How to Dehydrate Beef Bones for Dogs: A Step-By-Step Guide

Dehydrated beef bones make an excellent treat for dogs. Chewing on beef bones provides dogs with mental stimulation, satisfies their natural urge to chew, and helps clean plaque and tartar off their teeth. Additionally, beef bones are a natural source of important vitamins and minerals like calcium

However, not all beef bones are safe or suitable for dogs Raw beef bones are ideal, but cooked beef bones can splinter and pose a choking hazard. That’s why dehydrating raw beef bones at home is the best option. It makes the bones harder while retaining more nutrients compared to cooking

In this article, I’ll explain how to safely dehydrate beef bones for dogs step-by-step, discuss the benefits, and share tips for choosing the right bones

Why Dehydrate Beef Bones for Dogs?

If you don’t want to give your dog raw or cooked bones, you can dehydrate beef bones instead.

• Safer than cooked bones: Cooking bones makes them brittle so they can splinter and cause lacerations or obstructions in a dog’s mouth or digestive tract. Dehydrating brings moisture out slowly so bones become hard but not brittle.

• Cleaner than raw bones: Raw bones can harbor bacteria like salmonella. The dehydration process kills bacteria, making dehydrated bones safer.

• More chewing satisfaction: Harder, dehydrated bones take dogs longer to chew than raw bones. This provides more tooth-cleaning and jaw-strengthening benefits.

• Longer shelf life: When stored in an airtight container, dehydrated bones stay fresh longer than raw bones. You can make big batches to have on hand.

• Nutritious: Dehydration retains more nutrients than high-heat cooking. Beef bones are good for your joints because they have protein, minerals like calcium and phosphorus, and cartilage with glucosamine and chondroitin in it.

For these reasons, dehydrating is an ideal way to transform beef bones into a tasty, nutritious, and safer chew treat for dogs.

Step-By-Step Instructions for Dehydrating Beef Bones

Dehydrating beef bones is a simple process but it’s important to follow key steps carefully to ensure safety. Here is an overview of the process:

Supplies Needed

• Beef bones (knuckle or marrow bones recommended)
• Sharp knife to remove meat and fat
• Metal tray or dehydrator
• Parchment paper (optional)

Steps

1. Choose appropriate raw beef bones
2. Wash and trim excess fat/meat off bones
3. Arrange bones on trays
4. Dehydrate for 12-24 hours at 140°F
5. Check bones periodically while dehydrating
6. Finish dehydrating when hard and dry
7. Store in airtight container

Now let’s look at these steps in more detail:

1. Choose Appropriate Raw Beef Bones

It’s important to select bones that are safe and appropriate. The best bones for dehydrating are large, thick raw beef bones such as:

• Knuckle bones
• Marrow bones
• Femur bones

Avoid small, brittle bones like vertebrae or ribs as they can splinter. Also avoid weight-bearing leg bones from mature cattle as these are very dense.

Raw meaty bones specifically intended for recreational chewing are ideal. Stay away from cooked bones since cooking makes bone fragility worse.

2. Wash and Trim Excess Fat and Meat

Thoroughly wash the raw beef bones under cool running water to remove all visible fat, meat, and blood. Use a sharp knife to trim off any remaining pieces of muscle, fat, or connective tissue.

Removing the soft tissue allows the bones to dehydrate more effectively. Any leftover meat or fat can spoil during dehydration.

3. Arrange Bones on Trays

You can use a food dehydrator, oven, or even air dry outside. Place the prepared beef bones directly onto the dehydrator trays or oven racks. If using the oven, cover trays with parchment paper for easier cleanup.

Space the bones out leaving ample space around each one. This allows air to properly circulate and moisture to dissipate.

4. Dehydrate for 12-24 Hours at 140°F

Set your food dehydrator or oven to 140°F. This temperature dries the bones thoroughly while avoiding making them too brittle through over-dehydration.

Drying times range from 12-24 hours depending on bone size. Big marrow bones take the full 24 hours whereas knuckle or femur bones may dehydrate in 12-15 hours.

5. Check Bones Periodically While Dehydrating

It’s important to periodically check the beef bones during the dehydration process. As moisture leaves the bones, some may dry faster than others.

Rotate bone placement and flip them over to ensure even drying. If needed, remove individual bones early to avoid over-drying.

6. Finish Dehydrating When Hard and Dry

Beef bones are fully dehydrated when they sound hollow when tapped and are hard and dry all the way through. The bones will be lighter in color compared to their raw state.

Don’t allow bones to become overly dry and brittle or they can fracture into shards during chewing. It’s better to slightly under-dry bones to maintain flexibility.

7. Store in an Airtight Container

Once done, allow the dehydrated beef bones to cool fully. Then place them in an airtight plastic container or bag. Exclude as much air as possible.

Stored this way in a cool, dark place, dehydrated beef bones can keep for up to 2 months. You can also freeze them to extend storage life to 6 months.

And that summarizes the straightforward process for safely dehydrating nutritious, satisfying beef bones for your dog! Now let’s go over some key tips for success.

Tips for Dehydrating Beef Bones for Dogs

Follow these tips when selecting, preparing, and dehydrating beef bones:

• Avoid weight-bearing bones: Leg bones from full-grown cattle are very dense and prone to splintering. Opt for knuckle or marrow bones instead.

• Don’t cook bones before dehydrating: Cooking makes bones more brittle and likely to shatter. Always start with raw bones.

• Pre-freeze bones for easier slicing: Partially freezing bones makes it easier to slice off excess fat and meat.

• Use an instant-read thermometer: This avoids over-drying. Bones are done when the inner temperature reaches 145°F.

• Rotate bones during dehydration: Flipping and shuffling bone placement ensures even drying for all sizes.

• Let bones cool before storing: Allowing bones to fully cool prevents moisture accumulation in the storage container.

Following these best practices helps ensure you safely dehydrate beef marrow bones your dog will love chewing on for hours. The natural beef flavor and dental benefits make them a tasty and healthy treat.

Choosing the Best Beef Bones for Dehydrating

Picking the right raw beef bones to dehydrate is an important first step. The bone type affects safety, chewing satisfaction, and nutritional value.

These are the best beef bones to select:

Knuckle Bones

Knuckle bones come from joints like the knee or ankle in cattle. They contain high amounts of collagen for joint health. Their irregular, knotty shape makes them enticing to chew. Since they aren’t weight-bearing, they have more flexibility when dried.

Marrow Bones

Sawn cross-sections of leg bones exposed the inner marrow. Dogs love this fatty marrow. Marrow bones have an oval shape optimal for chewing from any angle. Their medium density satisfies chewing urges without being too hard.

Oxtails and Femur Bones

Meaty oxtails offer some cartilage between vertebrae. Femur bones don’t bear as much weight as other leg bones, so remain safer choices. Their larger size provides longer-lasting chewing for aggressive chewers.