Many of us have heard about the supposed nutritional benefits of bone broth. I’ve been making it monthly for myself—and now for my pets too. Over time, I’ve noticed real changes in their health after adding it to their diet. I like to alternate between chicken and beef since each brings slightly different benefits. Today, I’m sharing my go-to chicken bone broth recipe for dogs. (I’ll post my beef version in a future article.)
Why Bone Broth?
Bone broth is packed with nutrients that are often linked to joint health, digestion, immune support, and hydration. While there isn’t a lot of scientific research that proves these claims, bone broth has been part of traditional cooking for centuries. Think of it as the foundation of that old wisdom—like when your mom told you chicken soup would make you feel better.
Personally, I enjoy a hot cup of broth every morning. Whether or not it provides measurable health benefits, I find it soothing, and if it helps, that’s a bonus.
Important note: This recipe is tailored for pets. Always avoid ingredients that are toxic to dogs, such as onions or garlic.
Bonus Kitchen Hack
Another reason bone broth is a staple in my home is that it practically pays for itself. I usually buy whole chickens at the butcher and simmer them for broth. Before adding any extra ingredients, I scrape off all the cooked meat, store it in a container in the fridge, and use it later for salads, tacos, sandwiches—you name it. The whole chickens become broth for the pets and meals for me..
For the ingredients below I list the benefits
INGREDIENTS
| 2 – chicken carcasses | Note you can use most chicken bones, throughout the course of my week when I have bones I collect them and save them in the freezer for use the next time I make a broth. |
| 8 Chickens feet | Excellent source of glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health. I tend to use more then traditional recipes as it can make a difference. |
| 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar | This is important to extract the nutrients from the bones |
| 10 quarts of water | |
| 2 -3 Carrots chopped but Coarse | Great for dogs. High in fiber and beta-carotene |
| 1 teaspoon Tumeric | Has anti-inflammatory benefits – Note don’t exceed 1tsp |
| 1 Bell pepper chopped | Note this is optional, my dogs love it but its only safe in small amounts. |
| 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped | |
| 1/4 teaspoon Dried thyme | Has antimicrobial properties |
DIRECTIONS
1. Place bones in a pot of water and boil them for 15 minutes to remove the impurities before using them.(optional). Note if you started from whole chickens this step is not necessary.
2. Place the chicken bones, chicken feet, and apple cider vinegar in a large stockpot. Cover with water until the bones are submerged and covered by at least 1″ of water.
3. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer for a total time of 23 hours. Note, it is important to let it simmer and not continue boiling otherwise the broth will evaporate and we did this all for nothing. Simple tip if its boiling you’re ruining it.
3. After simmering 23 hours, add vegetables and any optional herbs and spices, then continue to simmer again total cooking time 24 hours.
4. Remove large parts of bones and vegetables from the pot.
5. Pour the bone broth through a fine-mesh strainer into another heat-proof container, pressing down on the bones and vegetables to really get the liquids out. Let the broth rest for a bit till it reaches room temperate and then place in the refrigerator to cool overnight, this allows any fat to rise to the top and solidify.
6. Skim off the fat and discard.
7. Ladle the cooled bone broth into to storage containers through cheesecloth or strainer.
8. Store bone broth in refrigerator or freezer. Refrigerator store broth will last about 2 weeks, Freezer stored broth should last a couple of months.
There are many ways to feed it to your pets, here are some of the ideas I have used.
- Frozen – some in a ice cube tray and then I place a ice cube in their bowl with other food.
- Topper – I pour over some hard kibble to enhance the flavor.
- Soup – I feed it to them in a dog bowl like a soup, note one of my dogs loves it, the other cant figure out what to do and hasn’t yet enjoyed it this way.
Cost
Lately I have had a lot of questions about how much I spend to make a batch of bone broth and compare it to buying it at the store grocery store, note bone broth sold for pets is ridiculously expensive for no reason so I wouldn’t even consider it.
So here is a breakdown from my last batch
2 whole chickens – $6 ea/ = 12
8 Chicken feet – $3.50
Vegetables – ~$5.00
This will make about ~9 16oz containers for about $20
Compare this with store bought, the typical price is 7-9 dollars per 32oz which would run you about $63(on the low end) so your getting quite a good value not to mention it is just better and no added crap needed for preservation.
Well thats it, please share your thoughts and here’s to your pets health.
Phil is an avid dog lover, amateur chef, Dog dad and dad to his amazing son.