Affiliate disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read my affiliate policy.
The best kind of bone broth for dogs is, in my opinion, homemade, with fresh ingredients and using proteins your dog can tolerate.
Yes, there are some good store-bought bone broth products that are okay to use in a pinch or if you really can’t make your own, and we’ll cover my top picks for those in just a little bit.
But making your own bone broth is best, because you know exactly what you’re feeding and the ingredients are fresh and natural.
Yes, adding bone broth to your dog’s diet is great on so many levels. Here are a few of the health benefits:
- Improves joint health
- Boost your dog’s immune system
- Soothes an upset stomach and digestive distress
- Improves gut health
- Improves skin and coat health
- Supports sick and recovering dogs
- Encourages picky eaters
- Encourages good hydration
But the quality of the bone broth is vital in how much it’ll help your dog.
Take a look at my easy bone broth recipe for dogs and have a go at making your own!
Hint: It’s good for cats and humans, too!
- What Kind of Broth Can Dogs Have?
- Can I Give My Dog Broth Meant for Humans?
- What Kind of Bones Can I Use In Bone Broth for Dogs?
- Is Homemade Bone Broth for Dogs Safe?
- Is Store Bought Bone Broth Good For Dogs?
- Is Chicken Bone Broth better Than Beef Bone Broth?
- Can I Give My Dog Bone Broth Powder?
- Can I Give My Puppy Bone Broth?
- FAQS About Bone Broth
What Kind of Broth Can Dogs Have?
Your dog can have any bone broth that is filled with natural ingredients and animal proteins they can tolerate. Avoid any bone broths with additives, artificial flavors, unnecessary preservatives, added salt, and ingredients like onions and alcohol that are bad for dogs.
One of my dogs is intolerant to beef, chicken, turkey, and pork, so he can’t have beef bone broth or chicken broth, which means that even if I wanted to give him a commercial bone broth for dogs, I’d struggle. Even many broths labeled as lamb, venison, rabbit, and quail broths are actually largely made of chicken carcasses or beef bones or contain added chicken protein or “meat meal” (YUCK!).
Pet ingredient labels need a LOT of work, in my opinion. So please, if you do insist on buying rather than making the broth, check the labels!
If you follow a simple recipe like mine and only use proteins your dog can tolerate, your dog’s bone broth will be a powerhouse of goodness that goes beyond just tasting good and keeping your dog’s joints healthy.
Can I Give My Dog Broth Meant for Humans?
Yes and no. You shouldn’t give your dog broth meant for humans from the store, because it will likely contain salt, onions, and a whole host of other nasties.
However, you can make bone broth for humans that’s also suitable for dogs and cats. A multi-species broth, if you will. For example, in my bone broth recipe, I use human-grade ingredients, so the broth itself is human-grade.
Yes, I make it for my dogs (and cats) but I also use it as flavorsome stock for soups, stews, curries, and anywhere else you’d normally make stock or use a stock cube.
The trick is using human-grade ingredients, cooking the broth in such a way that it’s as flavorful as possible, and not using anything that would be bad for the dogs, cats, or humans.
Sure, I could make two bone broths, but honestly, why when it’s so simple to make one communal broth? Making bone broth isn’t difficult, but I don’t want to make two different batches when we can all eat the same one.
My simple bone broth recipe doesn’t include onion, sugar, or salt, but it’s packed full of flavor from the human-grade meat bones, vegetables, and herbs I include. This way, we all get to enjoy the benefits of the amino acids and essential nutrients as well as the lovely flavor from a single batch of bone broth.
What Kind of Bones Can I Use In Bone Broth for Dogs?
You can use any raw bones from animals your dogs are not sensitive to. I use what I have easy access to and avoid anything my guys are allergic to. For example, I can easily get hold of free-range chicken bones and organic chicken carcasses and turkey necks.
However, Oscar is severely intolerant of both of those, so I go for free-range duck necks or wings and rabbit carcasses. And he can’t have beef bones, either, so I go for deer bones as I can’t make beef broth. You can also use free-range elk bone if you can get it.
Feet are great, too, because they have a lot of connective tissue that breaks down to enrich the broth.
A healthy bone broth for dogs is made from proteins they can tolerate, maybe some fish oil (or some actual oily fish), and immune and joint-supporting herbs (like rosemary and parsley) and vegetables (like sweet potatoes, carrots, and celery) that soothe your dog’s stomach, supports their general health, and acts as a nutritious treat.
Stay away from overly complicated bone broth recipes and stick to ones with simple ingredients like mine, that you can customize to suit your dog.
Is Homemade Bone Broth for Dogs Safe?
Yes, homemade bone broth is safe for dogs and, in fact, is remarkably good for your dog’s health. the best bone broth for dogs is homemade from fresh, preferably free range and organic ingredients, with organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar to help break down the connective tissue, and that your dog enjoys.
