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9 Best Store-Bought Bone Broth for Dogs (plus Easy Homemade Recipes)

9 Best Store-Bought Bone Broth for Dogs (plus Easy Homemade Recipes)

Every season, there is one or two trends that dog owners seem to focus on more than usual.

For instance, over the past few years, people have asked a lot of questions about coconut oil for dogs, turmeric, sardines, essential oils, ketogenic diets, and fish oils among other topics.

While it is always good to be cautious about pet wellness fads, one that I always rally behind is bone broth for dogs.

This incredibly nutritious superfood is not only beneficial to the health of your dog but it also easy and inexpensive to make.

In this guide, I will cover everything you need to know about store-bought bone broth for dogs, making homemade bone broth for your pup, and other important facts about healthy bone broth for dogs. 

First, allow me to take you through a quick list of my favorite picks when it comes to store-bought bone broth for dogs.:

What is Bone Broth? 

Bone broth is a fluid prepared by cooking bones in a pressure cooker or slow cooker with apple cider vinegar, garlic, and water for 2-24 hours.

Cooking the bones over a long period allows the ligament tissue and the joint to dissolve.

It also ensures that the nutrients in the marrow and bone are absorbed fully into the broth.

Store-Bought Bone Broth for Dogs

As we will see shortly in this guide, preparing bone broth from scratch takes time—some recipes require up to 4 hours of cooking time.

So, if you want to give your dog bone broth but you don’t have the time and patience to make it, you need an alternative. And that is where store-bought bone broth for dogs comes in.

The main advantage of store-bought bone broth is that you don’t have to be constantly checking your pot every hour when preparing a broth for your dog.

You only need to sprinkle a spoonful of the powder onto one of the daily meals of your furry friend.

Some store-bought bone broths also come in powdery form, making them excellent food toppers.

You could also mix the powders with a little organic peanut butter for a great-tasting treat!

Here are 9 Best Store-Bought Bone Broth for Dogs

1.  Brutus Bone Healthy Broth for Dogs

One of the best ways of maintaining the hip and joint health of your dog is to give him a high-quality diet that is designed to promote good bone and joint health while supplying the necessary vitamins and minerals that he needs to stay healthy.

And when it comes to the best joint foods for dogs, many dog parents vouch for glucosamine and chondroitin.  

Brutus Bone Broth is rich in glucosamine and chondroitin, so by feeding your dog this bone broth, you are guaranteed that your pooch is getting the best in terms of healthy and resilient joints, bones, and connective tissues.

I also love the fact that it packs natural ingredients, including turmeric, carrot, sweet potatoes, and carrots to boost your dog’s overall health.

The broth is also soy-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free, making it safe for dogs with stomach sensitivities or allergies.  

2. Solid Gold Human-Grade Bone Broth for Dogs

Collagen is one of the most important components of your dog’s body.

It is the glue that holds your dog’s body together and essential block for your pup’s connective tissues, bones, joints, tendons, and cartilages.

Solid Gold Human-grade bone broth for dogs is rich in naturally occurring collagen from organically sourced beef bones.

Adding this bone broth to your dog’s diet not only boosts his gut health but it is also an excellent way of warding off mobility and aging-related issues.

It is also slowly simmered with Turmeric to alleviate joint pain issues and boost your dog’s immune system.

To ensure optimum safety of your pup, the bone broth is made of 100% human-grade ingredients and is grain-free and gluten-free.   

3. Nylabone Beef Broth Bones

If you are looking for something that can sustain your dog’s high energy, your search should end with Nylabone Beef Broth Bones.

It is made with real beef, which is known to be a high-quality protein source that provides essential amino acids. The nutrients also provide energy and help support strong bones and muscles in your dog.

The broth is formulated to be added to your canine friend’s regular food, giving him the much-needed hydration that he needs or helping soften up his food.

The bone broth is free of artificial preservatives, colorings, and flavorings that may upset your pup’s stomach.  

It is also made without wheat, corn, or any other grain, making it suitable for dogs with gluten intolerance. It is great for dogs with chicken allergies.

Another aspect that I love about this bone broth is the fact that it includes natural edible dog chews, which your dog can chew for hours on end to relive his boredom and destructive behavior.

