Bone broth is a “superfood” - packed with vitamins and minerals that provide some impressive health benefits for your dog or cat. Simmering beef or chicken bones for a long time breaks down the tendon, cartilage, meat and bone marrow and releases all of the nourishment into the liquid. Here are some of the ways that bone broth can improve your pet’s health. 

 

  • Digestive Issues. The intestines are lined with miniscule holes, which allow the nutrients from food to pass from the gut into the body. A high carbohydrate diet, stress, and bacterial overgrowth are some of the ways that these holes increase in size. Bigger holes means things that shouldn’t pass into the body, such as toxins or undigested food, now can. This causes an inflammatory response with symptoms such as diarrhea and fatigue and is also how allergies and food sensitivities develop.  But even if your dog doesn’t have digestive issues, it’s still a good idea to increase the nutrients in his diet that will improve intestinal health.
  • Joint Health. Bone broth is chock-full of glucosamine, gelatin, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid, which all help to protect the joints. 
  • Liver Detox.   Dogs are exposed to an onslaught of pollutants such as chemicals on grass, household cleaning products, flea and tick preventives, vaccines, inferior food ingredients, and more.  Bone broth has tons of the amino acid glycine, that helps the liver to function properly. 
  • Perfect for sick dogs.  If your dog has vomiting or diarrhea or is recovering from an illness, bone broth is easily absorbed and can quickly replenish vitamins and minerals and help get the digestive system functioning again. 
  • Encourages appetite.  If your dog is having trouble eating for whatever reason, they will usually lap up bone broth.
  • Improves skin and coat.  The many vitamins that are in bone broth are beneficial to dog’s skin and fur.  

 

While bone broth is very nutritious and delicious, it’s important to note that it is not a replacement for a dog’s regular food.  Use it as a supplement for extra nourishment or on a short-term basis until they are able to eat their regular food again.   

Bone broth for pets is NOT the same as chicken or beef stock for humans!  Stock meant for humans is not safe to give to dogs or cats.  Bone broth is easy to make yourself, but it is time consuming. Most pet owners find it much easier to use specially prepared bone broth from reputable companies.