# What's the story with Antlers



## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

OK, please pardon my ignorance here but I have a few questions regarding antlers. From everything I've read they sound like the best thing ever for a dog, but having bought one I just want to make sure......
In the pet shop they had puppy antlers which are supposed to be 100% antler but they seem to disintegrate very quickly and leave a lot of debris. Is this correct? Should I be concerned about them shattering like some bones and shards causing problems.
I'll be in the US soon so is there a brand of antler you'd recommend - for a puppy and so I can stock up for when he's older?
Thanks,


----------



## packetsmom (Mar 21, 2013)

Different people have different opinions. I know some people who love antlers for really tough chewers. I know others who have seen too many dogs with chipped teeth. I think it depends a lot on your dog's size and their chewing style, as well as the condition of their teeth and gums.

Sam, oddly enough for his size, isn't yet a huge chewer. He does great on bully sticks for now. I do know a person with Fila Brasilieros who gives his dogs moose antlers because his dogs go through deer and elk antlers too quickly.

I'd be more concerned about a smaller dog breaking a tooth than I would about the the antler shattering or splintering. As with most chewies, I'd probably supervise and take the chewie away if it got small enough the dog could choke on it.


----------



## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

Interesting to hear about the possibility of him chipping his teeth, and not something I want to have happen, however the way it started to fall apart I think that would be unlikely. The only "toy" he gets without total supervision is a stuffed kong.


----------



## domika (Jul 1, 2012)

I give elk and deer antlers to my small dog. He is a pretty aggressive chewer and has not chipped a tooth. I never leave him unsupervised with it though. I don't really think they disintegrate quickly or leave debris unless we buy the ones that are cut in half and expose the inside.


----------



## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

domika said:


> I give elk and deer antlers to my small dog. He is a pretty aggressive chewer and has not chipped a tooth. I never leave him unsupervised with it though. *I don't really think they disintegrate quickly or leave debris unless we buy the ones that are cut in half and expose the inside*.


Aha - the puppy ones were all cut in half with the inside exposed. That answers my question - Thank you.


----------



## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

Buster has only had his first antler a little over 6 weeks. I would say its easily his favorite thing to chew. Even with multiple chew sessions each day he hasnt put a scratch in it, damaged his teeth or left a mess (other than a little drool here and there). Busters antler is from one of my husbands co workers...he's a hunter, heard I was looking for an antler for Bussy to chew and offered us one.


----------



## Rescued (Jan 8, 2012)

yeah the "whole" ones are a lot better than the "split" ones (what you bought).

also fyi dont buy them from a petsmart/petco type store. they sell really dried out ones that are really crappy.

if you have a natural pet store that sells them in bulk thats the best bet- they last a lot longer.

I love them because they last, they must taste good, and you avoid stepping on as many super sharp nylabones when you walk around the house barefoot


----------



## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

I get my antlers from a store on ebay - Michigan Antler Art; they also have an internet store as well. Their prices are great for the size you get.

I get Zoey whole antlers as the split don't last at all. She loves to chew them - they're her favorite.


----------



## ~Amanda~ (Aug 24, 2013)

Antlers are the best! I love them so! I've never seen one chip and flake apart though, how odd. I guess that's what happens web you get the big box store ones, I've only ever gotten them from small stores or from my mom's hunting friends in northern CT. They're not messy, smelly or anything and for my dog, they last a long time.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

What about pet supplies plus or my local farm/ranch store? What "brand" of a antler should I look for? Which one are the "best " antler companies?


----------



## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

OwnedbyACDs said:


> What about pet supplies plus or my local farm/ranch store? What "brand" of a antler should I look for? Which one are the "best " antler companies?


Someone gave us a "prairie dog antler" brand and it seemed OK. If you know any hunters and they don't have a need for the antlers. But even the "best" antlers that are in a store that doesn't move won't be too good.


----------



## pugglesadie (Nov 15, 2012)

Our puggle is a very strong chewer. It became too scary to watch her constantly when she had a rawhide bone so we stopped using them altogether and now only use deer antlers. We have one that I bought from Amazon months ago and this one she loves. It is like her security blanket because she can chew on it and it never comes apart. Wanting another one, I purchased an Elk antler from Pet Smart that was the split one and not the whole antler. Within minutes she had already chipped some of the softer part of it out on the floor. I took it away from her and placed it in a Ziploc storage bag. When I went back to it several days later and opened the bag, it smelled so bad that I immediately threw it away. I just ordered another from Amazon and this she can have. it is the Deer Rack Snack, 100-Percent All Naturally Shed Deer Antler Chew. Lesson learned.


