How many marrow bones can a dog have?

The Short Answer is:

If you have a small dog, limit them to one, five, or six-inch marrow bones a week to be safe. This can be increased to two bones a week if you have a larger dog.

The purpose of this article is to explain the “How many marrow bones can a dog have?“.

Isnot it true that dog bones containing marrow are the gold standard?

Is it time to throw away your rawhide bones and Kongs?

You want to know more about marrow bones before you invest.

What is the maximum number of marrow bones a dog can have?

I want to tell you exactly what I mean by marrow bones before I answer this question specifically.

There does seem to be some confusion surrounding them.

Lets get started right away.

What are marrow bones?

Despite the fact that all animal bones contain marrow in some form for dog owners marrow bones refer to the legs of larger animals such as cows and pigs.

The marrow bones are round with an outer layer of hard bone and a soft “paste” inside which is the marrow.

I’m talking about marrow bones that look fresh from the butcher when I say they’re marrow bones.

The meat is fresh and in its natural state.

You should not confuse authentic marrow bones with some “filled” bones (which are marrow bones that have been cleaned and then filled with a cooked paste of ingredients).

You should also avoid cooked marrow bones- even though they may look more appealing to dog owners they are not suitable for dogs.

Raw and fresh bone marrow is required.

Dog owners should only consider cooking marrow bones when they make marrow bone broth.

Okay that description was much more detailed than I intended!

What if your dog overdoses on these bones? What is the right amount?

How many marrow bones can a dog have?

This is not an easy question to answer I’m afraid.

This depends on the size of your dog and the size of the marrow bones which come in almost as many sizes as dogs.

What causes my dog to vomit after eating a marrow bone?

The bone has been divided up into small sections so most marrow bones are four to five inches long.

However if the marrow bone has not been cut it will come in longer sections.

If you have a small dog limit them to one five or six-inch marrow bones a week to be safe.

This can be increased to two bones a week if you have a larger dog.

In the next section I will analyze some of the dangers that marrow bones pose to dogs in order to understand why I put limits on the number of bones.

3 cons of bone marrows

The owner of a dog should be aware of three possible issues when dealing with marrow bones.

• A dogs teeth might be broken by marrow bones
• Marrow bones might get stuck on dogs’ teeth
• Because they contain a lot of fat

Marrow bones are tough

The marrow bones of animals are thicker and denser than most bones. The reason for this is that they tend to be weight-bearing bones from larger animals such as cow leg bones.

Your dog will have a more difficult time chewing bones that are harder or denser.

As long as your dog does not have weak teeth or is an aggressive chewer this is okay.

Marrow bones might not be the kind of bones you should give your dog if they belong to either of these two camps or if you give them one you should closely monitor them as they chew.

Marrow bones might get stuck

Besides the thought of your dogs teeth being broken or chipped from chewing on a marrow bone another scary thought is that a marrow bone may get stuck in one of his teeth.

For the same reason that they break marrow bones might get stuck on teeth because they are very thick and tough.

I should also emphasize that it is extremely unlikely that your dog would get a marrow bone stuck in one of its teeth.

However if it does happen it can be very traumatic. Due to the dogs distress and anxiety and also because if the bone gets stuck it can be very hard to get it out without breaking a tooth.

The challenge of doing some of this with a dog that is upset makes it even more difficult.

Bone marrow has a very high-fat content

In the event that your dog has managed to get to the marrow in the center of the bone the marrow has lots of nutrition but it also has a dark side- it is 85% fat.

The diet of dogs should contain fat just like the diet of humans. Both too much and too little fat can be harmful.

It is interesting to note that a dogs diet high in fat can lead to pancreatitis but not heart disease.

In addition too much fat can upset your dogs stomach and cause diarrhea.

In addition bone marrow contains significant nutrients such as:

• Phosphorous
• Iron
• Vitamin A
• Niacin

Watch it closely.

There are also some disadvantages to bone marrow that are common to all bones.

There are two I want to mention quickly.

Bones that have been cooked

Cooked bones whether marrow or otherwise should never be given to dogs.

The sharp edges of splintered cooked bones can get stuck or cut the sides of the throat or stomach because cooked bones are too brittle and splinter in unsafe ways.

Possessiveness towards food

You should not feed bones to a dog with a hint of possessive or aggressive behavior.

It is okay to give bones to aggressive dogs but you need to be very careful how you do it.

The dog must have no interference for as long as you want it to have the bone and then you must be able to retrieve the bone from the dog when it is done!

Rather than focusing on the dangers or disadvantages of bone marrows lets focus on some of the advantages.

Advantages of marrow bones

Dog owners choose marrow bones for a variety of reasons.

Additionally they offer some benefits that other types of bone do not.

As far as bones are concerned they are wide and thick which means that they are fairly large and bulky.

Therefore they tend to last longer than other bones that you might give your dog.

In addition marrow bones have a hard and soft texture with the hard outer bone contrasting with the soft marrow in the middle; this is almost like a treat for dogs.

This combination of textures should make dogs more satisfied as they can gnaw with different techniques and lick out the marrow.

Furthermore once the marrow has been removed from these bones the innards can be filled with other foods.

A dog can benefit from raw bones of any type in general.

