# Knuckle bone question.



## elisabeth_00117

I gave Stark a knuckle bone the other day and he ate pretty much the whole thing.

Yesterday, he didn't eat (not a big surprise though, he has been going through this 'don't eat for a day or meal' phase - nothing wrong physcially as he has been checked out) but did poop a few times.

This morning I woke up to him whinning to go out earlier than normal and he pooped almost immediately. 

All poops are soild but a bit lighter than usual (probably from all that bone).

When I came in I noticed his bed had some bone pieces on it and there was a wet spot, so he obviously threw up in the middle of the night without waking me.

Are knuckle bones softer than marrow bones? He has never done this with a rec. bone before. Usually the marrow bones have a few dents or scratches but that's it, he's never ate pretty much the whole thing. This is his first knuckle bone (whole) and I don't want to feed the other I have in the freezer incase this happens again.

His activity level is normal, his belly feels fine, he is eating treats and begging for my food so I know his appeitite is normal.


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## Chris Wild

Knuckle bones are much softer than marrow bones. The inside of them is a very spongey texture. So yes, adult dogs can consume the whole knuckle bone in pretty short time, unlike a marrow bone. We try not to let them have the knuckle bones long enough that they can eat one in a single sitting. We usually pick them up after a half hour or so, that way a knuckle will last longer and they aren't eating all that bone at once. But we have had a couple dogs eat the whole thing at one time on occasion when we weren't paying enough attention.

The after effects Stark is having with a bit of vomiting and some really hard, light colored poops are pretty normal for pigging out on a knuckle bone.


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## elisabeth_00117

Thanks Chris!

He only had the bone for about 30 minutes which is why I didn't think twice, I thought they would be harder than what they ended up being.

I don't think he will be getting them anymore, he eats them too quickly. I'll stick to our good old marrow bones.


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## ShatteringGlass

I gave Sydney and Shane Lamb knuckle bones the other day and they devoured them pretty quickly, and they had very light colored poops but where otherwise perfectly fine. I didnt think they could eat them that fast, either!!


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## Cheerful1

Joey got a knuckle bone as a Christmas gift from a good friend of mine, who owns 2 dogs. We were debating back and forth as to whether to give it to him.

Well, we gave it to him yesterday; took about an hour to devour it. No ill effects during the day.

During the night he got up 3 times to pee and poop. Around 4AM we heard a funny noise; he threw up. It was a big lump of stuff, and very dry (was easy to pick up and clean).

We felt horrible about it, but thank God he's ok.


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## Mooch

Ok this may be a dumb question but isn't a knuckle bone just the ends cut off a big marrow bone??

I get mine big marrow bones quite frequently and they chew the 2 big nobbely bits of the end and lick out the marrow (sometimes I get them split up the middle) but I'm always left with about 5 or 6" of solid bone that they can't eat. (and it sucks when you find one of those with the lawn mower  )
I have noticed slightly sloppier poops if they ate too much marrow and it's always a very light colour. I have never noticed them throwing up from a big bone tho.


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## Cheerful1

It was from a company called Jones Natural Chews Co; it's called a saddle knuckle (from the beef femur bone in the hind leg).


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## RocketDog

Can someone please clarify, yes, exactly what is considered a "knuckle" bone?

We used to get these great beef soup bones at our local grocery, until they decided to start cutting their own. So basically, now they cut them for me. I think they're just beef leg bones they're cutting up, and I can have them cut them in any size I want. 

I don't want to hijack the thread, but are these safe for his teeth? He can eat these bones in about 45 minutes. I have been playing with sizes. They don't bother him at all, but I don't want him to wear his teeth out, and wasn't sure how "hard" they are.


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## wolfy dog

I give WD a beef knuckle bone (large knee joint) once in a while but remove it once he has eaten all the soft tissue to spare his teeth. I give in the early AM so it is out of his system late night in case he gets the runs from the marrow.


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## Mooch

After some google image searching, it does look like a knuckle bone is the top and bottom cut off a marrow bone 

The smoked/dried knuckles look a bit scarey


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## onyx'girl

Beef knucklebones are just that, a joint and really shouldn't be left for the dog to devour in one sitting(unless it is a small cut portion).
I would only give fresh, raw ones and take it away after a chew session, fridge it and give again for another time.
Smoked or dried bones can cause digestive upset and the dried ones can splinter(neither of these have the nutritional value as a fresh one does. 
If the knucklebone contains cartilage(it should) and the softer spongier bone marrow, not the dark marrow, that is best. Those digest easier.

Marrow bones are dense, and the marrow is very rich.
Again, not something I'd want my dog to eat in one chew session.


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## RocketDog

Good to know, Jane. The meat manager has been cutting large ones for me--and I set the timer for about 25 minutes. Usually he gets only 2 "chews" with each one--I might re-freeze once, but often I just throw the rest away and the next time time he gets a new one. They're so dang cheap compared to other chew treats!

So are they ok for his teeth, though?


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## onyx'girl

I've never had a problem with them....but then my dogs are more into burying them than eating them. I do have antlers laying around, and IMO, they are harder than a fresh knucklebone. Knucklebones aren't all that high value to my dogs because I feed raw.
Some dogs have softer teeth so wearing down may happen. Onyx and Karlo eat the same, carry balls(though he gnaws on them, where she just holds), and her teeth are super sharp, where as his are getting worn down~canines are flat(and we all know they don't chew bones with their canines)


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## katdog5911

Stella will actually eat the bone. 
What I am wondering is...how long can you keep a knuckle bone? I was re freezing them but apparently Stella likes them at room temp....She will hide it somewhere and wait before chowing down. Even if I just refrigerate it, she won't eat it for a while. 
She seems to like warm and stinky best.


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## Mooch

Hm mine "found" one they hid the week earlier and were happily munching on it - I took it away when I noticed they had it but it gave Hex diarrhoea for a day - Mojo was fine she's got a rather robust stomach it seems  They often like them all black and disgusting after having been buried for a few days/weeks


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## Lauri & The Gang

Mine sit around the house until they are gone or I am tired of tripping over/stepping on them.


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