Hi,
I remember reading on some posts that marrow bones are really good for keeping a dog's teeth clean, so I was wondering where you get them from. Butcher's shop, or pet shop? Are they those hollow white bones you get with a flavoured filling in them, or are they those big brownish looking ones (if it's these I won't be getting them, as last time we had them for our dogs they continually had to do their business for about two days!!). It's just that our dogs teeth are looking a bit brown, and have tried brushing with not much result.
Hilda

Proper marrow bones are raw bones from a butcher's shop The ones from a pet shop are cooked/boiled/smoked/generally processed and stuffed full of preservatives so that they 'keep'. I would avoid them like the plague.
:)

Hilda, I have found chicken wings to be excellent for keeping teeth clean to.

Hi,
thanks for replies - re the chicken wings, should they be raw or cooked ones? Do they not splinter? To be honest, I've always tried to avoid giving any sort of bones, since my friend's dog died eight years ago due to a build-up of bone ingestion, though I can't remember what type of bones he was giving her - and as I had just got my first dog at that time I figured to stay away from bones! But some are okay then apparently!
Hilda

The chicken bones should be raw never cooked.Start with chicken wings and go from there although wings are IMO the best since they have the highest bone to meat content.Start slowly and just feed the occasional one or two and don't worry if they bring them back up!!
Marrow bones -I only use raw bones from the butcher.Beef marrow(shank or knuckle) are good for cleaning teeth but I also feed lamb bones occasional which they tend to eat rather than just chew on.
Archer

I am really wary about giving my young dog a marrow bone or a knuckle bone. My older lab has wrecked her teeth through having these.

I often wondered if it was my fault. I thought I was doing the right thing by buying her a raw big bone to gnaw on to keep her teeth clean. However she would totally devour the bone, esp a knuckle. She is almost 11 and her canines have chipped tips and have gone brown at the point. (Vet said they could stay in until they go brown all the way to the gum.) She also has some teeth at the back that she has broken off in her efforts to chew the bone.

She really loved her bones but I wonder now if it was worth it?

(I am working up the courage to start giving them raw chicken wings, they do have a raw carrot each night, I am sure that helps clean teeth.)

~Sharon

I have to agree, Sharon. Our old lab broke chunks off her molars gnawing marrow bones. They are really only suitable for puppies to help in the chewing/teething stage, as those teeth are going to be lost anyway. Our vet told us to keep an eye on the shape of her face - if she developed a swelling below the eye, it would most likely be an abcess and the broken tooth would need extracting. Luckily it never came to that, and she died at 13 having never suffered with her teeth.

I'll keep any eye out for any swelling on her face, thanks JG.

Hi Sharon,
I'd just been down to the butcher's and got a couple of marrow bones, then I read your post! Guess I don't want to chip and ruin the dogs teeth, so I'll try the raw chicken wings then!
Thanks for your advice,
Hilda

If you keep an eye on them while they chew and you can tell if they're going to be a tough chewer or not they should be fine. But it's totally up to you.

I avoided bones of all kinds with my dogs for years, but this past few months have started a partially bone a raw diet which also includes knuckle bones as chewing treats. Chelsea is an avid chewer, but has not been able to 'eat' any of the knuckle bone, however she HAS cleaned her teeth by chewing on them.

Wendy

Actually wendy you raised a good point. I wonder if some dogs are more of a *chewer* than others ? or even if some breeds are?

I know my girl has very strong jaws and will eat the bone if left and has white poo the next day.....

Chelsea loves to knaw the bone, and in the thin bits will get bits off. She does knaw hard, but doesn't actually bite down on the bone. Savannah is wussy likes to chew at bit at the ends - and will knaw at some of it, but barely enough to actually do anything - she prefers to lick out the marrow.

But if either of them started chewing hard enough to break the bone I don't think I'd be letting them have one.

Wendy

Thanks for that info, Wendy! I suppose I could let the dogs have the bones, but take them away if they actually started chipping bits off them. I'll have to take note of how 'hard' they actually chew at them!!
Hilda

My last dog wasn't allowed bones- he was cruncher and would actually eat bones of any size, despite being only 17 inches high. We had to make sure he only had things to chew that you'd give a Rottie!!

My present dog is a gnawer and is given bones to keep teeth clean - they work very well, along with changing the brand of complete we feed as we found that some brands cause his teeth to go very brown and 'plaque -up'.