----------



## SDRRanger (May 2, 2013)

Ranger had a deer antler which took him a few months to destroy small enough that I threw it out. Today at the dog show I picked him up a piece of moose antler (and some dehydrated chicken feet, but that's another icky story) and he is currently behind me chewing away on it. 

Despite being only 60lbs, he is a power chewer and enjoys sitting down with either a hard natural bone or his antler. I haven't had any chipped teeth yet with him, although I do worry sometimes when I hear a big crunch.


----------



## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

My dogs have an entire elk antler that a hunter friend gave to us (it was a shed he found, not from a hunted elk, though). I meant to cut it into a few pieces but never got around to it. . .it's funny to see a dog carry around an entire elk antler, until he clears the coffee table with it! . I think it's been about 2 years, and they've chewed the spikes off so it's almost just one long piece now. I don't think any of them have chipped teeth on it, but that's a risk for all chewies---Toby chipped a tooth on a Nylabone (but not by chewing; he was carrying it around and whacked the end of it against the wall). I think they process the pet store kind in a way that makes them more brittle. Best if you can just pick one up off the ground where the deer left it .


----------



## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

Hamilton has an antler. He'll chew on it sometimes, and he just sort of grates it with his teeth, but chunks and things don't come off. He was really excited about it when he first got it, but he doesn't go back to it much when it's in rotation. He prefers edible chews.


----------



## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

So, as I don't know any hunters, I'll throw the current junky antler away and see if I can order one from Amazon before the next trip to the USA.


----------



## Kobismom (Dec 17, 2012)

Kobi is a strong chewer. We tried Bully Sticks, but he pulvarized them within one sitting! Even a thick bully stick was gone in minutes! Then, Kobi would be SOOOO amped up that it was like a ADHD kid without his Ritalin... bouncing off of walls! We knew this wasn't good for Kobi, so we got him elk antlers. They're always the whole ones (not split) and a good antler can take 3-4 months before we have to replace it. 

No chipped teeth thus far, and it keeps his teeth and gums healthy.


----------



## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

mcdavis said:


> So, as I don't know any hunters, I'll throw the current junky antler away and see if I can order one from Amazon before the next trip to the USA.


You can find sheds on eBay or craft websites. People like to make things out of them, I guess . Might be cheaper than what pet stores charge, but be sure they didn't treat them with anything. Or go shed hunting yourself (fun if you like stomping around in the snow ).


----------



## xoxluvablexox (Apr 10, 2007)

Instead of making a whole new thread I figure I could just add my question here, 


I was checking online and found this site:

http://www.promiselandranch.net/Bulk Antler.html

I'm thinking about trying for an order of grade 1 Sheds that are about 20 bucks a pound or grade 2 farm cut offs which are about 15 bucks a pound. 

I'm just not that sure if that pricing is reasonable? 

I usually get antlers from a small pet store where I get my dogs raw food from. They're cut but I always get the thicker antlers that seem to do okay. I haven't really noticed any problems with them. 

I think it might be worth it to switch over to whole antlers though if they'll last longer. Save money in the long run. They do have a specific page for dog antlers but they're all cut. 

http://www.promiselandranch.net/Antler Products.html

So I'm not sure if I would want to get those since that's basically what I'm getting now...


----------



## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

You might e-mail them and ask how much a normal antler weighs. They aren't really heavy but aren't really light either---I would guess the elk antler I have weighs 2-3 pounds, so that would be $40-$60 :/. Whitetail/muley antlers would be smaller though.


----------



## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

xoxluvablexox said:


> Instead of making a whole new thread I figure I could just add my question here,
> 
> 
> I was checking online and found this site:
> ...


Here's my thoughts on it...

