Is chicken broth for dogs good?
Chicken is a star ingredient in the diet of dogs. It provides proteins of high biological value and its fat content is considerably lower than that of other meats. But what about the chicken broth? Is it just as beneficial for our dogs? If you want to find out, don’t miss the following AnimalWised article in which we will explain whether chicken broth for dogs is good.
Can dogs eat chicken broth?
Indeed, the chicken broth It is a food suitable for dogssince it does not contain any component that is toxic to your body and, in addition, it provides important benefits, such as proper hydration.
Dog broths, including chicken broths, can be used for a number of purposes:
- They can be used for dogs to drink a extra fluid intake.
- can be mix with regular food (either a commercial feed or a homemade ration) to make it more appetizing.
- Or they can simply be offered as a prize or reward.
However, it is important to note that the chicken broth that we provide to our dogs should always be homemade. Commercial broths usually contain high levels of salt, seasonings and additives, which can be harmful to the health of our dogs. Therefore, if we decide to provide this food, it is important that we always prepare it at home. In the following sections we explain how you can make it step by step.
Benefits of chicken broth for dogs
What is chicken broth used for dogs? Including chicken broth in the diet of dogs can provide a series of benefits for these animals:
- Increases hydration: This is especially interesting in dogs that tend to drink little water, especially in hot weather. It is also useful to increase fluid intake in dogs with kidney problems or urinary stones, which need an extra supply of hydration. Using chicken broth for sick dogs is also a good strategy if you want to stimulate their appetite and maintain hydration. For example, chicken broth for dogs with diarrhea is good precisely because it helps replenish lost hydration.
- Facilitates chewing: Older dogs often have dental problems (such as missing teeth, periodontal disease, etc.) that often cause chewing problems. In these dogs, it is especially advisable to mix the ration with broth (especially when it comes to dry feed), in order to soften the food and make it easier to chew.
- stimulates the appetite: wet food is always more palatable than dry food, as it has more aroma and flavor. Therefore, moistening the normal ration with chicken broth can be a good strategy to stimulate appetite in dogs with anorexia, especially if it is mixed with the hot broth.
- Provides vitamins (as vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin C) and minerals (as calcium, magnesium and iron).
How to make chicken broth for dogs?
Now that we know what the benefits of this food are, we are going to explain step by step how to prepare chicken broth for dogs:
- Place in a pot the meaty chicken bones (you can use carcasses, thighs, thighs, etc.) and cover them with water.
- peel a couple of carrotscut them into pieces and add them to the pot.
- NO need to add salt to preparation.
- Let the broth cook over low heat for two hours if you use a normal pot, or for one hour if you use a pressure cooker.
- Remember skim the broth with a slotted spoon to remove impurities from the bones.
- After the cooking time, strain the content to separate the broth from the bones. If you want to use the meat from the meaty bones, you can separate it from the bones and add it to the broth. Likewise, you can take advantage of the carrot, cutting it into pieces and adding it to the broth. In no case do you add cooked chicken bonessince they splinter and can cause serious problems.
How to give chicken broth to a dog?
Once cold or tempered, you can offer the chicken broth to your dog in the following ways:
- Directly, especially if you have decided to leave the meat and the carrot. In this other article we talk about the benefits of carrots for dogs.
- mixing it up with their daily ration of food. Thus, you can mix the feed with chicken broth for sick and healthy dogs, without any problem. It is not advisable to mix meat and carrots with feed, as we explained in this post: “Is it good to combine feed with homemade food?”
Amount of chicken broth for dogs
Chicken broth has a really low energy value. It only provides between 5 and 10 kcal per 100 ml, which is because more than 95% of the product is water. As it provides very few calories, You shouldn’t worry too much about the amount. of chicken broth that you provide to your dog. As long as you offer this food in a rational way, it will not pose any danger to your dog.
If you use the broth to soften the feed, you can add the amount that is necessary to get a nice texture for your dog and that can chew easily. If you use chicken broth to keep a sick dog hydrated or with a poor appetite, you can Introduce the broth into a syringe (without a needle) and administer it little by little. In no case force the intake of this or any other liquid, since it could cause aspiration pneumonia.
Now that you know that chicken broth for dogs is good and how to prepare it, tell us, does your dog like this food? How do you use it?
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