# Beef Marrow "Soup" bones



## Patrick Murray (Mar 27, 2006)

Does anyone else feed these to their dogs? I have for years without any apparent problem. They LOVE to nibble out the marrow in the middle along with any fax and meat on the edges and then they knaw on the bones for a bit. I figure it must be nutritionally beneficial for them as well as good for their teeth and it keeps them occupied for 30 minutes, which helps alleviate boredom and anxiety. In fact for people whose dogs have anxiety issues I recommend giving their dog one of these when leaving their home. The dog will be so into their bone that they won't be worried about their owner leaving. I get them in the meat section of my local Publix supermarket stores.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

*Re: Beef Marrow \"Soup\" bones*



Patrick Murray said:


> Does anyone else feed these to their dogs? I have for years without any apparent problem. They LOVE to nibble out the marrow in the middle along with any fax and meat on the edges and then they knaw on the bones for a bit. I figure it must be nutritionally beneficial for them as well as good for their teeth and it keeps them occupied for 30 minutes, which helps alleviate boredom and anxiety. In fact for people whose dogs have anxiety issues I recommend giving their dog one of these when leaving their home. The dog will be so into their bone that they won't be worried about their owner leaving. I get them in the meat section of my local Publix supermarket stores.


I do. It totally depends on the dog, though. I have two now who like to scrape away at the outside after polishing off the marrow, and sometimes I smear a little peanut butter or cheese inside when it's empty. I think it benefits my dogs' teeth enormously, because even though both came to me a little placque-y (and then had \"light\" no-anesthesia cleanings), both now maintain very clean teeth.

But with dogs who try to bite down hard in an attempt to crack it open, I've seen the dentist bills from Tufts when my granddog had to have a crown from doing that. It costs way more than people dentistry because of the anesthesia.

So.......I guess we just observe our own dogs and how they treat recreational bones. I think most dogs (IMO) love them and do great with them.

Sometimes if it's a new thing, a little marrow might be scooped out for later so the sudden richness doesn't cause the runs that first time.


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## Patrick Murray (Mar 27, 2006)

Good advice Connie.


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## Guest (Mar 28, 2006)

The bones harden the longer they're left out. I take them away when the marrow and meat are gone and they start to get harder and more brittle, and so far, so good. They start out fairly flexible, and the dogs only seem to break off really small, harmless pieces...even for Widge.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Jenni Williams said:


> The bones harden the longer they're left out. I take them away when the marrow and meat are gone and they start to get harder and more brittle, and so far, so good. They start out fairly flexible, and the dogs only seem to break off really small, harmless pieces...even for Widge.


I didn't know that! But my dogs aren't big crack-em-open dogs (and one is a Pug!). They've never broken off any pieces at all......even the GSD I'm training (or mine). How long do you leave them available? Hours? Days?

I need to update my recreation bones info!


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## Guest (Mar 29, 2006)

Caleb works on his for a few hours, and he eats almost the entire bone by \"shaving\" small pieces off. They peel apart in very thin, nylabone-type textured pieces that he has no trouble with. Then, when the remaining piece is too small for him to make any progress with, I take it away; otherwise he walks around and chews it like gum. I worry that he'll swallow it trying to keep it from Widget or Dustin, so I just confiscate it (ok, sometimes, I'll give it to Widge to play with for a few hours, but don't tell.) I don't keep them overnight. They turn ceramic-ish after a day or two, and seem definitely hard enought to break a tooth, so I pitch 'em every night, or first thing in the a.m. if I gave it at dinner. They seem to be pretty heavy on cartilage, and then once that's gone you get the sharp, dry, bone chunks.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Jenni Williams said:


> Caleb works on his for a few hours, and he eats almost the entire bone by \"shaving\" small pieces off. They peel apart in very thin, nylabone-type textured pieces that he has no trouble with. Then, when the remaining piece is too small for him to make any progress with, I take it away; otherwise he walks around and chews it like gum. I worry that he'll swallow it trying to keep it from Widget or Dustin, so I just confiscate it (ok, sometimes, I'll give it to Widge to play with for a few hours, but don't tell.) I don't keep them overnight. They turn ceramic-ish after a day or two, and seem definitely hard enought to break a tooth, so I pitch 'em every night, or first thing in the a.m. if I gave it at dinner. They seem to be pretty heavy on cartilage, and then once that's gone you get the sharp, dry, bone chunks.


Maybe I am getting a completely different thing. No parts are ever bitten off and it doesn't go down in size, even after days. Next time I get one I'll check what exactly it is.


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## Guest (Mar 29, 2006)

I'm talking about the big, knuckley things that they actually call \"beef soupbones\" and they're pretty cheap. Usually just a couple in the package. Kind of roundish...


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

*Re: Beef Marrow \"Soup\" bones*

I do and mine LOVE them. I get them cut into 2" pcs. and fresh. The butcher cuts about 15# for me each week. Cost about a buck a pound. I also use pig ears, make sure the pig isn't attached!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

*Re: Beef Marrow \"Soup\" bones*



Howard Gaines III said:


> I do and mine LOVE them. I get them cut into 2" pcs. and fresh. The butcher cuts about 15# for me each week. Cost about a buck a pound. I also use pig ears, make sure the pig isn't attached!


