They're beef ribs, with a small bit of spine attached. You can give them as recreational bones, but they are very hard - so I wouldn't let them eat the whole lot.... depends on how vigorous their chewing is really - my setter would eat the whole lot of that if I let her - but Tilly would just chew off the meat and leave the bone.....not my ideal choice for a recreational bone, mine have fab pork bones once a week, usually legs, shoulder blades, or neck...