6 Reasons Pet Food Experts Recommend Bone Broth

Healthy diets and unique nutritional options are very popular subjects for trends, and they are not limited to the human world. Ways to improve our pet’s diets inspire many videos and articles online, dominating social media. 

While some trends are more entertaining than useful, some have actual merit to them and can improve your dog’s diet and overall health. However, it is essential to do some research and see what pet food experts are saying to determine if a trip to the pet supplies store is in order. 

Here is everything you need to know about one of the newest trends pet food experts recommend: bone broth. 

What is Bone Broth?

Bone broth may not be as popular as chicken or beef broth, but that does not necessarily mean it should not be on your radar (or stocking your pantry’s shelves). Bone broth has been around since the prehistoric era and was probably developed as a way to reduce waste. It is a way to turn the parts of an animal that cannot be digested by people into something that can actually be used. Water, bones and connective tissue are cooked until stock is formed. Bone broth is not just a sustainable kitchen solution — it is also highly nutritious and is touted for its many health benefits for humans and pets alike. 

Improve Appetite

One reason pet food experts recommend bone broth is to improve appetite. Like some humans are classified as picky eaters, some dogs are very choosy about what they eat. Powdered bone broths can be added to your dog’s bowl on top of their kibble to entice them to eat. Pet food experts also suggest that elderly and ill dogs can benefit from bone broth. Dogs in both of these groups can have diminished appetites and struggle to get adequate nutrition as a result. Adding bone broth to their food can stimulate their appetites and ensure that they eat enough food to stay healthy. 

Support Healthy Joints

Joint pain is a very uncomfortable condition for many dogs. It can take a serious toll on participation in everyday activities, from playing fetch to walking around the neighborhood and simply going outside for bathroom breaks. Any solution that can help prevent joint pain from developing and relieve pre-existing symptoms is worth considering. Pet food experts have found bone broth can help. One of the components of bone broth is glucosamine, which is used to treat both arthritis and joint pain in dogs. Glucosamine is often sold as an over-the-counter supplement for dogs. In affected joints, glucosamine can improve the health of cartilage that has been damaged. 

Boost Digestive Health

Another reason pet food experts advise dog owners to look into bone broth is that it can boost your dog’s digestive health. Gelatin is another beneficial compound that is found in bone broth. Gelatin can strengthen a dog’s stomach lining, allowing for better absorption of nutrients and improved functioning of the digestive system in general. Gelatin can ensure that optimal good and bad bacteria levels are maintained in the digestive tract. When bone broth and gelatin are added to a dog’s diet, probiotics can be absorbed more easily, ensuring ideal levels of good bacteria in the body to support healthy digestion and overall wellness. 

Benefit the Liver

Some pet food experts advise dog owners that bone broth can be beneficial to liver health in dogs. When the liver is working properly, it helps remove toxins from the body and ensures optimal levels of various compounds available at all times. One compound that helps the liver accomplish its detoxification work is called glycine. Glycine is another component found in bone broth. Pet food experts suggest that bone broth can benefit liver health and the detoxification and cleansing functions of the liver in dogs. 

Support Hydration

Dogs can become dehydrated, too, just like people can. By providing your dog with plenty of water, dehydration can be prevented. However, sometimes dogs do not drink as much water as they should. Pet food experts have found that bone broth can help in these situations. Since bone broth is a liquid and one of its main ingredients is water, it can easily provide a dog with hydration. Powdered or regular bone broth can also be added to your dog’s water dish to flavor the water, making it more enticing to drink. 

Safe Alternative

While many dog treats and plush toys come in the shape of a bone, actual bones are not typically safe for dogs to consume. Bones can negatively impact dog health by breaking teeth and causing damage to the tongue and mouth. Bones can also pose a choking hazard and put your dog at risk of intestinal blockages and tears in the stomach and digestive tract. For all of these reasons, giving dogs bones on their own is strongly discouraged by pet food experts. Bone broth is a much safer alternative to bones. It combines all of the nutritional benefits bones can provide dogs with a much safer delivery system. 

Bone Broth Drawbacks

As with many trends on the market, bone broth has pros and cons. In some situations, pet food experts do not recommend bone broth. Here are some of the reasons bone broth might not be right for your dog:

• Existing Health Conditions — If your dog has existing health conditions, bone broth could worsen their symptoms or prevent their treatments from working properly. For example, pet food experts do not recommend feeding bone broth to dogs that have kidney disease or issues with their liver. In healthy dogs, bone broth can help the kidney and liver, but in dogs with existing health conditions in those areas, bone broth can have a significant negative impact. 
• Digestive Illnesses — While pet food experts recommend bone broth as a solution for helping sick pets with diminished appetites eat, certain illnesses will not benefit from bone broth. If your dog is exhibiting symptoms of digestive sickness, including vomiting and diarrhea, bone broth can make the condition worse and should not be given. 
• Prescription Diets — Some dogs have to be fed prescription diets to address specific health conditions or nutritional needs. For example, prescription diets are designed to prevent urinary disease and others that help dogs lose weight and maintain a healthy metabolism. If powdered or regular bone broth is added on top of these prescription diets, it can negatively interact with them and keep them from addressing the health issues they were designed to benefit in dogs. 

A Simple, Healthy Solution: Swaggy Tails’ Supplements for Dogs

While pet food experts recommend bone broth and its many potential benefits for some dogs, bone broth is not right for all dogs. It is also not always the most convenient solution for giving your dog’s diet a boost. Some dogs might not like bone broth or the texture it creates when added to their food bowl. Luckily, a much easier solution offers a similar range of benefits for dogs: supplements for dogs from Swaggy Tails. 

Swaggy Tails has several supplements for dogs that can give your dog’s diet the boost you have been searching for. Swaggy Tails’ Digestive Enzymes help support regular and healthy digestion and include probiotics that ensure enough good bacteria in the digestive tract. Our Joint Support supplement for dogs provides glucosamine to keep your dog’s hips and joints functioning properly. Swaggy Tails’ Omega Skin & Coat is another supplement for dogs packed with fatty acids and salmon oil to support healthy skin and a shiny coat. 

Supplements for dogs from Swaggy Tails benefit digestive, immune, joint and skin health. With our Hemp Calming chews, your dog’s mental health can also get the attention it deserves. All Swaggy Tails’ supplements come in a dog-friendly form that makes feeding them easy. Our supplements for dogs come as chews that are seen as tasty treats to your dog and an easy way to improve your pet’s diet. 

Instead of worrying about the hassle of following a trend to make it fit into your dog’s lifestyle, choose the simple solution that is convenient and effective for you and your dog.