Just as the winter weather has us humans reaching for soothing soups, your dog will also appreciate a warming broth after a frosty walk.
Broths are an especially helpful bowl addition for boosting micronutrient intake and hydration, and can also provide support for gastrointestinal issues. A broth can be used to moisten your dog’s dry or dehydrated food, adding variety and ensuring they get enough water on board during periods of cold weather.
Building a better bowl
This super easy recipe makes use of leftover chicken from the human table and seasonal produce. Small amounts of cooked cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli - anything from the brassica family) are good for dogs because they contain useful prebiotics, liver supporting antioxidants and fibre. Even dogs that don’t like the fresh crunch of vegetables tend to lap them up when they’re blended into a thick meaty broth!
The addition of tripe further boosts the health-giving properties of this bone broth. Organ meat is a natural element of a dog’s ancestral diet as they would have consumed their prey whole, – including what their prey had just eaten. Ick, but true.
Because tripe contains partially digested green matter, it’s full of probiotics to promote healthy gut bacteria as well as digestive enzymes and all kinds of other good stuff. Our Tripe Slice is simply beef tripe sourced from South Island farms and freeze-dried raw while at its freshest. Add a couple of slices to turn this recipe into a super-broth.
Recipe: Chicken bone broth with tripe and winter vegetables
You will need:
- 1 chicken carcass
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 carrot
- 1/2 cup broccoli, cabbage and/or brussels sprouts
- 2 Tripe Slices
Instructions:
- Put the carcass or bones from your chicken dinner in a pot. Cover with water.
- Chop parsley and veges and add to the pot with apple cider vinegar and a couple of tripe slices.
- Cover and simmer on low for three to four hours.
- Either discard chicken bones and veges for a thin broth, or keep the veges and puree the mix for a thicker texture.
- Serve warm or freeze in ice cubes and reheat when needed. Feed one cube or 2 tablespoons per 5kg of dog weight.
- Watch them lap it up!