Homemade bone broth recipe for dogs that's human grade too is easy to make with fresh ingredients like beef marrow bones from the butcher, beef knuckle bones, celery, carrots, thyme, fresh parsley, and water. You will also need a crock pot or slow cooker for this simple bone broth recipe for dogs.
Bone broth recipe for dogs pressure cooker is wonderful all year long and fresh, healthy, food for your canine companions and kitties! This homemade bone broth for dogs recipe is human friendly too and goes great with my Easy Loaded Potato Soup Dutch Oven recipe and Dutch Oven Chili recipe and stay tuned for our healthy dog food for allergies recipe coming soon! Meat Sauce Stuffed Shells recipe is another great dinner option as well as Delicious Healthy Leftover Turkey Soup for cozy comforting winter meals.
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🦴 Ingredients For DIY Bone Broth For Dogs
What you'll need for Bone Broth For Dogs Recipe
- Beef marrow bones and beef knuckle bones (you can also use raw chicken feet, raw pigs feet, oxtail, and joint bones) *always make sure to use raw bones
- Apple Cider Vinegar | Raw apple cider vinegar is best
- Fresh Carrots
- Fresh Celery
- Fresh Thyme (yup, thyme is perfectly healthy for your Fido! )
- Fresh Parsley
- Water
Equipment you'll need for healthy diy dog broth
- A slow cooker, crockpot, Dutch oven, or even an Instant Pot works great for homemade beef broth
- Freezer-safe storage containers or Mason Jars
See full recipe card below for quantities
🦴 Instructions For How To Make Bone Broth At Home For Dogs
The wonderful thing about this beef bone broth recipe is that it has so many benefits for your dog's health. It's filled with delicious, organic ingredients that help your pup have healthy skin, better eyesight, a thicker and shinier coat, better bone health, and stronger immunity. It's wonderful for dogs' digestive health as well as their microbiome. More and more studies have found that a healthy gut biome is essential to a dog's longevity and overall well-being.
If you want to read even more about how important your dog's gut microbiome is, then you should check out the book called: The Forever Dog. After reading that, my mind was changed forever on how humans should approach their dogs' health.
Step 1: In a slow cooker, add the frozen beef marrow bones and beef knuckle bones
Step 2: Next, add chopped parsley, carrots, and celery and surround the veggies around the beef marrow bones.
Step 3: Next, add the apple cider vinegar, then add cold water, leaving an inch of space. Add the fresh thyme.
Step 4: Cover the slow cooker and set it on the low setting for ideally 24 hours to get the most benefit out of the beef bone broth. You can also set it on high for 12 hours. Make sure to stir the bone broth occasionally.
Step 5: The bone broth will be bubbly and you'll be able to see fat solids starting to form. That's how you know the bone broth is done. Turn off the slow cooker. Remove bones and discard. Allow broth to cool. Never feed your dogs cooked bones.
Step 6: When cooled, remove the hardened fat layer on top. Remove vegetables and pour the broth through a strainer to remove bone fragments.
Step 7: Divide the prepared bone broth into freezer-safe containers and label them. Dog-friendly bone broth freezes well and will keep fresh in the fridge for up to five days and in the freezer for up to a year.
🦴 FAQs For Homemade Collagen Bone Broth For Dogs
Why won't my bone broth gel?
- Cooking too long makes the collagen break down and too short doesn't allow enough to be extracted. 8-12 hours or on the low setting for 24 hours should be enough time to get a good gelatin formed.
- Don't cook the bone broth too fast or too hot. The collagen will break down if the broth is boiled at too high of a temperature. With bone broth, slow and steady wins the race!
Can I add beef gelatin to my homemade bone broth?
- Beef gelatin from a proper source is wonderful for humans and dogs! You can try adding 1-2 scoops of beef gelatin to the slow cooker to help the gelatin form.
Too much water, too little Apple Cider Vinegar
- Another culprit to bone broth not turning into a gel, is too much water and a lack of apple cider vinegar. You want to add just enough water to cover the bones and ¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar. This ratio should help the beef bone broth form into gelatin.
Does my bone broth have to gel to be nutritious?
- Of course not! Bone broth is a very nutritious, high-density food that is wonderful for your body and your pup's body, regardless of whether or not it turns into a gel. Bone broth is filled with collagen and bone Marrow provides vitamins A and B and minerals like zinc, iron, calcium, and selenium. All these parts also contain the protein collagen and tons of beneficial amino acids.
There is a reason that marrow broth or bone broth is called liquid gold. It's because it has an abundance of nutritional health benefits for you and your pets.
