Bone Broth for Dogs: What It Is and How to Use It
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Bone broth has gone from a kitchen staple to one of the most talked-about extras in the dog bowl. But what actually is it, how is a powder different from the stock in your cupboard, and how much should you give? This is our straightforward guide — what it is, how to serve it, and what it costs per day.
What is bone broth?
Bone broth is made by simmering animal bones slowly for a long time, until the liquid is rich and savoury. A bone broth powder is simply that broth gently dehydrated, so it keeps in the cupboard and you make up only what you need.
Our own-label broths are single-ingredient: 100% chicken bone broth or 100% beef bone broth, produced in the UK and packed by us in Deeping St James. Nothing added — no salt, no onion, no flavourings.
What's in it?
Because it's just broth, it's almost entirely protein. On a typical analysis:
- Chicken bone broth powder: crude protein 93%, crude fat 0.5%, crude fibre 1%, crude ash 1%.
- Beef bone broth powder: crude protein 95%, crude fat 2%, crude fibre 1%, crude ash 1%.
Bone broth also naturally contains collagen, which comes from the bones and connective tissue during that long simmer. It's a complementary food — a topper or a drink alongside your dog's usual complete diet, not a replacement for it.
Why not just use stock from the supermarket?
Please don't. Stock cubes and gravy granules made for people usually contain a lot of salt and often onion or garlic, both of which are toxic to dogs. If you'd like to give your dog broth, use one made for dogs with nothing added.
Making your own is fine too, as long as you leave out salt, onion and garlic — and never feed the cooked bones. Cooking makes bones brittle and liable to splinter. A powder just saves you the 12-hour simmer and the fridge space.
How to use bone broth powder
There are three easy ways to serve it:
- As a warm drink. Stir the daily amount into warm (not boiling) water, let it cool, and serve in a bowl. A lot of dogs treat it like a savoury snack.
- Poured over dry food. Mix with warm water and pour over kibble to soften it — handy for dogs who prefer a softer meal.
- Sprinkled dry. Shake the powder straight over dinner as a topper.
It's also a handy way to make a frozen treat: make up a broth, pour it into an ice-cube tray or a lick mat, and freeze.
How much should I give?
Our feeding guide is per day, by your dog's weight:
- Small dogs (1–12kg): 1 level teaspoon
- Medium dogs (12–24kg): 2 level teaspoons
- Large dogs (24–48kg): 3 level teaspoons
- XL dogs (48kg+): 4 level teaspoons
Introduce it gradually over a few days, as you would any new food, and always keep fresh water available. If your dog has a medical condition or is on a special diet, check with your vet before adding anything new.
How long does a pouch last — and what does it cost per day?
A level teaspoon of either our chicken or beef bone broth powder weighs about 3g, so a 150g pouch holds roughly 50 teaspoons. Both are £16.99 a pouch, which works out as:
| Dog size | Per day | A pouch lasts about | Cost per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (1–12kg) | 1 tsp | 7 weeks | 34p |
| Medium (12–24kg) | 2 tsp | 3½ weeks | 68p |
| Large (24–48kg) | 3 tsp | 2½ weeks | £1.02 |
| XL (48kg+) | 4 tsp | 12–13 days | £1.36 |
If you use it every day, Subscribe & Save means a fresh pouch turns up before you run out.
Chicken or beef?
Both work the same way, so it mostly comes down to what your dog likes. The one real difference: if your dog doesn't get on with chicken or poultry, choose beef — our Beef Bone Broth Powder contains no chicken at all. Otherwise, the Chicken Bone Broth Powder is a good place to start.
Can puppies have bone broth?
Follow the same weight-based guide, start with a small amount, and build up over a few days. If your puppy is very young or has a sensitive tummy, have a word with your vet first. For the chewing side of puppyhood, our guide to the best natural chews for puppies covers what's safe at each age.
The bottom line
Bone broth is a simple, single-ingredient extra: stir it into warm water, pour it over dinner or sprinkle it on top. Pick a dog-specific broth with nothing added, follow the daily guide, and keep it alongside a complete diet.
Want to see and smell it first? Come and find us at our weekly markets in Bury St Edmunds, Ely, Peterborough and Stamford — or message us through the site and we'll happily help you choose.
Shop our own-label range:
Keep reading: best natural chews for puppies and our guide to rare & novel protein treats.