Simmer a chicken carcass for 12 to 24 hours and you get two things: a deeply nourishing collagen-rich broth and a pile of cooked chicken that falls right off the bones. Here are two ways to use every last bit of it.
Long simmering extracts glucosamine and chondroitin directly from cartilage and bone. These are the same compounds sold as expensive joint supplements.
The gelatin in a properly made broth is pure collagen. It supports joint cushioning, skin elasticity and coat condition from the inside out.
Dogs that don't drink enough water will lap up broth. Poured over food or served as a drink, it boosts daily fluid intake without any effort.
Gelatin coats and soothes the gut lining. It's one of the first things vets recommend for dogs recovering from digestive upset or leaky gut.
Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium all leach out during the long cook. The apple cider vinegar in the recipe draws these out more efficiently.
A spoonful of broth poured over a bowl that a dog is ignoring is often all it takes. The smell changes everything for fussy eaters.
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| For the Broth | ||
| Chicken carcass | 1 whole | Or 1kg chicken wings, necks and feet. More cartilage means richer broth. |
| Carrots, roughly chopped | 2 medium | Adds sweetness and beta-carotene to the broth |
| Celery, roughly chopped | 2 stalks | Adds flavour and natural electrolytes |
| Apple cider vinegar | 1 tbsp | Draws minerals out of the bones. Essential, do not skip. |
| Cold water | 3 litres | Should fully cover all bones by several centimetres |
| For Baked Treats (Option B): per batch | ||
| Cooked chicken from the broth | 200 to 250g | Finely shredded, all bones removed |
| Egg | 1 large | Binds the mixture together |
| Oat flour | 3 tbsp | Blitz rolled oats in a blender if you don't have oat flour |
| Eggshell calcium powder | ¼ tsp per serving | add cold after baking |
| Salmon or sardine oil | ½ tsp per serving | drizzle cold over treats before serving |
Raw bones going into the pot are safe. Once they have been cooked and softened by the long simmer, they become brittle and must never be given to your dog to chew. After the cook, remove every single bone from the pot before your dog goes anywhere near it. Pick through the meat carefully and check for fragments. If in doubt, discard a piece of meat. This step is not optional.
Place the chicken carcass (or bones) into a large pot. Add the apple cider vinegar and just enough cold water to cover everything. Let it sit for 30 minutes before turning the heat on. This soak draws more minerals out of the bones than you would get by starting hot.
Add the carrots, celery and remaining water. Bring the pot up to a very gentle simmer over medium heat. You are looking for small bubbles rising occasionally, not a rolling boil. A hard boil makes the broth cloudy and breaks down the collagen you are trying to preserve.
Cover loosely and leave on the lowest heat setting for at least 12 hours, ideally closer to 24. The longer it simmers, the more collagen, glucosamine and minerals end up in the broth. Top up with water if the level drops significantly. A slow cooker on low is perfect for an overnight run.
💡 You will know it is ready when the bones look pale and the liquid has turned a deep amber colour with a glossy sheen.The chicken will have completely fallen off the bones. Using tongs, lift out all the bones and discard them. Set the soft cooked meat aside in a separate bowl. Go through it carefully, checking for small bone fragments, particularly around joints. Any piece you are uncertain about goes in the bin, not the bowl.
Pour the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl or jug. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. The fat will rise and solidify on the surface as a pale layer. Skim it off and discard it before using the broth. A properly made broth will wobble like jelly when cold. That wobble is collagen.
💡 Broth keeps in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Freeze in ice cube trays for easy single portions.You now have a pile of beautifully soft cooked chicken. Here are your two options. Pick whichever suits you today or do both with one batch of meat.
Start with a smaller amount and build up over a few days, especially for dogs new to bone broth. Introduce anything new gradually.
Wings, necks and feet have far more cartilage than a plain carcass and produce a much richer, more gelatinous broth. The gelatin only forms with a long, low simmer. Rushing it produces thin, watery stock rather than proper bone broth.
The acidity draws calcium, phosphorus and magnesium out of the bones and into the liquid. You won't taste it in the finished broth. One tablespoon is enough. Don't skip this step or add more than a tablespoon as excess acidity is not good for dogs.
These add natural sweetness that makes the broth more appealing to dogs, plus potassium from the celery and beta-carotene from the carrots. Strain them out with the bones after cooking as they will have given up everything useful by then.
Oat flour is one of the gentlest, most digestible grains for dogs. It binds the chicken mixture without adding unnecessary starch, and it naturally contains beta-glucan fibre which supports gut health. Blitz plain rolled oats in a blender if you don't have oat flour on hand.
The egg holds the baked treat mixture together and adds complete protein, choline and B vitamins. Without it the treats crumble. One egg is enough for a full batch of 200 to 250g of chicken.
Chicken and chicken broth provide protein, collagen and minerals, but no omega-3. Adding a small drizzle of salmon oil cold over the finished treat or bowl fills this gap. It must go on cold. If you bake it in or stir it into warm broth, the omega-3 is destroyed by heat.
While every dog benefits from a good bone broth, a few groups get noticeably more from it than others.
From crispy baked bites to slow-cooked World Kitchen meals, every recipe on Breed to Bowl is designed to be nutritionally complete and genuinely enjoyable to make.
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