The only shortcoming of this broth is that there are no varieties of flavors, especially as of the time of writing this article.

4.  Native Pet Bone Broth for Dogs

Native pet organic bone broth is a no-frills option for dog owners who are looking for organic bone broths for their pups.

Made from US-based whole food ingredients, this bone broth is paleo-friendly, which implies that it doesn’t contain unhealthy hormones and antibiotics.

It is also dairy-free, grain-free, gluten-free, and free of soy and preservatives.

With a delicious and savory chicken flavor, this is the best broth I recommend for picky eaters, sick, and senior dogs.

The broth is also high in protein and collagen to help your dog build lean muscles and maintain a healthy coat and skin.

5. The Honest Kitchen Instant Beef Bone Broth for Dogs

If you are familiar with Ayurveda principles, you probably already know that understanding your dog’s dosha type can go a long way in helping you make the most sensible food choices to balance your pooch’s mind, body, and soul.

With this recipe, the Honest Kitchen has done all the hard work of figuring out your dog’s dosha characteristics and formulating a balancing and functional broth.

The broth includes pumpkin and turmeric to help boost immunity, encourage digestive regularity, moisturize skin and coat, and improve the overall health of your dog.

Like other Honest Kitchen pet food products, there are no by-products, GMO, fillers, additives, or artificial ingredients in this bone broth.

Most importantly, serving this broth to your dog is super easy—all you need is to add warm water or pour it over your dog’s kibble to create a nourishing broth.

6.  Nature’s Diet Dog Bone Broth

Packed with human-grade ingredients, Nature’s Diet dog bone broth is gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and doesn’t contain additives, fillers, by-products, and preservatives.

It is also a Raw & Paleo diet-friendly approved for dog owners who are following paleo diets.

Like the previous bone broth formulations I have highlighted, Nature’s Diet dog bone broth packs a wide range of nutrients, including turmeric and pumpkin for hip and joint health, flaxseed, Chia seeds, and collagen for healthy skin coat, and prebiotics for improved digestion and gut health.  

Unlike other watery store-bought bone broth for dogs, this Nature’s Diet formulation is thick and gelatinous, which is a further indication of its high gelatin content.

7.  Primalvore Bone Broth for Dogs

If you are looking for a bone broth recipe that can help get the gastrointestinal system of your sick or senior dog back in proper working condition, I can assure you that Primalvore Organic Bone Broth will never disappoint.

This bone broth is formulated with collagen peptides to help your dog ward off aging and mobility-related issues.

The broth is also infused with turmeric, a potent binding agent that is known to provide excellent support to dogs with diarrhea, gas, upset stomachs, and irregular bowel movements.  

To ensure that it is completely safe for your dog, the company excluded salt, garlic, onions, sauces, and other ingredients that are toxic to dogs  

8.  NutraPet Health K9 Bone Broth Powder Concentrate

This bone broth from NutraPet Health is packed with all the nutrients that you may be looking for in a bone broth, including Glucosamine, Chondrotin, Glycine, and Collagen, all of which are great for promoting bone and joint health in dogs.

The broth is also formulated with Tumeric to aid digestion, boost gut health, reduce inflammation of joints, and boost the brain function of your dog.

Unlike other traditional liquid broths that you are likely to find in today’s local stores, this K9 bone broth is so concentrated that the 60g jar will produce 60 broth servings.

I also recommend it for picky eaters because it comes with delicious chicken flavor that any dog will find irresistible.

9.  Project Paws Bone Broth Powder for Dogs

The last entry in my list is this superfood powder from Paws Project.

It packs a lot of nutrients and amino acids, including thiamine, zinc, sulfur, potassium, phosphorus, Arginine, Glutamine, Glucosamine, and Chondroitin among others.

By giving your dog this unique formula, therefore, you can be certain that your canine companion will be getting the best in terms of improved joint health, gut function, immune support, skin and coat health, and a host of other health benefits.

Unlike other store-bought bone broths for dogs, this formulation is free of antibiotics, growth hormones, and steroids.

It is also gluten-free, soy-free, grain-free, and the antlers used in the powder are cruelty-free since they have been naturally shed.

