Ingredient file // Flavor
Turkey Bone Broth Powder
A tasty gravy powder, not a joint supplement
Turkey bone broth powder is turkey bones and connective tissue simmered in water, then defatted and dried to a soluble powder. It makes a meal smell and taste stronger and adds a little collagen protein. No other benefit has been shown in dogs.
- What it is
- Broth from turkey bones and connective tissue, skimmed of fat, concentrated and dried into a fine powder that dissolves in water.
- Made from
- Turkey bones and connective tissue
- Main job
- Flavor and protein in toppers
- Typical amount
- One 3 g scoop per cup of water, as a topper
- Watch for
- Turkey protein during an elimination diet trial
- Not the same as
- Turkey meal or liquid broth
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 1534 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
0%
2 of the 3,068 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 1 brand. All dog food topper.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 3. In the top five of 2 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.
Who leans on it
100%
of the foods that list it are from Tucker's. 1 brand use it in total.
What it is
How it is made
Bone broth comes from cooking the bones and connective tissue the meat trade cannot sell as meat. Suppliers then concentrate the broth and dry it to a light, soluble powder for toppers and coatings.1,7,11
- 01 // Source Bones and connective tissue Leftover bones and connective tissue from poultry processing go into water. One study used frozen-chicken industry by-products.
- 02 // Process Cooked in water A patented process cooks them at 212°F or higher for at least 30 minutes. A lab method used 85°C for 24 hours.
- 03 // Process Skimmed and concentrated Fat is skimmed or separated by gravity. The defatted liquid is concentrated and filtered through a 300 micron screen.
- 04 // Process Spray dried The concentrate is sprayed into hot air. One lab recipe used a 150°C inlet and 15% maltodextrin as a carrier.
- 05 // Output Broth powder A soluble powder of about 88% protein and at most 8% moisture in the patented example.
What is in it
Composition, as fed
88
% protein
Protein in a patented spray-dried bone broth powder. It is collagen-type protein from bone and connective tissue, which lacks tryptophan, so the number flatters it.
Why it is in the bag
What the manufacturer gets
-
01
Stronger smell and taste
Broth adds savory flavor. In a 40-dog test run by an outside firm and reported by supplier Essentia, pork broth-coated kibble won by 8% on day 1 and 13% on day 2.7
-
02
Protein on the label
Topper labels guarantee 74 to 76% protein, a striking number on a small scoop. Most of that is collagen protein, which lacks tryptophan.2,3,5
-
03
Water in the bowl
Labels tell owners to mix a scoop into a cup of water and pour it over food as gravy, so it also adds moisture to dry kibble.2
-
04
Sells a leftover
It turns bones and connective tissue, a by-product of meat processing, into a shelf-stable powder that ships and stores without refrigeration.1,11
How much One topper label calls for a 3 g scoop, about 9.6 kcal, mixed into a cup of water, which adds roughly 2 g of protein to a meal.2
Our read // The claims
What the evidence supports
Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.
-
Brands say
Bone broth powder is high in protein
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
By the numbers, yes: labels guarantee at least 74 to 76% protein, and a patented powder tested at 88%. But a 3 g scoop carries only about 2 g, and collagen protein lacks tryptophan, so it cannot replace meat.1,2,3,5
-
Brands say
Dogs love the taste of bone broth
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A pork bone broth coating won a two-day, 40-dog two-bowl test by 8% on day 1 and 13% on day 2. An outside firm ran it; broth supplier Essentia reported it in a trade article without methods or statistics. Turkey broth was not tested.7
-
Brands say
Collagen in bone broth supports dogs' joints
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A 31-dog placebo trial funded by a collagen maker found better gait with specific collagen peptides at about 240 mg per kg daily, roughly 4.8 g for a 20 kg dog. A scoop of broth powder holds about 2 g of protein in total.2,6
-
Critics say
Bone broth is risky because of lead
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
One small blinded test found 7.01 micrograms of lead per liter in chicken-bone broth, against 0.89 for water. A study of pig and cattle bone broths found only a few micrograms per serving and called the risk minimal.8,9
-
Brands say
Bone broth supports gut health
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
The topper label that makes this claim cites no study, and we found no dog trial of bone broth and gut health. Lab tests even found broth's amino acid content varies too much between recipes to dose reliably.2,4
Straight answers
What owners ask
-
Q01
Is it just filler?
No, it's flavorIt is almost all protein, and its job is to make the bowl smell and taste stronger. One supplier-reported test found dogs preferred broth-coated kibble. The dose is too small to matter nutritionally, and for a topper that is fine.1,7
-
Q02
Is it a complete protein?
NoCollagen protein lacks tryptophan, an essential amino acid, so it cannot be a dog's only protein. On top of a complete food that supplies the rest, the gap does not matter.5
-
Q03
Does it add calcium from the bones?
BarelyBroth pulls little mineral from bone. One analysis found calcium and magnesium below 5% of human daily needs per serving, and a patented powder held 60 mg of calcium per 100 g.1,9
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it
- Coconut 100%
- Shiitake Mushrooms 100%
- Fennel 100%
- Pork Bone Broth 50%
- Turkey Bone Broth 50%
On the shelf
Foods that list it
2 foods in our reviews list it. Here are some of them.
Our read // On the bag
Use it as gravy, not as a supplement
On a topper bag it often sits first, which tells you the product is mostly broth, not that it does much. Judge the base food on its own label. Count the topper's few calories, leave it out during an elimination trial, and ignore any joint or gut claims.
Sources
What we read
Checked October 1, 2026.
- 1 Scoopable instant protein bone- or meat-based protein supplement powder (US9974326B2)
- 2 Dr. Marty Better Life Boosters Bone Broth Powdered Supplement for Dogs
- 3 The Honest Kitchen Daily Boosters Dehydrated Bone Broth All Life Stages Dog Food Topper - Turkey
- 4 Bone Broth Unlikely to Provide Reliable Concentrations of Collagen Precursors Compared With Supplemental Sources of Collagen Used in Collagen Research
- 5 Significant Amounts of Functional Collagen Peptides Can Be Incorporated in the Diet While Maintaining Indispensable Amino Acid Balance
- 6 The oral intake of specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides (BCP) improves gait and quality of life in canine osteoarthritis patients: A translational large animal model for a nutritional therapy option
- 7 Is bone broth a solution to the palatability challenge?
- 8 The risk of lead contamination in bone broth diets
- 9 Essential and toxic metals in animal bone broths
- 10 Implementing an Elimination-Challenge Diet Trial in Dogs
- 11 Processing of Chicken Bone Broth Powder with Spicy Curry Flavor using Spray Drying Technique