I stopped giving recreational bones like this almost immediately after this thread started almost two years ago, because of fractured-molar experiences.

Many - maybe most - dogs do great with recreational bones, but the sticker shock of a root canal and crown for a working earth dog and then hearing about other similar dental bills changed my mind forever.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

*Re: Beef Marrow \"Soup\" bones*

Me too Connie, no rec bones for mine! I am curious about fresh raw pigs ears. Are they something dogs chew on for a while and where do you get them?


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## Patrick Murray (Mar 27, 2006)

I don't feed these any more. The constant knawing on the bone (or anything else) is NOT good for their teeth.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Susan, my guess and it is only a guess, pigs. Hence the name "pig ears." I could be wrong on this one, and have been wrong once before in my lifetime...:mrgreen: OK, try and commercial food store. Butchers sell them and pigs feet...me I like steak, medium rare.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Are the raw pigs ears something dogs will gnaw on for a while or do they eat them quickly? The supermarkets around here don't carry raw pigs ears, but I will call some butchers.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Susan, what do you think about raw turkey and chicken necks?


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## Lynsey Fuegner (Apr 11, 2007)

so if chewing on these bones aren't good for the dogs teeth (which I always thought they were, cleaning the teeth and all...) what are some recomendations for good things to chew, both from a physical and a mental health of the dog stand point?


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

One of the staples in my dogs diet is chicken necks & backs. I think they are wonderful for dogs.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

susan tuck said:


> One of the staples in my dogs diet is chicken necks & backs. I think they are wonderful for dogs.


In every respect my top choice .... chewable and easily-digested bones for a beginner (to raw) dog, and a nice bone-to-meat ratio, with a little muscle meat added (unless they are particulary meaty backs). The backs often even "come with" a little organ meat in the form of attached kidneys.

Cheaper than the whole bird, too.


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

My dogs eat raw - the main component of which is usually chicken backs. Still, despite their raw diet and all the crunching that goes on while they chew, a couple of my dogs still get a build-up on their molars (one of which has been eating raw his whole life). Its the type of stuff that comes off if I scrape at it with my finger nail. One day with a marrow bone and the gunk is gone, so I still use them for that purpose. I take them away when the marrow is gone, which is usually the same day.

Any other ideas for my dogs who get the build-up?


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Konnie Hein said:


> Any other ideas for my dogs who get the build-up?


Yep, some just do. It appears to be related to the amount of saliva the individual dog produces. (For example, a dog on antihistamines for allergies might accumulate more plaque because of the dry mouth side effect.)

This buildup is usually on the outside of the teeth, because of the saliva that constantly "washes" the inside surfaces.

I have one dog who does accumulate tartar. He is much better on raw than he was when he came to me, but he is also on antihistamines. (And some dogs just naturally produce less saliva.)

So I use C.E.T. squirty plaque rinse that I squirt along the outside gumline. I have the little finger-brush and chicken-flavor toothpaste, but fortunately the rinse works well on him.

Also, if I had dogs who did just scrape away at a big bone, that would be different. I have the kind who want to get that bone *open,* by hook or by crook, including getting whatever part will fit into the mouth in there and biting down as hard as they can.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Konnie Hein said:


> My dogs eat raw - the main component of which is usually chicken backs. Still, despite their raw diet and all the crunching that goes on while they chew, a couple of my dogs still get a build-up on their molars (one of which has been eating raw his whole life). Its the type of stuff that comes off if I scrape at it with my finger nail. One day with a marrow bone and the gunk is gone, so I still use them for that purpose. I take them away when the marrow is gone, which is usually the same day.


Yes, lots of dogs do great on those recreational bones.


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## Patrick Murray (Mar 27, 2006)

It's inevitable that a dog's teeth, like ours, are going to wear down. A beef marrow bone occasionally is probably fine. A little knawing is probably a good thing. A lot of knawing may not be so good for the longevity of the dog's teeth as the dog will wear down their teeth sooner rather than later.


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

Connie Sutherland said:


> Yep, some just do. It appears to be related to the amount of saliva the individual dog produces.


Just imagine how dumb I looked when, after trying to convince a few of my USAR friends/teammates to switch to raw because of its many benefits (including the clean teeth), we looked into the mouth of my young pup and noted all the plaque that I swear accumulated overnight. Yikes! ](*,) 

I now check his mouth before parading his pearly whites around. And I make sure he gets a marrow bone when there's a little build-up.



> Also, if I had dogs who did just scrape away at a big bone, that would be different. I have the kind who want to get that bone *open,* by hook or by crook, including getting whatever part will fit into the mouth in there and biting down as hard as they can.


Yep - I have a bunch of scrapers here. Makes my life easier. Between horses, child, me and the dogs, I have enough teeth to look after!


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