medicines
Bone broth made with nutritious vegetables and spices is an excellent means to add plant-based nutrition to your dog's diet.
Garlic
Garlic dosage is quite sensitive for dogs, as too much can be poisonous.
Studies show that three to seven grams of garlic to one kilogram of body weight is a toxic dose. However, garlic is present in many dog foods and may offer health benefits in trace amounts.
Actually, garlic has a reputation for repelling fleas and may help avoid blood clots.
If you add one or two cloves of garlic to a large pot of homemade bone broth, then the garlic content should be the same or less than what's present in commercial products.
Turmeric
Turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory qualities and can be a valuable addition to your dog's healthy diet.
However, eating turmeric bone broth while taking medications could result in an adverse combination of effects.
As always, consult your veterinarian.
Vegetables
Some vegetables, such as carrots and celery, are rich in vitamins that are worthwhile additions to your dog's diet and will diffuse into the broth while boiling.
Others, such as kale contain compounds that are harmful to dogs.
Furthermore, onions may be a mainstay of bone broth for humans, but you should leave them out if you intend to share the broth with your dog.
While adding vegetables and spices can do great things for the nutritional content of your broth, make sure you do research on each ingredient you intend to add.
Powdered and Liquid Bone Broth
First, you can make bone broth on the stove, in a slow cooker or pressure cooker. Either way, the bones and vegetables should simmer for at least 24 hours or longer.
In general, you can also use raw apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in the water you use to boil the bones.
Because making homemade bone broth is time-consuming, you can turn to a commercial brand that makes it for dogs.
You'll get the same benefits of what you make at home, but you're spared the time and effort to make your own and also to ensure ingredients are safe for your furry friend.
Not only that, but you can also get ready-made bone broth in liquid or convenient powdered forms.
How Much Bone Broth for Dogs?
How much bone broth per day for dogs comes down to their size and the potency of your bone broth.
It's entirely possible to boil a gallon pot of broth down until it fits in a large jar and one ounce of this thickened broth will be several times as potent.
One ounce of pure broth per 10-20 pounds of body weight is a good guideline, but you could use smaller or more diluted quantities at first and gradually increase them.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There's no doubt that the answer to "is bone broth good for dogs" is yes.
Not only is it rich in amino acids and other compounds that promote good health, but it can work as a carrier for the nutrition of plants and spices in your dog's diet.
For dogs that have a weak appetite, it's an excellent resource to prevent malnutrition and dehydration and it can also help alleviate common illnesses.
Of course talk to your vet before making any big dietary changes.
If the vet doesn't object, then cook up a pot of bone broth or buy high-quality pre-made or powder broth for your dog and see for yourself how much they'll love it.