Are Deer Antlers For Dogs A Good Chew Toy?
Obviously, we can no longer use deer antlers as a chew toy/supplement for our guide dog puppies in training, but then again we never had the chance to use them in the first place.
By the way, I’m glad I did not have to experience acute diarrhea with my pups.
The fear of all 3 of my dogs getting diarrhea is enough to make me avoid purchasing deer antler chews for my dogs.
QUICK UPDATE: As several readers have noted in the comment section many dogs have cracked their teeth on deer antlers. In my own experience, I’ve had one friend tell me their dog cracked a tooth as well. I know this is not the case with all dogs. One thing I’d recommend is to know your dog. If your dog is an intense chewer then maybe try a softer chew like a KONG. One reader said they don’t give it to their dog if they can’t dent it with their fingernail.
So I guess we’ll just stick to the Sterile bones, Nylabones, and the occasional pressed rawhide bone. (UPDATE Pressed rawhide bones are no longer recommended)
Lucky for us Dublin (and now Apache) loves the Nylabones and Sterile Bones so we rarely give them any other kind of dog chews.
Our current favorite dog chew toys are
We also like the following chews:
The KONG Dog Toy has been pretty much indestructible while the Nylabone Wishbone gets a bit jagged when our dogs chew on it, but has remained in one piece…just don’t let your dog drop it on your barefoot…OUCH!
Benefits of Deer Antlers for Dogs
Antlers are made up of mainly calcium and phosphorus, but also includes other vital minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron, sulphur and zinc. These minerals are vital for keeping bones and muscles strong.
The main health benefit of deer antlers though, is their use in aiding in dental care for your dog. Gnawing helps to remove plaque on the teeth, and keep them clean. Most dental treats on the market are either full of calories, or brittle and can break off in your dog’s mouth. Deer antlers are neither of these, and an excellent solution to helping your dog maintain a healthy mouth.
Are Deer Antlers For Dogs Safe?
“We are having an increase in the instances of dogs (puppies and adults) with acute diarrhea.
All tests show that the cause is not bacterial or parasitic. What all these cases do have in common……
Now I am not knocking antlers, they definitely have their place.
Antlers are an excellent tool for dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
But because they are considered a novel protein, once a dog is given this as a treat, Venison can no longer be considered a novel protein for that dog.
This makes it much more difficult to find a novel protein if needed in the future for skin or intestinal issues.
Recently, as antler dog chews become more popular, antlers are getting more scarce.
Antler chew sellers are popping up all over and they are looking to sell the cheaper, low-grade antler to make more profit.
These antlers are old, brittle, and can crack and splinter when chewed.
Because of the scarcity antlers are being brought in from other countries like China where they may be treated with chemical preservatives.
Antlers are also high in protein, this too can cause stomach upset especially in young dogs.
We recommend the following “chew toys”:
Sterile bones, Nylabones, and the occasional rawhide,(UPDATE rawhides are no longer a recommended chew) are the same chew toys given while they are in training.
All of these chews need to be given only under direct supervision.
We do not recommend antlers as a chew toy/supplement.”
–Guide Dog Vet Department I’m going to sleep on this one. Whether or not their good chew toys their good pillows!
How to use deer antlers to your advantage when training your puppy!
In this article we are going to help you to decide whether antlers are safe for your dog. Because these effective chews have a lot of bad press. We’ll balance up the arguments and help you to make your own decision on whether antlers are safe for dogs.
So are antlers safe for dogs? How can you weigh up the risks and benefits? Let’s take a closer look to help you decide whether to use antlers for dogs.
Are antlers safe for dogs? Antlers are popular chews for dogs and dog owners alike. But, the safety of antlers for dogs is a hotly debated topic. On the one hand, most dogs love the taste of antlers and can get some important nutrients from antlers. But, on the other hand, hard antler chews can cause broken teeth, internal blockages, and internal punctures if your dog swallows any particularly sharp pieces.
When it comes to the safety of antlers for dogs, there is neither much evidence, nor much research. Numerous well-respected vet sites claim that chewing on very hard objects, including antlers, are the primary source of tooth fractures in dogs, along with rough play.
Unlike cow horns, which are made from keratin, the antlers of many species of deer are made from real bone. They are a bony outgrowth of the animal’s skull and are quite unique in that respect. Antlers are usually shed each year, and a new set grows in their place.
One of the notable features of antlers, compared with other non weight bearing bones, is their hardness. Antlers are very hard indeed. After being shed, antlers are often picked up and gnawed by wild animals. So, it may seem natural that dog owners would assume antlers are safe for domestic dogs too. Especially when owners can find such a large range of antlers for dogs in pet stores and for sale online.
