Quick and easy to make Homemade Instant Pot Bone Broth for Dogs for added nutrients and benefits.
There’s been a lot of buzz online about bone broth being good for your health, but did you know it’s also great for dogs!
There are a lot of great reasons to make this amazing liquid not only for yourself, but you can share it with your dog.
If you haven’t tried making bone broth for yourself, then grab some leftover chicken bones and a pot and let's make some for your dog. Your dog’s health will thank you.
What are the benefits of bone broth for dogs?
It’s Tasty, and Dog’s Love it
Let’s start with the obvious homemade bone broth tastes fantastic and dogs love it!
If you haven’t tried making bone broth for your dog, do yourself a favor and get in the kitchen now.
Your dog will love bone broth, especially beef or chicken bone broth, because it has a deep rich flavor.
After making it, you can even drink the broth on its own, while sharing it with your dog.
Or you can use it as the base for soups, stews and sauces. You can use bone broth in any recipe that calls for broth or stock.
Or try simmering your homemade dog food in the broth for added flavor and nutrition.
It’s Frugal to Make
Now when you buy chicken or beef with bones, you no longer have to throw the bones away.
Bone broth’s made from bones you’d normally toss in the trash. It doesn’t get a lot more frugal than that.
If you’re buying quality chicken, turkey or beef, you can make the most of every dollar you spend by utilizing every bit for your homemade dog food, dog food toppers or even bone broth added to your dog’s kibble, by including the bones.
You can even use the broth for making soups and stews. It’s a great way to make a bit of meat and veggies go a long way.
It’s Good For Your Dog
Let’s not forget about the health benefits of bone broth for you and your dog. Now when grandma puts on a pot of broth for homemade chicken soup, you’ll be able to use it for you and your dog.
Bone broth is full of minerals, including magnesium and calcium. The fat content in the broth helps your dog’s bodies absorb the various minerals.
It’s also full of collagen and gelatin, which are good for your dog’s skin, hair and joints.
Bone broth is one of the tastiest and inexpensive health foods that you can make for your dog right in your own kitchen.
Grab that chicken carcass leftover from last night’s dinner from the fridge, get out your instant pot and get cooking.
Different Ways Of Making Bone Broth for your Dog
Don’t have an instant pot? No problem! You can make bone broth using a crock pot or your stove top.
Bone broth gets better the longer you simmer the bones in the water, whether you use an instant pot, crock pot, or stove.
The best bone broth has cooked for at least 12 hours. Great bone broth takes a good 48 to 72 hours.
Whatever method you use is your matter of preference, there is no right or wrong way.
If you are home, use the stove top method.
If you work outside the home or want to keep the broth going overnight, a crock pot is a better choice.
Want it quick? Use the instant pot.
Whichever way you go, pick what works for you and start making some of this delicious broth.
Stock Pot Bone Broth
Before crock pots or instant pots, they made the traditional way of making bone broth by using the stove.
The benefits of using the stove is that you can make a large batch of bone broth by using a larger batch of bones or even the Thanksgiving turkey carcass. Here’s how to do it.
Grab your stock pot and place the bones in there. Your bones are fine, if they have some meat and cartilage on them.
In fact, the cartilage will dissolve and make the broth even better! Cover it with plenty of water and a good splash of Apple Cider vinegar.
Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low and allow your broth to simmer for 12 to 72 hours.
It’s always best to start the broth in the morning on a day when you’ll be home, letting it simmer all day. Turn the stove off right before you go to bed.
When you wake up the next morning, crank up the heat and bring the broth back to a boil, then simmer all day again. Rinse and repeat.
After 12 to 24 hours of simmering and sitting, the nutrients will leach from the bones and taste great. The longer you boil it, the better it gets.
Strain the liquid and store it in the fridge for 3 to 4 Days.
You can also freeze the broth for up to a year. So go ahead and whip up a big batch!
Crock Pot Bone Broth
Don’t want to “baby-sit” your broth all day?
Or want to simmer your bones for 24 to 72 hours straight, put your slow cooker to work. This works great for a chicken carcass or any small batch of bones.
- Put the bones in the crock pot.
- Next cover them with plenty of water.
- Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to get the most nutrients and minerals from the bones.
