The holidays are right around the corner, and for many of us, that means a turkey dinner and all the fixings. Gathering around a festive table, laughing and talking, and sharing all the things we’re thankful for – It’s one of the best times of the year.
One of the things we’re most thankful for is our animals. So once that turkey is cooked, we don’t just toss the bones in the compost! We use it to make something extra special for them. Bone broth for pets is a healthy, nutrient-packed addition to any diet.
And it’s really easy to make.
Bone Broth for Pets
Bone broth for pets is packed with vitamins and minerals and is a good source of protein, glycine, collagen, and glucosamine. It’s also hydrating. Plus, animals tend to like the flavor and find it easy on their tummies.
Here are just a few of the reasons :
- Supports joint health
- Packed full of nutrition
- Supports digestion and can help with an upset stomach
- Helps detox the liver
- Great immune system booster
- Hydrating
- Boosts skin and coat health
How to Make Bone Broth
Ready, set, go! 5 simple steps = a nutritious treat your pet will love, love, love.
What you’ll need:
- 2 pounds beef marrow bones (or similar)
- 4 raw chicken or pig feet, joints, or beef knuckles
- 2 cups green beans, broccoli, or really any healthy veggie your dog likes
- 1 cup roughly chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- Water
Use whatever bones you like – but the feet, joints and knuckles add a ton of flavor and contain lots of gelatin to make your bone broth nice and slimy (and that’s a good thing!).
- Toss all of the bones in your crockpot. A pot on the stove works fine too, but the crockpot is the easiest method since you won’t have to worry about leaving it unattended. Add enough water to cover the bones by about an inch, then add two to four tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. The apple cider vinegar helps pull all of the minerals and nutrients out of the bones and into your broth.
- Set your crockpot to low and let everything cook for 24 hours or more. Some people prefer cooking it for up to 72 hours. Keep an eye on it as it cooks, and add more water as needed to keep the bones covered.
- Strain the bones from the broth. These cooked bones should never be fed to your pet – they can break and splinter. Take them all out and toss them in the green bin.
- Add your veggies. There really is no limit here on what you can add. We love a handful of green beans, or some broccoli. **If you’re making this for your cat, you can skip the veggies 🙂
- Let the broth cool, then put it in the fridge. After a few hours, you’ll notice a layer of fat has solidified on the top. Scrape that off and toss it. Your broth should be a jelly-like consistency. The jelly means you’ve got lots of gelatin in there. Now, if it isn’t, that just means there wasn’t enough vinegar in there – but don’t worry. It’s still really good for your animal!
Keep some of the bone broth in the fridge, as much as you’ll use in 3-4 days. Put the rest in the freezer. An ice cube tray makes for easy portioning, and you can just take a cube or two out to defrost and put on your pet’s food. Frozen, bone broth is good for up to a year.
To feed bone broth for pets, take a few good tablespoons and spoon them over your pet’s regular food. This is food, not medicine, so don’t worry too much about the portion size.