Yes, dogs and cats can enjoy cooked bone broth! Use it as a meal topper over your dog's kibble, or as a liquid over your dog's raw food. You can even freeze the bone broth in ice cube trays and serve it up as frozen dog treats! Bone broth cubes anyone?
This homemade broth recipe is a great way for you and your dogs to strengthen your immune system, and possibly help heal leaky gut, contains hyaluronic acid, can help with digestive upset, is great for senior dogs, and can help heal digestive issues.
A pup's digestive system can be sensitive to new foods, so if you've never fed your dog bone broth before, start in small amounts at first. My dogs have had zero issues drinking bone broth and lap it up in their food. We give our dogs fresh bone broth daily! Cooking soup bones for dogs is truly a gift for your pup!
🦴 Pro Tip For Homemade Bone Broth
What ingredients to avoid in bone broth for dogs?
- Refrain from adding onion or garlic to your dog's bone broth recipe as dogs cannot have garlic or onion as it can cause kidney damage.
- You can make bone broth recipe for dogs with turmeric, as turmeric is a wonderful anti-inflammatory and can help your dog's joints.
- You can store bone broth in sealed mason jars or freezer-safe bpa-free containers. Opt for glass alternatives whenever possible.
Pro Tip:
You can totally use the leftover veggies and meat from this recipe for your dogs! We do this all of the time. Just make sure you don't give your dogs any cooked bones as they can splinter in their tummies.
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Bone Broth Recipe For Dogs | Human Grade Too
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds Raw animal bones with marrow chicken feet, beef marrow bones, oxtail, joint bones Use as many bones as your crockpot will fit
- 1 bunch celery (ends trimmed off)
- 6 carrots peeled whole roasting carrots or 3-cups baby carrots
- 1 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- ¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar
- Enough water to cover the bones
Instructions
- In a slow cooker, add the frozen beef marrow bones and beef knuckle bones
- Next, add chopped parsley, carrots, and celery and surround the veggies around the beef marrow bones.
- Next, add the apple cider vinegar, then add cold water, leaving an inch of space. Add the fresh thyme.
- Cover the slow cooker and set it on the low setting for ideally 24 hours to get the most benefit out of the beef bone broth. You can also set it on the medium setting for 12 hours. Make sure to stir the bone broth occasionally.
- The bone broth will be bubbly and you'll be able to see fat solids starting to form. That's how you know the bone broth is done. Turn off the slow cooker. Remove bones and discard. Allow broth to cool. Never feed your dogs cooked bones.
- When cooled, remove the hardened fat layer on top. Remove vegetables and pour the broth through a strainer to remove bone fragments.
- Divide the prepared bone broth into freezer-safe containers and label them. Dog-friendly bone broth freezes well and will keep fresh in the fridge for up to five days and in the freezer for up to a year.
Tammy
Hi there! I was wondering if I can use an instant pot instead of a slow cooker with this recipe? TIA
Genevieve
Yes! An instant pot would work great and speeds up the cooking process for sure. 🙂
Emily
Can i feed my dog the “beef remains” that are in the pot after cooking the bones? Not the fat, but the other “stuff” that isn’t bones?
Genevieve
Yes you totally can Emily! 🙂 Just no cooked bones as they can splinter in their tummies.
Lexie
Hi just wanted to know if i can give the the vegetables as well or not
Genevieve
Yes, Lexie you can totally give your dogs the leftover cooked veggies! 🙂
Jenn S.
Thanks for posting this recipe! I just loaded a standard size (I think) crock pot with the ingredients. (I used 3lbs of bones and covered with just enough water, as directed.)
My question: If I were to use a different size cooking vessel in the future, should I be concerned with the liquid to bone ratio? I’m worried about the broth being too diluted.
Thanks for your help!
Genevieve
Hi Jenn!
The liquid should not be diluted at all as long as you cook the bone broth for the proper amount of time with the right soup bones, the liquid should be cook regardless of the cooking vessel you are using. I hope that helps. Please let me know if you hae more questions, I'm happy to help!
Faye
How about turmeric n a little pepper? I don’t hv thyme on hand, can I use oregano? How about tomato paste? Sweet potatoes? Thank you
Genevieve
Hi Faye,
You can use turmeric and black pepper, but not a ton as those are both really strong spices for doggies pallets. I do recommend in the recipe to use sweet potatoes, but then it won't be a bone broth, it will be more of a thick soup consistency. I would not add tomato paste to this recipe as again it will make it more of a thick soup and dogs don't typically love the acidic taste of tomatoes. I hope that helps. 🙂
Julie C
Can you you pressure can bone broth?