Finally, I like the fact that the powder is made from limited ingredients—naturally-shed wild elk antler and free-range elk bone—making it perfect for dogs with stomach sensitivities and allergies.

Benefits of Giving Bone Broth for dogs

So, why should you consider giving your dog bone broth? What’s special about it?

Well, bone broth is easy for pups to digest, nutrient-dense, and sparks the appetite for dogs.

Most importantly, dogs just love it!

Below are more benefits of bone broth for dogs.

  • It is rich in a wide range of vitamins and minerals, including zinc, Iron, Collagen, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, glucosamine, and vitamins A, B, C,  D, and K.
  • Great nutrition for sick and elderly dogs and picky eaters because of its potential to spark appetite. It is also good for dogs that need a break from solid food.
  • It fosters a healthy digestive system: The gelatin in bone broth has been proven to help restore and protect the gut lining. So, giving your dog bone broth, therefore, helps prevent leaky gut and improves digestion.
  • Keeps your dog’s joints healthy: It contains glucosamine and other beneficial joint protecting compounds such as chondroitin and hyaluronic acid. The collagens in the broth also help strengthen and structure your dog’s bones.
  • It detoxifies your dog’s  liver
  • It is free of common allergens hence unlikely to trigger allergies.
  • Gelatin and collagen in bone broth can also help your pooch maintain youthful skin texture and appearance.

Potential Side Effects of Bone Broth to Dogs

Are there side effects you should be aware of when it comes to giving your pooch bone broth?

Generally, bone broths for dogs are safe. However, some dogs might react poorly to certain ingredients found in a given recipe.

Another potential problem with bone broth is the long cooking hours, which is a characteristic of homemade broth recipes (if you opt for store bough bone broth, this shouldn’t be an issue).

For instance, in some recipes, up to 4 hours of cooking is recommended. This increases the quantity of glutamic acid in the bone broth. Feeding your dog too much bone broth can, therefore, lead to some health problems.

What’s more, by giving your dog too much bone broth, they may over-consume certain types of amino acids and miss or not get enough of others. So, moderation is key.

Another issue is lead toxicity. Some animals could be exposed to greater levels of lead, something that could impact their bones as well as the broth we make out of such bones. To reduce the risk of lead exposure, you must find high-quality protein and bone sources.

If your pet has allergies, go for bone broth products with simple ingredients.

And if your dog has health issues such as cancer or liver disease, speak with your vet first before giving him any bone broth ingredient.

How to Make Homemade Bone Broth for Dogs

Making homemade bone broth entails two important steps:

  • Adding Acidic Liquid: This helps in drawing of the minerals from the bones. The most common acidic liquid is raw apple cider vinegar, which is known for its ability in drawing minerals out of plants. You can also use lemon juice as a substitute.
  • Long Cooking Time: This optimizes the number of nutrients that you’ll get from the bones. When you use a pressure cooker, it can take 2-3 hours. A slow cooker often works best but you can also use a pot on a stove.

General Procedure:

I. Start With Raw Or Cooked Bones

Make sure you mix joint bones with cartilage, especially if you are after collagen and other joint care nutrients.

You can use any wild, grass-fed or free-range bones.

Chicken frames are also good. Here are the best options to consider: Best Raw Bones for Dogs.

You may gather and save bones from family meals and store them in a freezer.

However, make sure you rinse off any sauce that could be bad for the digestive system of your dog.

If you want the bone broth to double up as a meal, you can add turkey leg quarters, meaty bones or a whole chicken.

Meat from other species may also be added.

II. Cover The Bones Completely With Water And Add Vinegar

The water cover should be an inch or more, which helps to keep the broth denser.

To the mixture, add 2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar.

Cover it with a lid for the whole duration of the cooking.

Finally, set the slow cooker to low. Remove any scum layer forming.

III. Post-cooking

Dispose of the bones and put the soft tissue and the meat back in.

In case the broth has jelly-like consistency when chilled, that’s a sign that it’s been well-cooked.

Cool it and leave the hard fat layer until the bone broth is eaten.

It is okay to feed this fat to your dog unless it has pancreatitis.