It doesn’t need to be complicated or fancy. You don’t need to import 4 kinds of exotic animals bones from a different continent. Keep it simple. If you give dry food, even a simple chicken bone broth will have your dog turning summersaults when you add it as a nutritious topper to your dog’s food.
My dogs have a raw, species-appropriate diet, and they go crazy for their bone broth! In fact, my dogs eat bone broth almost every day.
As well as a nutrient-rich, healthful addition to the meals, I also use bone broth mixed with gelatin (or frozen) to hide supplements and medications that don’t taste good.
Yes, you can freeze it! I make a big old batch of bone broth and freeze it in paw and bone-shaped molds (like these ones), and just grab a couple out of the freezer when I need them.
Is Store Bought Bone Broth Good For Dogs?
It depends which one you buy. Whichever one you choose, make sure you read the ingredients first so that you don’t accidentally feed your dog something it’s sensitive to.
Of course I recommend you make your own, but if you must purchase bone broth, I do have some recommendations for you.
I’ve tried a number of different products for the sake of convenience when we’ve been travelling, and I’ve tried others specifically for these blog posts, so I can write with confidence about them. And here are my top picks:
You’ll see many others promoted on other websites, like Honest Kitchen bone broth or Merrick bone broth, or Native Pet bone broth, but I won’t recommend any product where the ingredients are mysteriously labeled or the company just isn’t transparent about exactly what’s in their products.
Think about it. If the product only contains a handful of natural, fresh ingredients, the company would be shouting it from the rooftops.
If the ingredients list isn’t clear or you need to go hunting for more info, I’d steer well clear of the product. I would never recommend you buy something I wouldn’t feed to my own pups.
Is Chicken Bone Broth better Than Beef Bone Broth?
Chicken and bone broth are both beneficial for dogs, cats, and humans, and which one is best depends on why you’re feeding it. If you’re just feeding bone broth for general health, either option is great.
But if you’re feeding for joint and skin health, beef broth is better than chicken because it contains more collagen. If you’re feeding bone broth for rehydration, remineralization, and to replace electrolytes, chicken bone broth is the better choice because it contains more hydrating minerals, including potassium and magnesium.
Can I Give My Dog Bone Broth Powder?
Yes, bone broth powder is a great option if you don’t have liquid broth to hand. I’ve used bone broth powder when on vacation and I just didn’t have room to keep a big bottle of broth refrigerated.
Again, make sure you use a high-quality product and that the ingredients are clean and simple. Then you can mix the powder with water to get a rehydrated broth or just sprinkle the powder onto your dog’s food as an interesting topper. They’ll still get most of the bone broth benefits. Remember, if you go for a human-grade bone broth powder, look for one with clean, dog-safe ingredients.
Can I Give My Puppy Bone Broth?
Yes, you can give bone broth to a puppy. Just remember to start small, offering only one or two teaspoons per day once the puppies are weaning onto regular food. You don’t want to give too much bone broth to developing pups because it can cause stomach upsets and can deliver too many vitamins and minerals in a short period.
Bone broth helps picky eaters, encourages puppies to transition to regular dog food, and provides all sorts of micronutrients a young dog’s body benefits from, helping to build strong joints, a healthy digestive system, and develop a strong, healthy brain.
FAQS About Bone Broth
Yes, you can give bone broth every day. My dogs get it with almost every meal, in treats, like my peanut butter and pumpkin dog treats or easy fish dog treats, frozen as pupsicles, or turned into a jelly or frozen to hide their supplements.
You can give dogs up to 1 oz per 10 lbs of bodyweight twice per day. In metric units, that’s 30 mls per 5 kilos of bodyweight twice daily.
Remember to just start with a tablespoon or two a day to see how well your dog tolerates it (or a teaspoon or two for small puppies).
Find more detail about how much bone broth you can give your dog here.
Yes, cats can eat bone broth for dogs. My cats would be disgusted if I gave broth to my dogs and neglected them! If I don’t watch out, those little kitty beasts will happily slurp up the dog’s broth while I’m preparing something else.
If you want to give your cats broth, start small, just like you do with dogs, but only offer a teaspoon at a time to begin with to make sure you don’t cause an upset stomach.
Yes! Bone broth is a great choice for boosting joint health. Bone broth is packed full of joint-protecting substances, including glycosaminoglycans (the one you’ve probably heard lots about is glucosamine), chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid.
The glycosaminoglycans stimulate your dog’s fibroblast cells to add collagen to joints, the fascia, which consists of connective tissues like ligaments and tendons, and even artery walls. Which is great for your dog’s joint (and heart) health.
Yes, you can give your dog bone broth to help with diarrhea. In fact, bone broth is soothing and anti-inflammatory, so it’s great for easing stomach and digestive issues, helping to relieve symptoms and discomfort.
Plus, it’s intensely hydrating, so it helps to replenish water and electrolytes to support health and recovery. Plus, because it’s so tasty, bone broth encourages dogs who’ve been feeling sickly and unwell to start eating again.