- Cover and cook on low as long as desired.
- Once you strain the liquid, you can get up to 3 batches of bone broth out of each batch of bones.
Instant Pot Bone Broth for your Dog
Last but not least, you can simply use your instant pot to make bone broth for you and your dog. You can quickly and easily have a batch of bone broth ready within a few hours.
This is a good idea if your making homemade dog food, have a dog who's a picky eater.
Put your chicken or beef bones in the instant pot along with any herbs or seasonings you like, cover with water and cook for 2 ½ hours.
What Bones Can Be Used To Make Bone Broth
You can make bone broth from just about any type of bone, but for the best results, it’s best to make sure you include some larger bones which contain marrow and some knuckles and/or chicken feet. This will give you plenty of collagen.
Let’s look at some different bones you can use and where to find them.
Chicken Bones
The easiest bones for bone broth are chicken bones.
Chicken bones are the perfect bones to make your batch of bone broth. When going to the grocery store, look for a nice organic chicken. Roast it and both you and your dog, enjoy the meat for dinner.
Then simply toss everything else into a large instant pot or crock pot, cover with water, and simmer.
In a hurry? Make it easy on yourself and pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store.
You can use the bones when you’re done to make broth.
It’s a great way to use every bit of the bird and end up with some tasty bone broth.
Turkey Bones
Both Turkey and Chicken works well for broth.
You must cut it up or you may need a larger pot.
Now you no longer need to worry about getting rid of that turkey carcass. You can use it to make a big batch of bone broth.
Bone broth freezes really well, no matter what bones you use.
So make a big batch and run the broth through a strainer. Store it in containers and freeze until you’re ready to use it.
Beef and Pork Bones
Want some amazing broth? Try using both beef and pork bones. They can be a little harder to find.
Talk to the butcher at your local grocery store. They’ve been able to provide some great bones.
Some grocery stores even sell pre-packed and cut bones in the meat department.
Your local farmers’ are another great place to source your bones. Talk to the farmers. A lot of them advertise for organic chickens.
Even if they don’t have beef or pork themselves, they usually know who you can get you in touch with for the bones.
When using beef or pork bones, roast your bones before you make the broth for best results.
All you need to do is spread them out on a baking dish and bake at 450 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
Allow them to cool until they are easily handled. Place the cooked bones into an instant pot, crock pot, or on the stove. Add plenty of water and boil until done.
By using a combination of marrow bones and knuckle bones, you’ll get the best broth with the most health benefits.
Bison and Wild Game Bones
Got a hunter in the family? Ask him to save the bones for you. Talk about fresh bones and marrow! You will treat them just like pork or beef bones.
How to Store or Freeze Bone Broth
You’ve made your first batch of bone broth, now what?
Chances are that between you and the dog, it’s probably almost all gone, but usually there’s a lot more broth than you can use up right away. Plus, making a big batch is a lot easier and more efficient.
Now let’s look at how to store everything you can’t use up right away.
Storing Bone Broth In The Fridge
Always allow your bone broth to cool completely after you’ve finished boiling it. Before storing bone broth, you’ll want to strain it into clean jars.
You can store bone broth in the freezer or in the refrigerator if you plan on using it right away. You can store bone broth in the refrigerator for up to a week’s time.
By leaving it in the refrigerator, you can use the broth straight from the fridge in your favorite soups or stews.
Want to give feed your dog or drink a cup of broth? You can easily grab a cup out of the refrigerator.
Freezing Bone Broth For Long Term Storage
More than likely you’ll have a bigger batch of broth than you can use over the course of a few days.
You can freeze the majority to be used later on as you need it.
Once your pot of broth and bones has cooled, strain the liquid into a large bowl or pitcher.
Depending on how you plan to use the broth later on, you can freeze it in mason jars or plastic containers.
You can even pour it into ice cube trays for smaller portions of broths that you can add to your dog’s food.
Whichever combination of containers you want to use, stir up your broth to make sure all the nutrients are equally distributed.
Pour the broth in your containers and leave them on the counter until they have cooled to room temperature.
I always advise to label your containers with today’s date before placing them into the freezer.
Did you use ice cube trays? Simply set them in the freezer for a few hours or until it freezes the broth solid, then pop them out and transfer them to a freezer bag.
