I have given my Lab puppy and my 10 month old Beagle a marrow bone each twice now in the last week. The first night, they loved it, I scooped out half of the marrow because it was the first time they had a marrow bone.

The second night was lastnight, and my Lab again loved it, but my Beagle actually had some pieces of the bone itself chewed off.

My question??? Is it safe for the dogs to chew off little bits of the bone itself, or should I say NO more marrow bones for the dogs? I took it away right away when I noticed the Beagle chewed a 1/4 of an inch of the bone itself.

Thanks for you help??? I can't find anything on the net about it.

I only give mine marrow bones that are at least 5 inches long, not the really little ones. The smaller ones are easier to chew into pieces as the larger ones usually stay in one piece. Of course, you always need to keep a real close eye on them when they are having one.
I also only give them one maybe once every couple of weeks.

ETA: I strongly suggest not giving the knuckles...caused an obstruction in one of my guys colon.

I gave my dogs marrow bones just once. My youngest Lab promptly broke a canine chewing on the bone. The veterinary dentist I took him to said that some dogs are such aggressive chewers that they risk damaging their teeth on bones. No more marrow bones in our house.
Kathy

Our 4month old broke off some pieces of the bone and ate them. she now has a case of diareaha and is on a bland diet. I called the vet and they said that they NEVER give dogs marrow bones because of this reason.

You'll get mixed responses on this question, but I too have recently stopped using marrow bones because Grip was able to shatter the ends of 2 different bones, and some of the shards were as long as my finger and razor sharp along the edges as well as the tip.

Prior to that, they did beautifully with them and I gave them for many years though generally one bone would last them a month or more.

well i like giving my dog the small bones. the long ones or the ones that look like "megaphones" have too much marrow and those seem to be the ones she starts to eat the actual bone. the small ones she doesn't break parts off just sucks all the marrow, and its not that much.

i noticed if there is too much marrow eaten my dog can get the runs sometimes.

If she starts eating bone chips she gets constipated and her poo comes out like balls.

If i give her a small marrow bone UNDER SUPERVISION her poo is normal and nothing happens really.

well i like giving my dog the small bones. the long ones or the ones that look like "megaphones" have too much marrow and those seem to be the ones she starts to eat the actual bone. the small ones she doesn't break parts off just sucks all the marrow, and its not that much.

i noticed if there is too much marrow eaten my dog can get the runs sometimes.

If she starts eating bone chips she gets constipated and her poo comes out like balls.

If i give her a small marrow bone UNDER SUPERVISION her poo is normal and nothing happens really.

The risk from small bones is not due to diarrhea. Small bones are far more likely to get stuck, and are an obstruction risk for dogs as big as labradors. I urge you to look at the pictures in the thread below to understand why we always recommend longer bones for large dogs:

http://www.lab-retriever.net/board/proof-bones-bad-t7264600.html?t=7264600&highlight=bone+stuck+teeth

I bought a couple of ox tail bones that I was going to give to Harlow raw (frozen). Does anyone know if those are a danger? The bone is certainly nothing that could get caught on her jaw like that, but now I'm not so sure I should give it to her.. Maybe I'll just use them to make soup..

I bought a couple of ox tail bones that I was going to give to Harlow raw (frozen). Does anyone know if those are a danger? The bone is certainly nothing that could get caught on her jaw like that, but now I'm not so sure I should give it to her.. Maybe I'll just use them to make soup..

I tried ox tails when I was feeding raw, and was not thrilled with them (Grip shattered his, Drum vomited his back up) but bear in mind I am SUPER careful about bones because of Grip's obstruction and Drum's delicate digestive system.

I'd try posting this question in Natural Diets, where I'm sure plenty of others feed ox tails and can offer you broader advice :)

DaLLas chipped One canine, (the point right off) and three molars.
I was referred to a Dental Specialist for dogs in Weston, FL and he wanted to do root canals and crowns. He scolded me, and asked me if I ever would chew on a bone.. esp. a marrow bone.. I said no. He said, why would you give one to your dog then.
YIKES.. he made me feel this big " . "

I have been in the dental field for the last 13 years too. I really do agree they are bad for teeth.