Bone broth is so good for dogs. It is filled with vitamins and minerals, collagen, and joint pleasers such as glucosamine and chondroitin. Bone broth made for humans usually contains ingredients that aren’t good for dogs such as too much salt and onions. Also, purchasing high quality organic bone broth can be pricey! I like to make my own dog-friendly bone broth. Enough to supplement Miles’ diet for 1-2 months costs me less than $5. Making dog-friendly bone broth is really fun too!
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Recipe, Steps & Instructions
Step 1: Getting the Bones
Head over to your local butcher and say “I’d like to make my own bone broth and I’d like enough ___ (protein of your choice) bones to fill a standard large pot.” This is a way more accurate way of asking for broth bones than if you name a weight, and will also allow your butcher to be conscious about cutting the bones if necessary so that they fit nicely in your pot. I usually get pork bones for Miles. I always end up with somewhere between 2.5-5 pounds of organic grass-fed pork bones, and they cost me less than $5.
Step 2: Into the Pot
Toss your bones in your pot. If there are extra, seal them in a ziplock bag and pop them in the freezer for next time.
Step 3: Adding Water
Fill your pot up about 3/4 of the way with cold water.
Step 4: Adding ACV
Add approximately 2 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar – I use this great stuff. ACV helps draw the nutrients out of the bones and is a healthy addition.
Step 5: Adding Salt
Then sprinkle a dash of high quality salt. I use this cheap ultra-high quality salt. Nope, salt isn’t bad for dogs in small quantities. Most dogs who eat kibble are already used to eating salt; raw-fed dogs sometimes could even use a bit of salt added to their diets at times.
Step 6: Adding Bonus Healthy Additions
If you like, you can add a few cloves of garlic (garlic in normal quantities is beneficial, not harmful for dogs!), and high-nutrient fresh herbs such as cilantro, basil, parsley, and oregano. I was inspired by The Forever Dog to add these healthy herbs, as they are great for dogs like Miles who are prone towards skin troubles and allergies.
Step 7: Cooking Time
Bring your broth to a low slow simmer and let it cook for around 4 hours. You can absolutely cook the broth longer if you like, just make sure to add water if the level gets too low and check on your broth frequently. I have found on a low simmer for 4 hours to be the easiest sweet-spot for producing my own gelatinous perfect dog-friendly bone broth, and I don’t usually need to add any extra water.
Miles says waiting is tough because it smells so good!
Step 8: Finished Cooking!
After 4 hours, your broth will look like above.
Step 9: Straining the Bones From the Broth
The next step is to strain the bones and meat (and if you used them – herbs and garlic) from your broth. I like to go one step beyond that and carefully pick the meat off of the bones to use as the meat for my famous food-stuffable toy recipe! Tip: don’t save the meat that if you aren’t 100% confident you can can avoid accidentally also saving bone shards.
Step 10: Refrigerating Your Broth Overnight
Once you have strained the solid stuff (bones, herbs, etc) from your broth, pour the broth back into the pot, cover it, and place it in the fridge overnight.
Step 11: Skimming the Fat
In the morning, you will notice a layer of fat on the top of your broth. Removing the fat is my FAVORITE PART of bone broth…. It is soooo satisfying! Above is the broth with the fat, below is with it removed. If you are a major foodie, you can save this fat for other uses (you can google how to use saved animal fat – if you don’t eat meat this will sound gross but if you do, it is nice that no part goes to waste).
The broth, sans fat
Step 12: Portioning/Freezing Your Broth
Working in batches, lightly melt the broth on in the pot on the stove, then pour it into ice cube trays. While your batches are freezing, store your remaining broth in the covered pot in the fridge.
Step 13: Reaping the Rewards!
I add one of these beautiful bone broth cubes to each of Miles’ meals. He loves it, it is so healthy, and I also use bone broth for these two recipes — Doggie Milkshake for food stuffable toys and my DIY Greens for Dogs to help protect your dog from cancer and to enrich their gut microbiome.
