# Beef Marrow Bones questions



## outwest (May 1, 2011)

The grocery store had a couple of packages of trimmed heavy boned beef marrow bones. I hadn't noticed them before. I bought some. The bones are about a buck a piece and around 6 inches long and very thickly boned. Both my dogs spend over an hour working on them until their jaws were tired. I washed them and stuck them in the refrigerator for another time. 

They were going wild over them, stripped them clean of all sinues and meat bits and then spent a long time licking out the marrow. I started wondering about the marrow. I suppose I will find out with the next poo if the marrow is too rich. It was raw, but those bones were thick (1/4-1/2 inch sides). All that chewing didn't even put a dent in them.

a couple questions:
Is marrow too rich for them?
Could those very thick bones crack their teeth?


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

These crack teeth


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

That's what I was afraid of. Their teeth are fine, but I suppose I should throw them away. sigh. They loved them so.


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## PonkiPoodles (Feb 25, 2009)

I use to give marrow bones to my dog until she developed pancreatitus, unfortunately now she can't have any but she use to love them. 

I would recommend keeping an eye on their stools... they will get loose stools or diarrhea if it's too rich (then maybe just limit the time they spend chewing on the bones for the future). 

I've heard that dogs can definitely crack their teeth on raw beef bones, so I think it's a choice each one has to make for themselves. In all honestly dental care is quite expensive so for myself I prefer them chewing on softer chews such as bullysticks or something similar.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Most raw bones are fine but weight bearing bones like marrow are not.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

My guys love beef back ribs. A little more expensive than the marrow bones but I don't worry so much abt dental bills.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I bought some beef back ribs today, too. They love those, but I only give one or two a month. I got four big ones for $3.58, so they were cheaper than the marrow bones. Pork, chicken and beef is reasonable here. Lamb is expensive. I think I'll give their jaws a rest then give those in a few days.

edit: corrected price- got them mixed up. The marrow bones were $4.89, so more expensive than the beef ribs actually.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

I should say too, tho . . that our breeder has 'treated' hundreds of dogs with marrow bones. She recommends them. 

She will not recommend Pigs ears or rawhide treats. Instead, she will use Bull 'pizzles' . . . AKA Bullwrinkles.


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## Underpants Gnome (Oct 12, 2009)

*Marrow bones = homemade kongs!*

My spoos love the marrow bones. The ones I get are cut to only 1 to 3 inches long. I don't notice them chewing on the bones in a way that would crack their teeth, they chew off the bits from the outside and then lick out the marrow. After the spoos have cleaned them, I fill the longer ones with kibble, treats and peanut butter, then stick them in the freezer. 

I used to give them Kongs but Dudley got an irritiation on his upper lip. When I stopped the Kongs, it went away. Must be the rubber. Bully sticks only last about 20 minutes with my two.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Underpants - seeing as they are harder than your dog's teeth they can and do break teeth. It's only a matter of time. They are far from a homemade kong as a kong is not harder than your dogs teeth.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

As the others have said, watch out for these. The only type of marrow bone I'll give to mine are the ones with the end or "knuckle" on it and only a very short leg-bone part, if any at all. These, the dogs will focus on the softer, cartilaginous knuckle end for a while. When they gnaw that part down, I take them away.

I think the elk antlers are about the "hardest" and yet still safe chew there is. Mine love them. Even the elderly borzoi, who can barely manage her RMB's these days (we now cut them up for her), will still grab one of those antlers and chew it for a while.

--Q


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## papoodles (Jun 27, 2011)

Outwest,
I stopped giving marrow bones to my ( then) three standards when I heard that they are definitely 'teeth crackers'-and besides that- they gave 2 out of the 3 terrible runs...That was such a shame as my friend would get them for free from her butcher. Now I just buy pork neck bones and they are just as content with them. Cheaply priced too


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Yes, I threw them away. I realized they were harder than their teeth when lots of gnawing didn't even produce a dent. At least they got to lick out all that marrow for fun. Neither got the runs.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

If your dogs aren't super aggressive chewers you could give raw knuckle bones a try. These are considered pretty controversial still as they are pretty hard, but they can gnaw into the bone a little bit on the knuckle, like Quossom said. I give them and they chew for about an hour a day. I do this only every month or so because it is kind of a pain in the butt. (It's not an edible bone so my dogs do tend to hold knuckle bones with their legs. This means they get suited in snoods and bracelet covers and locked in the crate LOL).


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

For what it is worth, I've been giving marrow bones to my dogs as an occasional treat for as long as I've had dogs (8 or 9 years). No cracked teeth, but of course that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. They do occasionally get a bit of diarrhea. I look for the smallest marrow bones I can find because if I give them huge ones, they will definitely get diarrhea. They really do love sucking the marrow out.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Mine are both toys, and as a great treat get the bones from a shoulder of lamb. First they chew the meat off, politely keeping the stickiness on the blanket spread for them, then they bring them to me and ask (equally politely) that I do that magic thing with an egg spoon and a skewer, getting out the marrow they can't reach. A wonderful opportunity for countering resource guarding, as we play "This one is for Sophy; this one is for Poppy"! Then the bones gradually dry out in the toy box, getting an occasional chew, until sooner of later I find very clean, very dry bones in the bedroom and quietly dispose of them. Not bad for around a dollar for two!


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