The main concern for most pet owners and vets is the hardness of antlers and whether they will damage a dog’s teeth. And this problem can be made worse if your dog is an aggressive chewer. But different types of antler can actually have varying levels of hardness. Deer antlers for dogs are the most popular, and the most common up for sale. But there are plenty of others out there. Such as…
The above types of antlers all vary in their hardness, shape and size. The harder an antler is, the harder it will be for a dog to chew on. And whilst many dogs might be completely fine chewing on an antler, others may experience painful issues. In particular, the dental problems mentioned earlier.
Vet Norman Johnston of the UK Dental Vets group has touched on the topic. Since awareness of hard chews causing dental issues was first raised in the veterinary press in 2013, they state, there has been a “large increase in cases seen of fractured carnassial (and other) teeth by dogs chewing on antlers and other hard toys”.
Frustratingly, many of these sites lack links to credible sources of research on this topic. When this happens, it usually means that there aren’t any such sources! What you will find are many vets and dog experts telling you not to give antlers to your dog. And a great many websites promoting antlers for dogs. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of antlers for dogs versus the risks and potential health concerns next.
Antlers are a source of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. And many dogs seem to really like the taste. For domestic dogs, who often suffer from boredom, chewing on a hard substance is a relaxing and recreational activity.
Some studies have also suggested that chewing on bones is a highly effective way to remove dental calculus in dogs – currently the most widespread oral problem our dogs experience. When comparing firm and softer dental chews, firmer chews took longer for dogs to consume. This was associated with improved dental health, but the difference was not significant. So, some may argue that the lower risk, softer chews are just as good.
If your dog fractures a tooth on an antler or hard chew, he or she will be in considerable pain. Any treatment will need to take place under a general anesthetic. Generally speaking, the treatment for your dog will be just like it would be for you. But you can’t just sit a dog in the dentist’s chair and ask him to open wide.
As we know, the main risk associated with hard antler chews is dental issues such as a fractured tooth. There are figures on the incidence of tooth fractures in dogs. Up to 20% of dogs will suffer a fractured tooth at some time, according to the Embrace insurance company.
If this occurs, you must consider the risk and expense of a general anesthetic, plus the cost of removing the tooth or, in some cases, repairing it. There is also the chance that the damage has extended to the tooth pulp and the gums. In severe cases, stabilization of the fractured tooth may need wires and pins. If the fracture is bad enough, you may even need to use a feeding tube to ensure that your dog gets enough nutrients while he heals. There will also be x-rays, follow ups, and so on. You are not going to see much change from $1000. And that is a conservative estimate.
On top of broken teeth, if your dog breaks off a smaller chunk of bone and swallows it, they can experience further issues. Internal blockages and punctures from particularly sharp pieces of bone are major concerns.
Because we have no published data on the causes of tooth fractures, there is no way to tell you for sure that antlers are safe for dogs to chew, or that antlers are not safe for dogs to chew. All we can do is talk about the anecdotal evidence. And turn our attention to the vets who are telling us what they are seeing in their surgeries.
Anecdotal evidence can be a tricky subject. And we often caution our readers against using only anecdotal evidence to underpin important decisions about their dogs’ health. Anecdotal evidence is the accumulated observations of people, rather than properly controlled clinical trials. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable.
Like broken bones, broken teeth may often, but not always, have dramatic symptoms. The broken tooth may be obvious for all to see. And if a tooth sheared off while the dog was eating an antler, then the probability of a “cause and effect” link is fairly high.
So for dogs that suffer major tooth fractures while chewing on very hard objects, there could be another cause. The tooth might have been cracked already, for example. But the chances are it was not. This means that the anecdotal evidence we are hearing from many vets around the country, with regard to the link between antlers and broken teeth, is actually quite valuable.
For raw fed dogs, bones are a necessary part of their diet. But, it isn’t necessary for a raw fed dog to eat very hard bones, such as antlers or the weight bearing leg bones of larger mammals. There are a wide range of alternative softer sources of bone, such as ribs, or the bones of smaller animals.
The marrow inside antlers is much easier for dogs to digest, and this part contains plenty of the tasty nutrients and flavors dogs love. But the bone of the anter itself will be much harder for your dog to eat.
Some owners may even notice chunks of antler and bone in their dogs’ excrement if they have been chewing on an antler. In extreme circumstances, chunks of antler can cause internal blockages. Or, sharp pieces can damage your dog’s internal organs as it makes its way through their digestive system.