Be sure to label the bag and put it back in the freezer. You can grab individual bone broth cubes as you want to feed them to your dog.
Adding Veggies and Spices to Your Bone Broth
The beauty of making your own homemade bone broth is that you can add a variety of spices and vegetables to it. It’s your broth and you can fix it how you want it.
There are a couple of ways to do this.
You can add veggies and spices during the cooking process, or you can spice things up once the broth is finished.
By adding spices and seasonings after the fact, is a great way to change up the flavor of yours and your dog’s broth. It also adds a wonderful flavor to your bone broth flavor after it has sat in the fridge for a few days.
I’ve always felt bone broth to be the tastiest right after it’s cooked.
It’s easy to change things up with a little spice, herbs and veggies that are dog safe.
Got a dog with diarrhea or tummy issues? You can add a cube of bone broth into your rice and chicken.
There are a bunch of herbs, spices, that are dog safe to add to your broth, which are included on this list.
Of course, this isn’t an all-inclusive list. If it sounds tasty, check to see if it’s a dog safe ingredient and try adding it to your broth for added flavor.
The other option is of course to add herbs, spices, and veggies to the cooking process.
Using veggie scraps are great for bone broth. Wait until the broth has boiled and add them to the broth.
When using dried herbs, you’ll want to add those in the beginning. With fresh herbs, wait until the end of the cooking process.
Most fresh herbs are fairly delicate and you’ll lose all the good flavor and any nutritional benefits if you boil them over a long period.
How do I use Apple Cider Vinegar for my Dog?
If you read recipe blogs, you’ll notice that almost every single website for making bone broth mentions the use of apple cider vinegar.
That’s for good reason. Apple cider vinegar offers many health benefits for your dog.
It improves digestion, helps to combat yeast infections, and can often relieve allergy symptoms.
Get More Minerals From Your Broth
The major reason to add apple cider vinegar to your broth is it helps to get more minerals and trace elements out of the bones.
The acidity of the apple cider vinegar helps dissolve minerals like magnesium, potassium and calcium from the bones and into the broth itself.
One of the enormous health benefits for dogs comes from the fact that it is so dense in minerals and nutrients they are often lacking in dog kibble. So do yourself a favor and add a big splash of apple cider vinegar to the pot.
Don’t have any apple cider vinegar? No worries, even plain white vinegar will do in a pinch.
It’s A Preservative
Another benefit to adding apple cider vinegar is that it acts as a preservative.
The acidic nature of any type of vinegar can kill bacteria, which makes your finished broth safe to consume after a few days.
It’s very similar to the pickling process of fish and veggies.
Where to Get Apple Cider Vinegar
You can find quality apple cider vinegar from Amazon or at your local health food store. You can even find it in your health food section of your grocery store.
Let's Get the Free Bone Broth Recipe
📖 Recipe
Bone Broth for Dogs
Healthy and Nutritious Bone Broth for Dogs.
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs of left-over meat carcass
- 3-4 carrots, cut into quarters
- 1 tablespoon Whole Black Peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 3 Bay Leaves
Instructions
- Add all of your ingredients to the Instant Pot.
- Add enough water to fill to your max line wthin the inner pot of your instant pot.
- Set to High Pressure for 120 minutes.
- Allow for a natural release.
- Once the pressure has completely released, allow it to cool. It will be quite hot.
- Transfer the broth to a mason jar or glass storage container to keep fresh for up to one week.
Notes
Best use is left over chicken carcass or beef bones.
Place any dog safe veggies or spices you like into the instant pot.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 778Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 312mgSodium: 1124mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 94g
Enjoy your cup of Bone Broth with your Dog.
Oma says
This is a wonderful recipe and it does have many health benefits.. I first tried this a couple years ago when my pup was not well and it did help.. Appetite increased until he was better... I used the instant cooker and it was speedy and no worries.. Great advice.. Many thanks
Ruby Doodle Dog says
I'm so glad...My dogs and I even enjoy bone broth. It's super healthy for us and our dogs. I've used the stove, instant pot and even a crock pot before. I definitely think the instant pot is easier and faster...Thanks for writing.
Dave says
Is it ok to use uncooked chicken bones ei chicken thighs that I have boned out