Genevieve
Yes you totally can! Instant Pot works well too!
Kevin Cowhey
Does it have to be fresh thyme and parsley?
Genevieve
You don't have to use fresh, ground works well too!
Linda
Great recipe, I’ve made it several times now. Typically I use beef neck bones which generally has some meat that comes off the bone during the cooking process. Could the leftover veggies/beef be used for my dog? Any reason he shouldn’t be allowed to eat some with his normal food?
Thank you
Genevieve
Hi Linda!
I always give my dogs the leftover veggies so that isn't an issue. Just make sure you don't feed your pups any of the cooked bones and they will be fine. Cooked bones can splinter in their tummies. I'm so glad you are enjoying the recipe, this makes me so happy to hear! 🙂 Feel free to send me an email if you have any other questions so I can respond right away. fittyfoodlicious@gmail.com
Amy
Loved this so much! We also had a bank up of frozen bones too so this was great.
Adriana
I make this often for my dogs good stuff!
AlohaLei fleuri
Trying to find original author. my dog is allergic to carrots. I only give sweet taters when they are sick. Is there another choice? Turnips ?
Genevieve
Sweet potatoes are a great option, Turnips may be too strong for pup's tummies.
Juyali
Pure liquid gold for our golden pup! It smells amazing, and he was absolutely in love with it. I might be tempted to try it myself... just kidding (or am I?). 😉
Jacqueline
I learnt something I never knew reading this post..that onions are bad for dogs. On occasion, I do make bone broth for my dog and have sometimes added an onion to it. Luckily he doesn't seem to have suffered any problems as a result but next time I'll be using this bone broth recipe for him!
Claire Best
Hi Jacqueline. I'm not a dog expert, just a dog owner who has done a lot of research. Onions and garlic are some of the most toxic foods for dogs.
I keep this website as a tab on my computer for easy reference. It gives you details of 50 foods that are toxic/harmful to dogs, explains why, and possible symptoms to watch out for if they've eaten some. I know Xylitol, the sweetener, is really bad. Hope this is useful.
https://www.hundeo.com/en/care/what-dogs-dont-eat/
Genevieve
Hi Claire and Jaqueline, you NEVER want to give dogs onion or galic as it can cause kidney failure. I do also reference in this blog post if you read it. Dogs also should never have any sweeteners as their bodies cannot process it. I hope that helps!
Penny Hurt
I don't have a slow cooker so I'll make it in a heavy pot in my oven. What temperature should I set the oven to?
Many thanks for this recipe
Penny
Genevieve
Let it simmer on low for at-least 8-hours and you should be good. Let me know if you have any other questions, I'm happy to help!
Genevieve
Yes, no onion or garlic for dogs. It's a toxin to their systems and can cause seizures and kidney failiure. I'm glad I could help. 🙂
Claudia
Just made this bone broth and it’s fantastic! My dog loves it, and it’s great knowing it’s human-grade too.
Genevieve
That's so great to hear Claudia! We make it weekly in our household, it's always a hit with pups and humans alike. 🙂
Alex
Can I do this in an instapot?
Genevieve
Yes you can Alex, there are instructions in the recipe card for that, but do let me know if you have any questions.
Genevieve
Hi Alex, you sure can!
Mary Harris
Can’t wait to make this for my dogs
Genevieve
It's so good! Let me know how you like it.
Genevieve
Let me know how you like it, Mary!
Nicole
I am going to make today ☺️! Have you tried canning instead of freezing?
Genevieve
You can can it! Haha, see what I did there. Although you would still need to freeze it to keep it fresh. I hope that helps 🙂
Kio
Hi there,
Can I make this in a pressure cooker? if yes, how long do I put it in for?
Genevieve
You can make it in a pressure cooker and if so, it would be for about 2-3 hours. I hope that helps. 🙂
Ieva
My golden retriever was excited ever since I put the slow cooker on. Such a great recipe!
Leslie
This is an excellent recipe! I'm going to use just a little at a time to drizzle over my dog's food.
Claudia
I made this homemade bone broth for my dog, and it’s packed with nutrients—so good that it’s human-grade too!
Angie
My two doodles licked their bowl clean! I topped their kibble with the cut up carrots and a tablespoon of broth. This recipe gets a four paws up review from the doodles and a five star from the human!!
Genevieve
This is so wonderful to hear, Angie! Love that your pups loved it!
Lauren
Can I add fresh rosemary by chance?
Genevieve
Yes! Totally safe, but keep it to small amounts to their digestive tracts get use to it. 🙂