I prefer to get "fresh" antlers. I also want big enough antlers to be choke proof. If you have a small dog, 4 inch antlers (I didn't look at the size on your posted website and I don't remember what type of dog you have) may be OK and you certainly won't have to buy more for quite a while but they may not be fresh in a year from now; I agree with what Willowy said - they aren't that heavy. I bought Zoey 8 or 9 inch antlers, she's on her 2nd one and on her 1st one she picked it up long ways when it was about 3 or 4 inches - scared the crap out of me - it was now a choking hazard. With one of the sizes I get she has about a 2 to 3 month chew with it and it's time to get another. Ordering from where I do seems that the antlers (they seem to carry deer and elk) are not dried out. Now, I have only ordered twice from them but I am happy in what I received, more so than from a store and plan on ordering from them again.

If you have a few dogs and need a few then a pound may be a better buy; just make sure that you size it right for the size of the dog.


----------



## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

Which company is the best to buy from? All the ones in stores are all ready s few months old :/


----------



## xoxluvablexox (Apr 10, 2007)

Dog Person said:


> Here's my thoughts on it...
> 
> I prefer to get "fresh" antlers. I also want big enough antlers to be choke proof. If you have a small dog, 4 inch antlers (I didn't look at the size on your posted website and I don't remember what type of dog you have) may be OK and you certainly won't have to buy more for quite a while but they may not be fresh in a year from now; I agree with what Willowy said - they aren't that heavy. I bought Zoey 8 or 9 inch antlers, she's on her 2nd one and on her 1st one she picked it up long ways when it was about 3 or 4 inches - scared the crap out of me - it was now a choking hazard. With one of the sizes I get she has about a 2 to 3 month chew with it and it's time to get another. Ordering from where I do seems that the antlers (they seem to carry deer and elk) are not dried out. Now, I have only ordered twice from them but I am happy in what I received, more so than from a store and plan on ordering from them again.
> 
> If you have a few dogs and need a few then a pound may be a better buy; just make sure that you size it right for the size of the dog.


Hm, this gets confusing so hopefully I explain this okay lol

It says for whole antlers the weight could be anywhere from 1\2 pound to 1 1\2 pounds for average size deer antlers.

So I could be spending 20 bucks for two 1\2 pound whole antlers if that's what I ask for.

My dog is only 15lbs so I'm thinking anything bigger then deer wouldn't be necessary.
The whole elk antlers go from 3lbs to 15lbs. The whole moose antlers go up to 20lbs, that's crazy. 

The whole antlers aren't specifically for dogs though but I'm sure that doesn't really make a difference. As long as they don't treat the antlers with anything. I'm sure I could call and specifically tell them I want the whole antlers for my dog. 

The antlers specifically for dogs are cut but come in all different sizes. For the size I normally get my dog, about 6-7 inches, I can get 3-6 pieces for 16 bucks.

I think I might try the extra large ( 10-12 inches, cut) and that comes as 1-3 pieces for 16 bucks. 

The price is cheaper for the dog antlers because they're not top grade but I don't know if that matters unless you're planning on decorating with the stupid thing or if that had anything to do with how tough it is. 

I just honestly don't know that much about antlers, it's getting frustrating lol.


----------



## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Which company is the best to buy from? All the ones in stores are all ready s few months old :/


This is where I buy from, as a matter of fact I'm thinking about buying this particular antler: http://www.ebay.com/itm/8-HARD-Orga...625?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43bee0ba49

The ones I have gotten from here don't look brittle or dried out but I don't know how to determine if something is fresh or not. I will say that by touch it's not rough and seems solid.


----------



## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

xoxluvablexox said:


> Hm, this gets confusing so hopefully I explain this okay lol
> 
> It says for whole antlers the weight could be anywhere from 1\2 pound to 1 1\2 pounds for average size deer antlers.
> 
> ...


Makes sense. Like I mentioned my only concern is that the dog doesn't go through it and you're using the antlers for over a year. But with that said ... what constitutes a "fresh" antler? I don't know.


----------



## SDRRanger (May 2, 2013)

I found someone at the Dog show who was selling 100% natural antler pieces by the ounce (one of the vendors). I chose a nice big section of moose antler for Ranger. He's probably 15% through it now in about 3 weeks.

I chose this cut because it allowed him access the the centre immediately and was a big wide piece. He seems to enjoy this cut much more than the regular deer antler as he can chew it a bit easier and I'm not so worried about his teeth. It also lasts a lot longer than the pieces which are split down the middle.