The following are among them:

• Contains no preservatives.
• Excellent source of vitamins and minerals.
• The mental stimulation of chewing
• Stops other destructive behaviors

Lets not forget that it can also be used to brush and floss your dogs teeth.

Bone marrow can be good and bad for your dog’s dental health

The bone marrow in your dogs bones helps to prevent tartar buildup and gum disease. Infections and gum disease are caused by tartar buildup.

Furthermore the activity stimulates saliva enzyme production which could prevent plaque from forming on your dogs teeth and keep them clean.

When you give a dry bone to your dog it will become harder and brittle which can result in broken or cracked teeth. Dogs that are new to bone consumption or those that chew their bones aggressively are likely to be affected. In addition if the bones get stuck on their lower jaws they are likely to break a tooth.

Our dog can get a lot of benefits from chewing bone marrow but we still need to know how much they can consume.

What are the best types of bones for recreational chewing?

While technically all raw bones that are not uncooked and do not contain preservatives should be considered good to eat the best type of bones to chew eat and digest are:

1. Raw chicken
2. Turkey
3. Lamb flaps
4. Beef bones
5. Oxtail

You can feed them organic chicken necks high-welfare duck feet and chicken wings to small dogs chicken thighs chicken carcasses and turkey wings to medium-sized dogs. Last but not least large dogs should be fed lamb ribs lamb necks chicken and duck carcasses and fish heads.

Do you know of any other alternatives such as grass-fed bone marrow? Let us explain what grass-fed bone marrow is.

What is grass-fed bone marrow?

The term grass-fed bone marrow refers to an animals bone marrow that was either fed 100 percent grass or fed grass and finished with grain without pesticides hormones or antibiotics.

The grass is higher in omega-3 than conventional beef which aids in the development of dogs’ brains so its more nutritious. Dogs can also eat grass without getting sick.

Last but not least where can we buy marrow bones for dogs?

Where to find bone marrow suitable for dogs?

Now that we have talked about this and that about marrow bones it is time for a very important question.

Where can you get the best marrow bones?

Your best bet is to check out the butchers shop or meat market in your area.

The freshest and cheapest marrow bones can be found here.

Theres no delivery fee after all!

Your next option should be the fresh meat counter at your local supermarket if you do not get any results from your local butcher.

Despite my mention of local pet shops I have not yet mentioned the ones in your area. The reason is that in my experience local pet shops carry every type of marrowbone except for the ones you want.

Its possible to purchase filled marrow bones (which are the white bones that have been sterilized and filled with meat substitutes) or cooked and filled marrow bones (which are yellow in color and also filled with a meat substitute paste).

If you’re lucky there may be some raw frozen marrow bones available at your local shop and these are the ones that you want.

If nothing else works or your best and the first choice is always the Internet then I’ll show you the top sites on the Internet where you can get your dog some marrow bones

In the United States there are a few websites that sell and deliver marrow bones.

What are the big websites in the U.S. that sell and deliver marrow bones?

Check out the following websites for marrow bones and grass-fed bone marrows in the U.S.

1. Price ranges for selected bone marrow products on Amazon.com can be as low as $8.83 to as high as $24.99.
2. rawpawspetfood.com – Approximate cost: $28.99 – $159.99
3. onlynaturalpet.com – Approximate cost: $4.99 – $39.56
4. chewy.com – Approximate cost: $2.30 – $17.99
5. jackandpup.com – Approximate cost: $11.95 – $ 19.95
6. bestbullysticks.com – Approximate cost: $3.43 – $ 31.99

There are many other websites but make sure to check the reviews and if they are certified to sell bone marrow.

Still if you’re living in theU.K. you may want to consider checking these websites.

So what are these big websites in theU.K. that vend and deliver gist bones too?

Then are the top websites you can use to search for bone marrows for your canine

So what are these big websites in the U.K. that sell and deliver marrow bones too?

Here are the top websites you can use to search for bone marrows for your dog:

1. amazon.co.uk – Prices could go as low as £4.91 and can go as high as £15.99
2. nutriment.co.uk – Approximate cost: £5.70 – £11.50
3. naturesmenu.co.uk – Approximate cost: £1.25 – £2.69

Conclusion

cherry-picking whether to give your canine bone marrows is a business of particular choice; still it would be stylish to do some exploration and consult with your warhorse first to get some idea and guidance to help you adjudicate which bones will be safe for your canine and which bones to avoid.

Remember to feed your tykes with raw and raw bones only and choose a capable size for your canine. Also manufacture sure to cover them and check if the bone is fragmenting into dangerously small fragments to help undesirable postures.

Noway leave your canine unattended especially if they’re self-assertive chewers. So as long as you follow the safety guidelines your canine should be suitable to delight them safely.

Amanda (Author)

With over a decade of experience, Amanda is a distinguished dog trainer. Her expertise in canine behavior has transformed countless lives, fostering harmonious human-canine connections. Through compassionate and personalized approaches, she empowers owners to understand and connect with their furry companions, creating a legacy of joyful tails and transformed lives.

Osvaldo Maciel (Content Reviewer)

Osvaldo Maciel, a stalwart in the field with 14 years of experience, is a revered dog trainer. His journey is defined by a profound understanding of canine behavior, shaping unbreakable human-canine bonds. Osvaldo guides owners to connect with their beloved pets, leaving an indelible mark of happiness and transformation. His legacy shines through the countless lives he has touched.