5 Easy Homemade Bone Broth Recipes for Dogs

To ensure that you are feeding your dog nutritious bone broth, here are specific recipes that you may find useful:

1. Chicken Feet Broth

Ingredients

  • Chicken feet
  • Lemon juice
  • Water

Procedure

  • Cut off nails from the chicken feet.
  • Put the chicken feet in a pressure cooker.
  • Add lemon juice (it helps to drain nutrients and minerals from the bones into the soup).
  • Add water (ensure it covers the bones).
  • Lock the pressure cooker. Ensure that you close the pressure valve.
  • Set pressure cooker to high pressure and cook for at least 75 minutes.
  • Allow it to cool then remove bones from the broth.  You can serve your broth or freeze for future use.

2. Beef Marrow Bone Broth

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds beef marrow bones
  • 4 carrots
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • Water

Procedure

  • Put beef marrow bones, carrots, apple cider vinegar (it also pulls minerals and nutrients from bones to the broth) and olive oil in a croc-pot.
  • Add water (it should cover the bones by at least an inch).
  • Boil for at least 24 hours since it’s a slow cooker.
  • Drain the broth from bones. Allow it to cool before serving.

3. Turkey Legs Bone Broth

Ingredients

  • Turkey legs (If you have multiple pets or want to something you can also share with your family, go for Farm Pac Smoked Turkey Legs)
  • 5 cloves fresh garlic
  • Raw apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
  • Water
  • Turmeric powder
  • Healthy greens such as oregano, parsley or kale (optional).

Procedure

  • Put turkey legs in a slow cooker or pressure cooker.
  • Add garlic, apple cider or lemon juice and water.
  • Add greens if you choose to use it.
  • Boil for 20-24 hours if you are using a slow cooker and 75 minutes for a pressure cooker.
  • Add turmeric powder a few minutes before it is ready.
  • Remove the turkey legs, cool and serve.

4. Pig Legs Bone Broth

Ingredients

  • 4 pig legs
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 carrots
  • Lemon juice
  • Water
  • ¾ cup fresh parsley
  • Olive oil

Procedure

  • Put pig legs, lemon juice, garlic, carrots, and olive oil in a pot.
  • Boil on low heat for at least 24 hours.
  • Add fresh parsley 10 minutes before draining.
  • Allow it to cool.
  • Fish out the bones.
  • The broth is ready to serve. You can also freeze it for use when needed.

5. Mushroom Bone Broth

Ingredients

  • Chicken necks and duck feet
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 pieces fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoon salt (add taste)
  • Water
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 3 shiitake mushroom

Procedure

  • Put all the ingredients in a large pot.
  • Boil at high temperatures and remove the foam.
  • Once the foam is over, bring to low heat and allow it to boil for almost 20 hrs.
  • Add parsley 10 minutes before it is done.
  • Drain the broth from the bones
  •  Allow it to cool then serve or refrigerate

Pro Tips

Consider adding the following ingredients in your recipe for an extra supplement boost:

Ginger: serves as an anti-inflammatory and is believed to fight cancer

Rosemary: promotes digestion and serves as an antioxidant

Kelp: promotes balanced glandular and thyroid system

Turmeric: Another potent anti-inflammatory

Medical Mushrooms: Promotes a healthy immune system

You can also make popsicles from your broth and serve it to your pup in the summer. It makes a wonderful summer treat.

Storing Your Bone Broth

Considering the many benefits of bone broth, being armed with a ready recipe in your fridge is always a fantastic idea.

You can store your broth in the fridge to last you several days. The easiest and one method that I highly recommend is to freeze the bone broth in a muffin tray.

Put half a cup of the broth in each disk of the muffin tray. This will allow you to get the exact amount of broth that you need for a recipe without defrosting the whole bag.

Besides, with a muffin tray, you just need a few runs to freeze a whole batch.

It is also convenient to freeze this way because you only need to lay the disks in a flat bag, which takes very little space.

Common Myths Surrounding Bone Broth for Dogs

 Like any other dog food fad, there is a lot of buzz around bone broth.

If you haven’t tried bone broth, such buzz can confuse you.

Let me debunk a few myths surrounding this superfood.

