# hard bones vs. hard antlers for chewing



## dogclass (Feb 16, 2011)

Hi,
My dog had a 5" white hard bone from Petsmart that he liked, but I was afraid that the bone is too hard and would wear down his teeth. Is that a valid concern?

I saw other posts on here that suggested using antlers for a chew. My assumption was that antlers would be less hard, but comparing the antler I got to the bone, they seem to both be very very hard. Maybe the only benefit to antlers is that they don't shatter?

What are the benefits of antlers? Was I suppose to get softer antlers?


----------



## brandiw (Jan 20, 2010)

I don't give bones like you described because, as you said, they tend to break off in sharp shards, and I don't want my dogs consuming them. The great thing about antlers is that they still last a long time, but they wear down instead of splintering. I think some of the benefits of antlers are that they are a natural chew (not processed), they don't contain a bunch of calories, they are clean and they don't smell. They are also supposed to contain vitamins and minerals that are good dogs.

I don't worry too much about wearing down their teeth with the antlers. My dogs have antlers pretty much all the time, and their teeth don't look worn down. I know that aggressive chewers can break/damage teeth on antlers, but they would do so on a bone as well. Heck, I've heard stories of dogs breaking teeth on nylabones; it just happens sometimes.


----------



## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

This is my entirely subjective opinion, but I feel like the antlers have a little more "give" than the bones you're describing even though they feel very hard.


----------



## john47 (Apr 5, 2010)

i do not give bones from the pet stores. i do give them deer antlers though. i also give raw bones, turkey necks, beef ribs ect. i would be carefull giving any weight bearing bones though.


----------



## imprintwilight (Feb 20, 2011)

I don't like bones or antlers. I would buy a dehydrator for cheap and I would simply buy fresh deer meat and dry it and then let my dog chew on that. It keeps them busy and it's digestible. Also should the dog eat a huge piece of the meat it wouldn't puncture the stomach or intestines as it would simply rehydrate and be digested. The dog would have a stomach ache and maybe need some mineral oil but it wouldn't do lasting damage. 

As a vet tech student the prospect of bones and antlers and especially rawhide scare me. I saw a dog a few weeks ago that had torn his esophagus on a piece of bone that he had chewed off and swallowed.


----------



## brandiw (Jan 20, 2010)

imprintwilight said:


> I don't like bones or antlers. I would buy a dehydrator for cheap and I would simply buy fresh deer meat and dry it and then let my dog chew on that. It keeps them busy and it's digestible. Also should the dog eat a huge piece of the meat it wouldn't puncture the stomach or intestines as it would simply rehydrate and be digested. The dog would have a stomach ache and maybe need some mineral oil but it wouldn't do lasting damage.
> 
> As a vet tech student the prospect of bones and antlers and especially rawhide scare me. I saw a dog a few weeks ago that had torn his esophagus on a piece of bone that he had chewed off and swallowed.


Antlers don't break off in chunks, the edges wear down as the dogs chew it, so IMO, the threat of obstruction or esophageal damage from antlers is very small.


----------



## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

brandiw said:


> Antlers don't break off in chunks, the edges wear down as the dogs chew it, so IMO, the threat of obstruction or esophageal damage from antlers is very small.


^^ Agree. They look the same as bones but they're really not the same at all. Like sassafras mentioned, they have some give. And they are soft enough that my 20 pound dog can wear away at them so the antler is what gets worn down, not your dog's teeth.


----------



## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Nia isn't a big chewer unless it's an edible chew like bully sticks but we buy antlers for her her as well. As the dog chews it, it rubs off as a powder, not pieces or chunks. I think it's pretty safe unless your dog is a very very aggressive chewer that tries to clamp their jaws shut and break the antlers in half. If your dog doesn't do that, and if they're not a swallower, I wouldn't be worried.

Bones concern me though and I wouldn't buy those cooked bones from the pet store for Nia to chew on.


----------



## Fuzzy Pants (Jul 31, 2010)

What about pig's ears? Are they safe? My new puppy loves chewing on that and it keeps her quiet and occupied while in her crate. I need something to keep her busy and quiet while I'm in my 3 hour class on Monday. I will see if I can find a deer antler here otherwise I will look for bully sticks if pig ears aren't safe enough.


----------



## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

Depends if your dog is a gulper. I stopped giving pig ears to Icesis, because once she gets a piece small enough (in her mind) she tries to swallow it whole and will choke. It wasn't worth the risk, even though she loves them. Not all dogs will do that though, but personally I feel ears are best as a 'supervised chew'.


----------

