Precautions and Possible Side Effects of Bone Broth for Dogs
While bone broth is generally safe for dogs, there is still a chance that your pet might develop adverse reactions to certain ingredients in some bone broth recipes.
Keep in mind that bone broth should never be used as a substitute for a complete and balanced diet. It’s an excellent addition to supplement your pet’s diet. Moderation is very important. If your dog has been diagnosed with a particular health issue, it’s best to talk to your vet before offering your pet some broth.
When introducing bone broth to your dog, offer a very small amount and observe your pet closely for any reaction. If there’s none and he seems to like the taste, you can slowly increase the amount and frequency. But if your dog develops diarrhea or other reactions, you should stop giving bone broth.
When buying bone broth products, make sure to check that they don’t contain ingredients that can be toxic or harmful to dogs. Some of the ingredients that you should watch out for include onions, garlic, added seasonings, etc.
Bone broth is assumed by many to contain trace amounts of cadmium and other toxic metals. This assumption has stemmed from findings that calcium supplements that are made from bone meal (finely crushed bone) have a lead level in the range of a few to 10 μg/g, and some even contain cadmium.
However, the results of a 2017 study showed that the heavy metals such as Pb (lead) and Cd (cadmium) that are present in commercial broth/soup were found to have concentrations in the range of a few micrograms per serving. This means that the risks associated with ingestion of heavy metals from bone broth are considered to be minimal.
What Are the Benefits of Bone Broth for Dogs?
One of the greatest reasons to consider adding bone broth to your dogs diet is because its very good for them. Its beneficial for various bodily functions and is packed with nutrients that help your dog live his or her happiest, healthiest life.
Here are some of the top benefits of bone broth for dogs:
Best Organic: Native Pet Bone Broth For Dogs Review
If you’re looking for the best organic bone broth for dogs, Native Pet’s powdered broth is an excellent choice. Formulated by veterinary nutritionists, their grass-fed beef and chicken formulas contain only organic bone broth, meat, and sweet potatoes (a good source of vitamin A). Native Pet specializes in producing a variety of all-natural dog supplements with minimal, healthy ingredients.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| All ingredients are USDA organic and all-natural | Several complaints that the resealable packaging gets caked with powder |
| Non-GMO with no by-products, corn, wheat, or soy | |
| 1-year shelf life | |
| Sourced and made in the USA |
Serving sizes vary by weight. As an example, a 5.75 oz pouch contains 48 servings for dogs under 25 lbs.
Why You Should Add Bone Broth To Your Pet’s Diet | Joint Support, Gut Health, and Immune Health
In general, a bone broth recipe that is designed specifically for cats and dogs is quite safe and shouldnt do any harm. However, bone broth is generally not recommended for pets with a history of pancreatitis or sensitive stomachs. The high content of fatty, marrow-derived gelatin may be too rich if your doggo has a sensitive tum.
Store-bought or restaurant bone broth for humans is also not recommended as it frequently contains garlic and onions, which are toxic to pets.
What about lead poisoning? There is some evidence to suggest that bone broth contains high numbers of heavy metals including lead. The theory is that because most animals store 90% of lead in the bones, it is drawn out by the slow cooking process alongside all those other minerals.
One study4 demonstrated that a broth made from organic chicken boiled in tap water contained 7-10 times more lead (depending on the part of the chicken used in the broth) than boiled tap water alone. Slow cooked broth made from chicken skin and cartilage contained 9.5ug/L, and broth made from chicken bones contained 7.01ug/L, which is astoundingly higher than the lead found in the same tapwater boiled (0.89ug/L). However, these levels are still less than the legal limit for lead in tap water (which is 15ug/L).
Some scientists argue that the calcium in bone broth can help reduce absorption of lead, however its likely that there isnt actually enough calcium in bone broth to handle the levels of lead.
There is also some dispute over the reliability of the data, due to the small sample size and lack of variables reported. Read more about this here.
The major benefit to buying a bone broth made specifically for pets is that you can guarantee the safety of ingredients. As mentioned, human bone broths often contain garlic and onions. These ingredients may create a lovely aromatic flavour for us, but are toxic to our furry friends.
Another benefit to buying a pre-made bone broth for pets is simply the convenience. Sure, you can make your own bone broth at home, but with a 10-20 hour cooking time, its a long endeavour! A premade pet bone broth is ready-to-go and will save you the hassle.
Celebrity chef Pete Evans (known for his role on My Kitchen Rules and controversial pro-paleo stance) has recently released a line of pet food called Healthy Everyday Pets. It includes a ready-made bone broth designed specifically for cats and dogs. Paleo Petes pet food is as close to the paleo diet as possible, with a focus on meat proteins and superfoods, and utilises tapioca in place of grains or other carbohydrates.
Now, say what you like about the paleo diet for humans (as a die-hard fan of all things bread, I just couldnt do it myself…) the diet actually makes a lot of sense for our mostly carnivorous furry friends. Cats are obligate carnivores, and dogs are omnivores but have a higher requirement for meat than plant-based sources of protein.
How do you feed your pet bone broth? While most pets will happily lap up bone broth from a bowl, you can also pour bone broth over their regular food to increase palatability or soften the kibble. Using bone broth as a means of tempting fussy eaters to eat their kibble is a great, nutritious trick!