Guest Blog By Caitlin from Sparkles & Sunshine
One of my goals for this year and the future in general, was to increase my knowledge of pet nutrition. I started with my cats earlier this year and am now adding in my dogs! One item in particular that I've had quite an interest in over the years is dog bone broth. I've always wondered if it was "just another food topper" or if it actually had nutritional benefits and was worth the hype.
After looking at a ton of different options and doing my own personal research, I found that dog bone broth has a TON of benefits for dogs and I've found a company that has incredible ingredients and is doing a ton for the world! I had the pleasure of meeting the team of Brutus Broth at the Global Pet Expo earlier this year and I'm so happy I did!
In this post, I'm going to be sharing all about Brutus Bone Broth, the many benefits of bone broth for dogs, and a bonus Brutus Beef Bone Broth dog lick mat recipe that your pup will love!
P.S. All first time customers can get 30% off their purchase with code SPARKLESSUNSHINE30! That's actually an incredible deal since no companies offer that much of a discount for first time orders anymore!
Benefits Of Bone Broth For Dogs
What excited me most about bone broth for dogs is that there are actually a ton of nutritional benefits of dog bone broth. I feel like sometimes nowadays there are many dog items marketed as this tasty food topper, but what benefits do they really provide our dogs? I'm excited to share five benefits of bone broth for dogs, starting with my pup's personal favorite!
1. Enhances Flavor & hydration
My pups favorite benefit of bone broth for dogs is that it adds hydration and flavor to their meal! I've always been one to add a little water in my dog's food, but the fact that this not only adds hydration but also many other nutrients (that we'll get into shortly), is fantastic. I have a handful of reasons why I like this for my dogs and also how this can help dogs I know:
Helps picky eaters increase their appetite (like my parent's dog Aiden or honestly sometimes Diesel)
Softens food for senior dogs (for my parent's dog Aiden and Diesel as he gets older)
Adds hydration to your dog's diet (Annie is a camel and really only drinks when she has meals, so I love that this helps with that)
2. Helps decrease inflammation
The next benefit of bone broth for dogs is that it helps decrease inflammation in dogs. Chronic inflammation can result in arthritis, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and more. Dog bone broth contains anti-inflammatory amino acids including glycine and arginine that can aid in fighting inflammation.
3. Increases joint support
Brutus Broth is the only bone broth for dogs on the market that is fortified with Glucosamine and Chondroitin which is essential for repairing and strengthening joints. One important thing to note is that dog broth is not a solution or a cure for joint issues in dogs (which is extremely common in certain breeds and in all as they get older). If you have a concern, please consult your veterinarian.
4. Provides essential minerals
Another incredible benefit of bone broth for dogs is the number of vitamins and minerals it gives them. Dog bone broth is packed with magnesium, calcium, silicon, sulfur and phosphorus, all of which help with your dog's heart and nervous system!
5. Detoxes the liver
Remember those amino acids we mentioned in the second benefit of bone broth for dogs? Those same amino acids, glycine and arginine, also help detox the liver and keep it strong, which is the essential organ dogs use to fight off toxins. In other words, if you have a dog who will literally eat anything off the ground (aka my girl Annie, also known as trash panda sometimes, ha!), it's extremely important to have a healthy liver!
Differences Between Human Broth & Dog Bone Broth
About Brutus Bone Broth For Dogs
Brutus Broth has such a wide variety of products including:
- Brutus Bone Broth (available in beef, chicken, pork and vegetable broth)
- Instant powdered Brutus Bone Broth For Dogs (awesome to-go packets that just need water. Available in beef, chicken or vegetable broth)
- Brutus Bone Broth Biscuits (available in chicken and beef)
- Brutus Broth Beyond The Bowl Recipe Book (I've had a chance to look through it and I want to make ALL of the recipes! The recipes included are not only from the Brutus Broth team but also their awesome community who submitted their recipes!)
As I've gotten older and realized the importance of a lot of things in life, I've also started supporting as many companies that are actually doing something for either the environment, community or both as I can, because it really is important. Brutus Broth is a member of the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) and has many sustainability efforts including biodegradable packaging, a packing facility that is powered by Niagara Falls and they've also added an eco-friendly cart option to their website where customers can choose to make a contribution towards carbon offsetting projects like tree planting or renewable energy.
At the Global Pet Expo, I also learned that they support so many incredible organizations (they've supported 200+!). One that I got to learn more about at the expo was America's Vet Dogs which helps to place service and guide dogs to those with physical injuries, PTSD, hearing and vision loss and seizures. As someone with a recent Army retiree in the family who worked specifically with training the dogs for the field, this really hit home for me. For a full list of the organizations they've supported, you can check out their Brutus Gives Back page!
Bone Broth Dog Lick Mat Recipe
Now that we've learned all of the benefits of bone broth for dogs and the amazing company that Brutus Broth is, let's make a tasty dog bone broth recipe! Now, you guys know I couldn't do just any recipe, right? We're making a brand-new dog lick mat idea using Brutus Beef Bone Broth for dogs! Below is a list of ingredients/tools you'll need:
- Lickimat Yoggie Pot (I'm using the orange color so it looks like a flower pot!)
- Carrot Silicone Mold
- Brutus Beef Bone Broth for dogs (or any flavor you have!)
- Your dog's food/kibble
- 1-2 spoonfuls of pure canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)
- A few pieces of fresh parsley (great for giving your dog fresh breath!)
Once you've gathered the essentials, follow the steps below to make your bone broth dog lick mat recipe:
Step 1: Grab your Lickimat Yoggie Pot, your dog's kibble and your Brutus Beef Bone Broth for dogs (or any flavor you have).
P.S. You can also use Brutus Broth's powdered bone broth for dogs with their On The Go Sticks! Simply mix with 8 oz. of water and it's ready to use.
Step 2: Fill your Lickimat Yoggie Pot with your dog's kibble (it fits 1 cup of large dog kibble and more of small dog kibble) and cover it with your Brutus Beef Bone Broth for dogs. Place it in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) to soak up the kibble.
Note: Serving size suggestions are 1/4 cup for every 25 lbs. of body weight per meal. Use this as your guide for how much you fill!
Pro Tip: What I usually do, is I'll either make it the night before for my dog's breakfast, or I'll make it in the morning for my dog's dinner so it has time to soak up!
Step 3: Grab your carrot silicone mold and your pure canned pumpkin and fill your mold. Place in the freezer for 1-2 hours or overnight (pumpkin usually freezes pretty quickly).
Step 4: Once your kibble has soaked up all the delicious Brutus Beef Bone Broth for dogs and your pumpkin carrots are frozen (that's funny to read I bet, ha!), grab your fresh parsley and put everything else in front of you. Pop out your frozen pumpkin carrots and lay them on top of your Lickimat Yoggie Pot filled with soaked dog broth kibble (or you can even stuff them in a bit to make them look like they're growing). Then, add your fresh parsley on top to make the "stems" for your carrots. Once that's complete, give it to your dog and watch them enjoy!
I'm honestly so excited to keep adding this to my dog's diet, but to also come up with tons of more tasty dog bone broth recipes! I really love that Brutus Bone Broth for dogs has so many incredible benefits and that I can help keep them healthy and happy!
P.S. Don’t forget to use my code SPARKLESSUNSHINE30 for 30% off your first order at checkout!