Abby loves these stuffed real beef bones I buy at the pet place. But will they ruin the enamel on her teeth? Does anyone know? She sounds like she is grinding on a big rock.
On a side note we are winding down....Friday is the last day of holidays and we are heading back Saturday morning. It went way too fast.
You know I've heard that hard things like that can break their teeth...so i suppose it is possible. But mine love their bones so much and it gives them such great chewing relief that I'm not sure I'm willing to part with them...
My last dog was a 20 lb. miniature poodle, which are normally known for having bad teeth. I gave her the beef marrow bones (hardest bones there are) throughout her life. I never brushed her teeth or had her teeth cleaned in her entire 16 years. When she was 8, she met a new vet who told me I was doing a great job brushing her teeth, lol, and when she died, she had the pinkest gums and the cleanest, whitest, tartar-free teeth you ever saw, every one of them firmly in place. She did come from exceptional bloodlines, but I swear by those bones. I suppose a dog could break a tooth somehow, but no way will they ruin the enamel.
I started when her teething was out of control - she was chewing up everything else, these bones occupied her need to grind away. About 5 months old I started buying them. She is 7 months now.
I've never used beef marrow bones...the ones I buy are CLEAN, sterilized real bones that have some kind of doggy junk food stuffing (or hollow). They are not raw or meaty or contain any marrow.
Oh gosh...probably ingredients that aren't the healthiest. But typically it's some kind of meat flavored good or peanut butter flavored stuff. Once the dogs finish eating it, I don't ever refill with anything as they enjoy them as empty bones just fine.
The ones Adina uses are beef marrow bones, that have been cleaned, filled, and packaged by a company. Fresh beef marrow bones can be microwaved or boiled to sterilize them and soften the marrow. You can remove the marrow and give it to the dog separately in his bowl, it's extremely healthy for them. The marrow & any gristle attached to the bone can leave grease stains on carpets, otherwise. You can give the bones raw complete with the marrow, but I worry about the marrow becoming rancid if they lie around awhile. You can also give them frozen, and then take them away when they've thawed, so as to avoid carpet staining and/or bacteria developing. I prefer to cook them, remove the marrow, and clean off the grease before giving them; it doesn't soften the bone at all.