Bone Broth for Dogs & Cats: A Simple Superfood Your Pet Will Love
If you're looking for an easy, natural way to support your dog or cat's health, bone broth is one of the best additions you can make to their diet.
This nutrient-rich liquid has been used for generations to nourish recovering animals, encourage fussy eaters, and provide valuable hydration. Today, it's becoming increasingly popular with pet Guardians who want to give their companions a wholesome nutritional boost.
While bone broth isn't a miracle cure, it can be a fantastic addition to a balanced diet and may help support healthy joints, digestion, hydration, and overall wellbeing.
Why Bone Broth is Good for Dogs and Cats
1. Supports Joint Health
Bone broth naturally contains collagen, gelatin, glucosamine, chondroitin and amino acids that are involved in maintaining healthy cartilage and connective tissues.
As dogs and cats age, supporting their joints becomes increasingly important. Active dogs, senior pets, and larger breeds may particularly benefit from these naturally occurring nutrients.
2. Gentle on Sensitive Stomachs
Many Guardians use bone broth when their pet has a reduced appetite or is recovering from illness.
The gelatin found in bone broth may help support normal digestive function while making meals more appealing. Its rich aroma often encourages pets who are reluctant to eat.
3. Encourages Hydration
Some pets simply don't drink enough water, especially cats.
Adding a splash of bone broth to meals or offering it as a drink can help increase fluid intake while providing additional nutrients.
4. Bone Broth During Recovery or After Fasting
If your veterinarian has recommended a short period of fasting following an episode of digestive upset, bone broth can be a gentle way to help encourage hydration and provide a small amount of nutrition before gradually reintroducing bland foods.
Offer small amounts of cooled bone broth frequently, ensuring it contains no onions, garlic, excessive salt, or seasonings. Once your pet is ready to eat, you can begin introducing easily digestible foods—such as plain cooked turkey and pumpkin—while continuing to offer bone broth alongside meals.
If your dog or cat is unable to keep water down, continues vomiting, has diarrhoea lasting more than 24 hours, appears lethargic, or has an underlying medical condition, seek veterinary attention promptly. Bone broth can be a supportive addition during recovery, but it is not a substitute for veterinary treatment.
5. Adds Natural Nutrients
Slow-cooked bones release valuable minerals and amino acids including:
• Glycine
• Proline
• Glutamine
• Calcium (in small amounts)
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
These nutrients contribute to normal tissue maintenance and overall health.
6. Makes Meals More Appealing
Have a picky eater?
A few tablespoons poured over kibble, raw food or cooked meals can transform dinner into something irresistible.
Many guardians find bone broth particularly useful for:
• Senior pets
• Recovering animals
• Puppies and kittens transitioning to solid food
• Pets with reduced appetites
Homemade Slow Cooker Bone Broth Recipe
Making bone broth at home is surprisingly easy.
Ingredients
• 1–2 kg raw beef, chicken, turkey or lamb bones
• Enough filtered water to cover the bones
• 2 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar (helps extract minerals)
• Optional: pet-safe herbs such as parsley
Important: Never add onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, excessive salt or seasonings.
Method
- Place bones into a slow cooker.
- Cover completely with filtered water.
- Add unfiltered apple cider vinegar.
- Cook on Low for 18–24 hours.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Strain the liquid and discard the cooked bones (never feed cooked bones to pets).
- Refrigerate overnight and skim excess fat from the top before serving.
Serving Guide
• Small dogs & cats: 1–2 tablespoons
• Medium dogs: ¼ cup
• Large dogs: ½ cup
Serve over meals, on its a few times each week.
Freeze leftovers in silicone moulds or ice cube trays for convenient portions.
Don't Have Time to Make Your Own?
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Whether you're feeding raw, fresh, cooked or kibble, our bone broths make an easy, nutritious addition to your pet's daily routine.
A Few Things to Remember
Bone broth is a nutritional supplement—not a complete diet or a replacement for veterinary care.
If your dog or cat has a medical condition such as pancreatitis, kidney disease, food allergies or requires a prescription diet, always speak with your veterinarian or qualified nutritionist before introducing new foods.
Quality also matters. Homemade or premium pet-specific bone broths are preferable to many supermarket varieties, which often contain onions, garlic, excessive sodium or other ingredients that aren't suitable for pets. Use bones from grass-fed animals where you can.
Why Bone Broth Deserves a Place in Your Pet's Bowl
Bone broth is one of nature's simplest nutritional additions.
It's easy to prepare, highly palatable, and can provide valuable hydration along with naturally occurring collagen, amino acids and joint-supporting compounds.
Whether you're caring for a playful puppy, an active adult, a senior companion or a fussy feline, adding bone broth to the menu is an easy way to support their wellbeing—one delicious bowl at a time.
Scientific Research & References
Alcock RD et al. (2019). Bone Broth Unlikely to Provide Reliable Concentrations of Collagen Precursors Compared with Supplemental Sources of Amino Acids. Nutrients. This study found that bone broth contains collagen-related amino acids, but the amounts can vary considerably depending on preparation.
Eckert T et al. (2021). Efficacy of Chondroprotective Food Supplements Based on Collagen Hydrolysate in Dogs with Osteoarthritis. Dogs receiving collagen hydrolysate showed improvements in quality of life and mobility compared with other supplement groups.
Dobenecker B et al. (2024). The Oral Intake of Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides Improves Gait and Quality of Life in Canine Osteoarthritis Patients. This placebo-controlled study found improvements in gait and quality of life after 12 weeks of collagen peptide supplementation.
Recent canine gut health research has also suggested that bone broth may positively influence the gut microbiome and digestive health, although further peer-reviewed studies are still needed before firm conclusions can be made.