I. Bone Broth Is Just Another Craze

Lately, it seems as if bone broth is everywhere, especially with health benefit claims like improved digestion and joint healing in dogs.

However, there is a perception among some people that it’s just another fad boasting a long list of benefits.

The truth is that bone broth is a superfood that has a rich history that can be traced to our ancestors.

II. Bone Broth Doesn’t Have That Much Nutritional Value

It might seem too farfetched that a mere stock made from animal parts that we usually discard could make such healthy treats for our dogs.

Well, here is what you should know: a single bone broth cup contains roughly as much protein as that in a chicken wing, a large egg, or even two bacon slices.

Besides, bone broth is also packed with glucosamine, amino acids, collagen, and many vitamins and minerals.

III. Bone Broth Can’t Ease Arthritis Pain

You probably know by now that bone broth is packed with lots of glucosamine.

This is an important nutrient when it comes to reducing joint pain, although it provides other benefits, especially for arthritic dogs.

Collagen is known to nourish the skeletal system. It is also important for rebuilding bone constantly lost as a result of normal wear and tear and aging.

This way, bone broth helps in easing preexisting arthritis pain and also slows its progression.

IV. Picky Dogs Won’t Touch Bone Broth

There are some dogs that won’t eat your treat, no matter what it is.

But one of the biggest advantages of bone broth is that it is a delicious meat gravy that can be fed to dogs as a snack or even over their preferred food.

There are great chances that your pup will love it unless he is a vegetarian.

V. Bone Broth Will Cause Stomach Upset in Some Dogs

While it is recommended to always consult your doctor before you make diet changes, bone broth is generally safe and even beneficial for pooches with delicate stomachs.

Bone broth is one of the kindest foods to give your dog since it is made from bones—the most basic dog food.

1. How Much Bone Broth Is Good For Your Dog?

The rule of thumb is that you should feed your dog 1 ounce for every 10 pounds of its body weight. This means that one serving for a dog weighing 100 pounds is 10 ounces. You can feed this to your dog twice a day. 

If you’ve never given your dog bone broth before, it is recommended that you start it with a serving per day. Your pup’s digestive system may take some time to get used to the broth.

Once you are certain that your furry friend likes this treat and that it agrees with its system, you can increase the servings to two. 

If you want to give it more than the recommended two servings per day, divide it into small portions and then feed it all day to your pet.

2. Is bone broth good for sick dogs?

Bone broth is an extremely mild liquid that sits comfortably in the upset stomach of your canine friend.

Besides, it is nutritious and provides a delicious way of adding flavor and moisture to dry food.

What makes it even more ideal for sick dogs is that it encourages dogs with a poor appetite to eat.

2. Is store-bought bone broth good for dogs?

Store-bought bone broth is good for dogs as long as you purchase organic, non-GMO types that don’t have preservatives and added salt.

3. Can you give dogs bones from bone broth?

Bones from bone broth are extremely dangerous for dogs. It’s important to remove all the bones from the broth before you serve it to your dog. This will save you from making an emergency trip to the vet.

Just to be sure that no bones get into your broth, make sure you strain the broth.

4. Is it okay to feed your dog bone broth meant for human consumption?

Feeding your dog bone broth meant for humans is a bad idea. This is because products designated for humans tend to contain additives, spices, and flavorings that could pose danger to pets.

Always feed your dog bone broth specifically meant for them.

6. What’s the best meat for bone broth?

If you want your broth to be a meal for your dog as well, you can throw in some meats and vegetables. For instance, you can use mutton, beef, and pork depending on what you deem fit for your dog.

Turkey meat is also okay and so is chicken. They all make for great flavor and also add lots of nutrients to the broth.

Conclusion

Bone broth is beneficial to dogs in many ways. It is particularly good for senior pooches or those that have chronic conditions.  

When it comes to giving your dog bone broth, the best idea is to make a homemade treat by yourself.

But if you don’t have time and opt for store-bought dog broth for dogs, ensure that they are organic, non-GMO types that don’t have preservatives, flavorings, and added salt.

Finally, if you didn’t know which ingredients to use or the steps to follow in making or serving your dog homemade or store-bought bone broth, I hope that all your questions have been answered in this post.

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