The Best Dog Kibble Topper (Cheap)
The Zero-Cost Kibble Topper That Can Transform Your Dog’s Health
Commercial dog food, even the expensive brands, often falls short when it comes to real nutrition. Many are packed with low-quality proteins and inflammatory ingredients that can:
🔥 Trigger chronic inflammation
🎗️ Increase disease risk (cancer, kidney disease, arthritis)
🦴 Lead to painful, creaky joints—especially in seniors
But here’s the good news: there’s a simple, nearly free solution that can turn ordinary kibble into a powerhouse meal.
It’s called bone broth, and with just a few kitchen scraps and leftover bones, you can create a nutrient-rich topper your dog will love.
The Best Dog Kibble Topper (Cheap) (Table of Contents)
The Zero-Cost Kibble Topper That Can Transform Your Dog’s Health
The Two Big Problems with Kibble
Best Dog Food Topper #1: Bone Broth - The Free Fix
How to Make Bone Broth for Dogs
Why Bone Broth Works to Make Your Dog's Food Healthier
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Broth
Why Add a Kibble Topper?
🐶 Because even the “premium” brands aren’t enough.
Most commercial dog foods rely on cheap proteins and fillers.
Senior dogs, in particular, need bioavailable protein to maintain muscle, energy, and joint health.
Inflammation caused by kibble accelerates aging and disease.
Adding a topper like bone broth is an easy way to improve your dog’s nutrition without switching foods entirely.
The sad reality is that MOST commercial dog food is terrible. It is usually between 30 and 60% carbs, which are nothing more than sugar.
Brands add bulk but including peas, lentils, sweet potatoes, and other carbs that while not technically grains, still manage to dramatically inflate the carb count in dry food. They also add some protein which is largely worthless for your pup.
The Two Big Problems with Kibble
1️⃣ Low-Quality Protein
Even expensive foods often use proteins dogs struggle to absorb.
Senior dogs need easily digestible, high-quality protein to maintain muscle and energy.
2️⃣ Inflammation
Commercial dog foods can spark an inflammatory response.
Chronic inflammation contributes to:
🎗️ Cancer
🩺 Kidney disease
🦴 Joint pain
💤 Low energy and premature aging
Best Dog Food Topper #1: Bone Broth - The Free Fix
Bone broth is:
🥩 Free or nearly free — just ask your butcher or supermarket for bones (they usually give them away).
🥦 Easy to make — all you need are bones, water, and kitchen veggie scraps.
💧 Versatile — use chicken, beef, turkey, pork, or whatever’s available.
Note: when you ask for bones at the butcher or supermarket, tell them it is for broth or stocks for you. Do NOT mention your dog. Unfortunately, a lot of places have learned that dog parents will pay big money for bones. So, the pork bone they were going to throw away? They'll try to charge you for it.
However, most just give the bones for free, or a small fee, for KILOS of bones that can be transformed into endless litres of life-extending bone broth for your dog.
How to Make Bone Broth for Dogs
Here’s the quick process:
🥩 Step 1: Collect Bones
Ask your butcher or grab them from the supermarket meat counter.
Chicken, turkey, beef, or pork all work.
🥦 Step 2: Add Veggie Scraps
Carrot ends, celery tops, broccoli stems—whatever you’ve got in the kitchen.
Avoid onions, garlic, and heavily seasoned scraps (toxic for dogs).
💧 Step 3: Simmer Low and Slow
Use a crockpot, Instant Pot, or stovetop.
Simmer for hours to release collagen, amino acids, and minerals.
How long? Overnight in a crock pot. 4 - 8 hours on low in an instapot. At least 4 hours on the stove.
🥣 Step 4: Strain and Cool
Remove bones before serving.
Store broth in the fridge (a few days) or freeze for longer use.
Have you heard of perpetual broth?
This is the concept continually adding to a broth to keep the original batch going.
This works if you have a slow cooker or crock pot.
We use this method. Usually at the end of the week we clean the pot, give it a rest for the night, then start back up the next day.
How does this actually work?
Easy.
Make your normal broth. Let's say you've used pork bones. These are big. You can leave them in the pot, add water and new vegetable scraps, and make a second batch.
In general:
Pork and Beef bones - make 3 batches
Chicken bones - 2 batches
Turkey bones - 2 - 3 batches
Basically, large bones can go through three cycles before needing to be replaced.
In this case, if you manage to get a kilo or so of beef bones, you can make a solid week's worth of broths for your dogs.
Once the bones are 'spent,' take them out of the pot, replace them, and keep goin.
Why Bone Broth Works to Make Your Dog's Food Healthier
Bone broth isn’t just a tasty topper—it’s packed with nutrients that target the biggest problems with kibble. Along with Omega 3's, it is the best 'supplement' to help your dog live longer.
✨ Collagen
Supports joint health
Heals leaky gut syndrome
Reduces overall inflammation
Helps provide the 'scaffolding' for new stem cell production
✨ Amino Acids & Minerals
Boost digestion and nutrient absorption
Help repair tissues and support immune health
✨ Hydration
Encourages picky eaters and seniors to eat more
Adds moisture to otherwise dry kibble
Broth is like an electrolyte drink for dogs. This is one of the reasons it is a huge part of the diets we prescribe for dogs with kidney disease (CKD).
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Broth
✅ Use big beef bones — you can often run 2–3 batches from the same set of bones.
✅ One set can yield 9–10 liters of broth if reused.
✅ Pour over kibble as a topper, or serve warm in a bowl as a hydrating snack.
✅ Rotate bone types (chicken, beef, turkey) to add nutrient variety.
✅ Can also be frozen for hot-day hydration. Frozen broth also works extremely well with dogs with CKD.
Final Thoughts
Commercial kibble, even the expensive kinds, often falls short for senior dogs. But with one simple, nearly free addition, you can:
🐾 Boost protein quality
🛡️ Reduce inflammation
🦴 Support joint health
💧 Improve hydration
👉 Bone broth is one of the easiest, most cost-effective ways to upgrade your dog’s diet.
And if you’re ready to go beyond toppers, check out our Homemade Dog Food Hub for complete recipes, guides, and tips to help your dog live longer and healthier.
