RECIPE: BONE MARROW BROTH FOR DOGS

INGREDIENTS

1-2kg (or more) raw bones with marrow (if possible try to choose organic, wild, grass-fed animals)

5 cm ginger root, sliced

50g parsley, chopped

100g Shiitake mushrooms

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

4 tablespoons organic raw apple cider vinegar (it helps pull the minerals and marrow from the bones)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3-5 bay leaves

5 litre water

METHOD

1.     Place all prepared ingredients in a large soup pot, slow cooker, or instant pot.

2.     Cook on low heat for 12 to 24 hours (12 on the stove at simmer, 24 in the slow cooker on low, or 3 or 4 hours in an instant pot).

3.     Allow to cool. Remove and discard bones (never feed cooked bones).

4.     Place broth in the refrigerator and allow the fat to rise to the top. Skim fat and discard.

NOTES

Raw bones are recommended. You can add in extra bones that have already been cooked, for example roasted; some of the nutrients have already been lost, but you can reuse them to extract every last bit.

HOW TO SERVE AND STORE BONE BROTH

Once the bone broth is ready, any added vegetables and meat strained from the broth can be added to meals as toppers.

Important: never feed cooked bones to dogs.

Bone broth can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to one week and frozen up to 12 months. I recommend freezing in ice cube trays, which is a great way to have single servings readily available. Just warm the frozen stock up before feeding to your pup, or serve the ice cubes on a hot summer day for hydration.

How much bone broth should you feed your dog? As with any new foods, introduce the bone broth slowly to assess your dog’s reaction and work your way up adding more as needed.