Winter Bone Broth

As we approach the coldest months of the year we turn to foods which offer comfort and warmth.

We can also provide our dogs with a seasonal variation on the usual bone broth recipe by adding ingredients which are traditionally used to support joint health and immunity.

As game is currently in season, try and find bones from venison, duck, pheasant or partridge. Duck and chicken feet are a good source of glucosamine, chondroitin and gelatine and after many hours of cooking will dissolve into the broth.

Avoid bones with a large amount of fat, skin and central marrow, which will just produce a very fatty and oily broth. Either remove the fat and marrow or chose a different type of bone. If your dog is prone to pancreatitis it is very important to select lean bones, remove any visible fat before cooking and skim off any that comes to the surface during cooking.

You will need approximately 4 - 5 pounds of bones of varying types and size to make a good broth. Some bones, such as ribs will completely break down into the broth, whereas harder bones will be lifted out in large pieces.

You will need:

A slow cooker or large stock pot with a lid

Bones such as duck, venison, pheasant, partridge, chicken, turkey, ox tail, beef, lamb ribs etc.

Enough water to just cover the bones when they are placed in the cooking pot.

1 stick of celery roughly chopped

Cider apple vinegar - 2 tablespoons

Ginger – 1 thumbnail size piece of fresh or half a teaspoon of powered

Turmeric 1 teaspoon (fresh or dried)

Cinnamon - quarter of a teaspoon

Shiitake mushrooms- quarter of a cup (dried or fresh)

1 level tablespoon Autumn Harvest herbal blend

2 grinds of black pepper

How to make:

Place your chosen bones into the pot and pour on the water so they are just covered. Add the cider apple vinegar and black pepper. The slow cooker is used on its lowest setting or a stock pot placed over a very low heat for anywhere between 24 – 30 hours, although some people prefer to leave the broth cooking gently for nearer to 36 hours .You may need to top up with water if the levels are getting very low.

In the remaining 2 hours of cooking add the spices, mushrooms and vegetables.

When complete, turn off the heat and carefully remove the bones with a slotted spoon plus skim off any excess fat that may be on the surface.

As the resulting broth starts to cool, transfer into ice cube trays or suitable sized pots to place in the fridge or freezer for later use. If you want your broth as a set jelly then you could stir in a level tablespoon of gelatine powder.

Store in the fridge and use within 1 week or keep in the freezer and use within 4 months.

Add the defrosted broth to meals, any recipes you make or gently warm through to provide a warm, comforting treat on a very chilly day.

**It is essential to remove the bones and dispose of them safely and under no circumstances should they be fed **

Garlic- Friend or Foe?

 If there is one ingredient that causes controversy in the diet of dogs that would have to be garlic. Some people swear by its health-giving properties and others would never consider feeding it to dogs.

Garlic tends to be grouped in with all members of the onion family, which can be very toxic to dogs.

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a pungent member of the onion family. It grows as a bulb which contains between 10-20 individual teardrop shaped segments called cloves.

It has long been used to enhance the flavour of our meals and for its medicinal use as it possesses antibacterial, antifungal and anti-parasitic properties.

It does however need to be fed with care when incorporating it into the diet of our dogs. The main reason for this is that garlic contains thiosulphate, which if consumed in large amounts or over long periods of time can decrease the number of red blood cells, resulting in Heinz body hemolytic anemia.

The active constituents of garlic include alliin, alliinase, quercetin, anthrocyanins, amino acids and volatile oils. Garlic contains 33 sulphur compounds and the compound that you can smell once a garlic clove is cut or crushed is called allicin.

Allicin is an unstable compound that dissipates rapidly when exposed to air and heat so for maximum effect it is best consumed within 10 minutes of crushing. The familiar garlic odour can travel throughout the body when consumed, and we can smell it on our breath and through our skin. This also applies to our dogs which is thought to make them more unpalatable to parasites of all kinds, hence why people use it as a natural preventative at certain times of the year.

When it can be useful:  

Before adding any supplementation to your dog’s diet, it is important to establish what you are aiming to achieve by doing so and what benefits there are for your dog.

The most frequent reason for including garlic is for the control of parasites, be that internal or external in the form of fleas, ticks, and mites.

It can be a useful addition to the diet as a small part of the overall natural regime of preventing fleas and ticks if you live in a high-risk area of the country. If you intend on using garlic as a means of internal parasite control it is still essential that you regularly use faecal worm counts to establish that your natural method of worm control is working for your particular dog.

The only time I include a form of garlic into my dogs diet is during the short growing season of wild garlic, also known as Ramsons, which is a broad leaf garlic occurring in late spring with a much milder action than the pungent bulb garlic. I have also witnessed dogs self-selecting wild garlic whilst out on a walk and consuming small amounts of the leaf and flower as it emerges in the spring.

When to avoid:

Garlic can interact with certain medications such as insulin, heart medication, immune suppressants, blood thinners, chemotherapy drugs and it should also be avoided if your dog has any pre-existing anaemia.

There is believed to be an increased risk of side effects in the Akita and Shiba Inus, so if you have these breeds, it is advisable to research further before use.  

Due to its blood thinning properties, it is recommended that garlic is removed completely from the diet for two weeks prior to any surgery and for a week post-surgery.

Avoid feeding to pregnant and lactating females and bear in mind that it can taint the milk.

Do not feed to puppies under six months of age and use caution in dogs that are 6 – 12 months of age.

How to feed:

If your dog doesn’t have any of the contraindications mentioned earlier and you want to include garlic into your dog’s diet then here are a few guidelines.

It is not recommended or necessary to feed garlic in large amounts or for a long period of time. If you feel that it will be a useful addition over the summer months for added flea control, then freshly crushed garlic will be more effective from smaller doses.

Dosage:

Due to the incredibly pungent aroma and bitter taste of fresh garlic it is highly unlikely that even the greediest of dogs will want to eat large amounts in one sitting or consume it on a very regular basis.

So, if your dog is not on any contraindicated medication or has any existing health issues which could be compromised by feeding garlic, the following dosage for short term use should not cause any problems.

Based on the guidelines of holistic vet, Dr. Karen Becker, she recommends freshly crushing a clove of garlic, setting it aside for 10 minutes before adding to the food at a rate of quarter of a teaspoon for every 15 pounds (6.8kg) of bodyweight. This suggested dose is for use 2-3 times a week, just for the duration of the flea and tick season and not all year round.

This does also depend on your dog’s tolerance of garlic, as it can cause intestinal upset and if they find it palatable enough to eat in their meals.

As a rule, one clove, when crushed or sliced equals one teaspoon of garlic.

You can of course buy a garlic supplement specifically for dogs in a tablet form and because these are more palatable than fresh garlic it is important to follow the dosage guidelines of the product carefully.

Caroline Hearn MICHT, Dip.ICAT. MIAAT

Sports & Remedial Massage and Canine Holistic Therapist