Thinking of feeding my dog bone broth. Is it safe or risky?

Yes, if the bones are very mushy and no longer crunchy, bone broth is safe and healthy for dogs. I would try to limit how much of the bone material that Avery gets at once. Also, make sure your neighbor is not using garlic or onion while making the broth since these are toxic to dogs. Other seasoning should be limited since they can cause irritation to the stomach lining.

It is fine to use some of the chicken broth for flavoring on dog food. Just make sure there was no aggressive seasoning or excessive salt used. The best broth for dogs would be non seasoned or low salt broth. Also you would want to skim out the fat if there is a lot of it or let it set up in the fridge first so you can remove the larger fat layer. Giving cooked chicken is also no problem as a treat. Just make sure the majority of the diet is dog food as that is made balanced for dogs. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I would not recommend feeding cooked bones, and it’s best to avoid raw bones as well. Cooked bones can splinter and cause an obstruction, constipation or diarrhea. Raw bones could cause an obstruction as well and could result in food borne illness.

The problem with bouillon cubes is that they are VERY high in sodium. 1 cube has almost the recommended amount of sodium for a human for an entire day! So, I think you are going to have to find another option long term. There are a number of companies that are making "gravies" to put over dog foods. There are also companies that are making "toppers" to add to food. I would recommend going to your local pet food store to see what they carry and trying a couple of options to see what Epic prefers. You may also consider changing foods or adding something like a dehydrated dog food to his diet (like The Honest Kitchen) in case he needs a little variety. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If the bones were as soft as you describe then your dog probably will be fine. Just keep an eye on him for any GI signs, like vomiting or diarrhea and if you notice these things take him to the vet as soon as possible.

A small amount of pepper in chicken stock is not a cause for concern. Low sodium chicken broths can be used in small amounts, but assure that the stock or broth has the lowest sodium amount possible and does not contain garlic or onions, as both are toxic to dogs.

This product is just a flavor enhancer and is only necessary to help get your dog to eat his normal food. It does have some nutritional properties to it and the ingredients all appear safe and appropriate to use for feeding. Just keep in mind that you are adding calories, so it should be minimally used with his normal food and you may consider cutting back his normal food a little if you are going to regularly add this to it. This product is definitely not intended to replace the food and is not nutritionally balanced like the royal canin food is. I hope that helps and all is well with Joey.