----------



## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

What is the difference between an old and a fresh antler anyways? most antlered animals only shed once a year so if it's not in "season" it's not going to be completely fresh anyways. 

I bought a buch before we got Manna in prep for her (in January) and we're on the last one. I see and feel no difference


----------



## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

Flaming said:


> What is the difference between an old and a fresh antler anyways? most antlered animals only shed once a year so if it's not in "season" it's not going to be completely fresh anyways.
> 
> I bought a buch before we got Manna in prep for her (in January) and we're on the last one. I see and feel no difference


My idea is that you don't want an antler that has been sitting around in the woods or sun for who knows how long or an antler that has been sitting on a store's shelf forever. The antlers that I get are not only larger and cheaper than what I got from a local store but did seem a little different but that may be psychological and not actual.

I have pictured in my mind a steer skull on the floor of Death Valley being picked up and sold as a dog antler ...


----------



## xoxluvablexox (Apr 10, 2007)

I think there probably is a limit to how long I would really want an antler to last. At the most 6 months would probably top it but I couldn't imagine one antler even lasting for that long. 

It also probably depends on where the antlers come from. Some are farm cut offs or cut offs from hunter killed deer and those are probably "fresher" then the antlers they sell that are picked up from what deer shed since, like you said, they could be laying around for quite a while in the woods. 

As far a deer antlers from pet shops, I think it really depends on where they get the antlers from and how quickly they sell them. They could be restocking the antlers weekly if they're a quick seller. I'm planning on asking the store that next time I go. Maybe they can actually special order some for me. They do that for the RMBs and premade raw I get.


----------



## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Dog Person said:


> I have pictured in my mind a steer skull on the floor of Death Valley being picked up and sold as a dog antler ...


 Being that cattle don't have antlers I don't see how they could do that. . .. 

Even sheds are fresh because things eat the antlers if they lie around long enough. Rabbits and squirrels/other rodents eat them to keep their teeth filed down and for the calcium. So unless it's from an old taxidermy piece that's been around forever I figure most antlers are reasonably frech. Although I don't know what difference it makes--they don't go bad. Maybe they get more brittle with time, I don't know. My dogs' elk antler has been bashed around the house, left outside in the yard, etc. for a couple years now and it seems fine (besides the chewed-off parts).


----------



## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

Do dogs really like them? If so what about them do they like so much? Do they taste good to them?


----------



## MattyM (Sep 2, 2013)

I've got old deer and moose antlers laying all around this house. My mom's husband is a hunter and has many, many antlers in his work shop. He chops a piece off of an antler every time we visit, and one usually makes it into the car for the 2 hour drive home!

He saw the prices of the antlers in a pet store one time and called me asking if I knew how much these things can cost. I'm pretty sure his mind blew!


----------



## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

OwnedbyACDs said:


> Do dogs really like them? If so what about them do they like so much? Do they taste good to them?


For Manna, it's the marrow inside thats golden


----------



## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

Yes because they actually are a "bone" technically, right? LOL because there (to me at least) is no like "appealing" smell or taste like there is with say a hoof, bone or bully stick.

Also I have seen cow horns for sale as chews in pet stores lately, what do you guys think about those?


----------



## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

Willowy said:


> Being that cattle don't have antlers I don't see how they could do that. . ..


This is not cattle? 




I guess growing up in NYC I just assumed that male cattle (steers?) had horns ...


----------



## xoxluvablexox (Apr 10, 2007)

Dog Person said:


> This is not cattle?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's cattle. They have horns, they just don't have antlers lol.


----------



## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Yep, horns are different from antlers . Horns are made of keratin, kind of a hair/fingernail substance. Antlers are bone.


----------



## Kenzie Riann (Mar 25, 2013)

I've been debating about getting an antler for Grayson... I guess this answers my questions, haha. 

And lucky for me, I can supply my own! Hooray for having a grandpa that is a hunter.


----------



## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

Willowy said:


> Yep, horns are different from antlers . Horns are made of keratin, kind of a hair/fingernail substance. Antlers are bone.


Yep, I'm a city boy ... I assumed horns and antlers were created equal LOL!


----------

