Can I Make Bone Broth for My Sensitive Dog? (Vet Answered)
This question has been answered by a vet
Veterinarian & Animal Behaviorist
With nearly two decades in veterinary medicine, Dr. Paola brings hands-on experience across multiple species. A graduate of the University of Guadalajara, she specializes in preventive care, animal welfare, and positive reinforcement training.
The Question
“Hi Dr Paola, I started making bone broth out of beef bones at home from scratch. My dog LuLu has some allergies and is on hydrolyzed food Purina Pro Plan per our vet’s recommendation. I just read that slow/long cooking bone broth can add histamines to the bone broth. I’m currently cooking it for about two hours; is this ok or should I shorten the cook time? Thank you for your help on this!
Quick Info about LuLu
Hi! It’s wonderful that you’re putting so much care into LuLu’s dietary needs. You’re correct that bone broth can accumulate histamines, especially with long cooking times. Proteins in the bones and connective tissues break down into amino acids like histidine, which converts to histamine through a process called decarboxylation. Cooking the broth for about two hours, as you’re already doing, is a good way to minimize histamine levels compared to the traditional 12–24-hour simmer. Using fresh bones and freezing the broth immediately after cooking can also help reduce histamine formation.
Since LuLu is on a hydrolyzed protein diet, it’s important to know which proteins trigger her immune system. If you’re unsure about her specific allergens, I recommend skipping bone broth altogether because the risk of a reaction outweighs the benefits. If you know which proteins she tolerates, you could safely make bone broth using bones from those sources. However, keep in mind that after histamine forms, mast cells or basophils in the immune system store it in granules or release it directly into tissues or circulation in response to specific triggers (allergens), which exacerbates the immune response signs. In many cases, dogs are triggered not only by food allergies but also by environmental allergies, so the bone broth might be doing more bad than good if you have not completely identified all of Lulu’s sensitivities and allergies.
Good luck!
Dr. Paola