marrow bones, raw or cooked?

[Jodi and Stella]

I just gave Stella a marrow bone, which she loves. I boiled it before hand. Are they better cooked or raw?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I have eaten marrow, many times. If you use marrow bones in soups, the marrow makes a very nice rich broth. And it's also served as a spread with other ingredients added in some very elegant restaurants.

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

Can you buy it separate from bones?  Like in a tub?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't think so. It doesn't keep very well, they'd have to load it with preservatives. And most people don't want the bones without it.

I do wonder what these companies who sell the bones with all that junky red, yellow, and brown rubbery filling do with the original marrow. I hope they put it to some good use and don't just throw it out. Of course, most of those are made in other countries.

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

hmm I was wondering about if the marrow was edible as I was digging it out of their bones last night.  I got these bigger ones and there was no way they could chew it out. So thank you Karen, for educating me!  I will keep my eyes peeled for a tub of marrow!

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

I cook Rooney's, we get them frozen at the grocery.  I boil up a batch and keep them in the freezer in a zip lock.  I give them to him frozen.  He loves them!

[Karina]

we read that you should never give dogs cooked bones, marrow bones should be raw.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

See my reply above regarding the difference between edible and recreational bones. You should never cook edible bones. Weight bearing bones like beef femurs are not edible and cannot be consumed, either raw or cooked. They are more like toys than food.

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

Karen,  My neighbor gave Webber and Seda some bones for Christmas.  She had gone to our local pork BBQ place where they slow roast the pig in a pit and bought the bones from them.  They look like pig femur to me, and have been in the freezer ever since because I wasn't sure I should give cooked bones to the dogs.  What do you think?

[Jennifer and Jack]

I take the empty cooked bones and fill them with peanut butter, Jack loves them. I think I am going to start doing both from now on. Great ideas.....

Evangers makes a canned chicken drummett that has totally edible bones that have been slow cooked. I can crush them very easily with a fork.

 

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Edible bones (like chicken bones) cooked until soft in a pressure cooker are safe, too.

[Renee Bogi]

i heard that chicken bones are horrible cooked.  they can splinter and hurt them.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Renee, it depends on how they are cooked. When they are soft enough to be mushy, they can't splinter.