Jump to content
BC Boards

Antler warning


Recommended Posts

We had started giving the dogs antlers to chew on as I'd read so many great things about them. Well yesterday Tiga had his yearly checkup. He has broken at least 3 teeth that need to be removed from chewing on the antlers. A year ago his teeth were all fine and the only thing that's been different is the antlers. So he has to go in to have at least 3 removed at the end of February. I came home and threw out the rest that I had left. And I had just ordered more online that I'm not sure what I'll do with when they arrive. It was too late to cancel the order. The vet said Tiga is likely in a lot of pain, although he doesn't show it. I feel so guilty and bad about it all. And it's going to cost us almost $700! I'm so sad and upset that this happened.

 

The upside is that she said other then his teeth, he's in the best shape he's been maybe ever! He's 8.5 years young and he's at a perfect weight and his heart is steady, slow and strong. So both happy and sad news for us yesterday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh dear that sucks! I am so sorry she has to do that.

 

FWIW, this is a good reminder that every dog is different and has different needs as far as chews. Some can't have bullies and the like (my BC) because they get swallowed whole. I had a dog crack a tooth on a Nylabone. My friends dog consumed half a rawhide retriever roll in 30 seconds and fortunately he barfed it up vs getting an obstruction (and he was not a big dog, either), but its clear he can't have rawhide. Currently my dogs have no teeth issues chewing on antlers at all.

 

We all need to watch our dogs carefully when we give them something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It might be worth getting a second opinion. Not that I disagree that the antlers could be the cause, but just to get a second view on what needs to be done and whether he's really in pain.

 

One of my dogs had a slab fracture on a molar from chewing raw, meaty bones. Her brother can chew anything without trouble. I still feed RMBs, but make sure to give Phoebe smaller, softer pieces that are less likely to cause her to break a tooth. She didn't require any medical intervention for the slab fracture.

 

J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw the teeth. They're pretty bad. I don't think there's any way he's not in pain to be honest. The worst one is broken pretty low and there's a hole and exposed nerve. There are at least 1 or 2 other teeth that are cracked or broken but she doesn't feel need to be removed.

 

Although I agree that a second opinion is usually a good thing, our vet options are pretty limited around here and I don't trust the other options very much, I've heard too many horror stories.

 

They're not the type to recommend surgery and procedures lightly. There were 2 estimates that she gave me and one was including a teeth cleaning but she said he doesn't need that as his teeth are clean otherwise, probably because of the antlers. He does paw at his face sometimes, but we just chalked it up to his allergies. I'm not convinced that he's in a terrible amount of pain but I do trust her opinion. She also did his knee surgery and has been seeing him since we got him 8 years ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't doubt your teeth dilemma. But I am not so sure it can all go back to the antlers?

Could it be a mix of things? Not saying the antlers don't figure into it. And then again, as mentioned before, there is the individuality thing with each dog.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well it's the only thing he chews on besides his food and occasional treats. He just started getting them within the last few months and his teeth were perfect at his last annual check-up last February. He is getting older so I'm sure that plays into it, but I feel pretty certain it's because of the antlers. As soon as she mentioned it and showed me the teeth I immediately knew. I'm sure it won't happen to all dogs and Annie might be fine (as of now I don't see any broken teeth) but I don't want to take any chances. I'll have to find something new for chews I guess. sigh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I, too, had a dog that broke a tooth chewing on antlers. She didn't have access to anything else hard, so I'm about 99% certain that it was the antlers that caused it. We removed the tooth and she never missed it.

 

A friend has a dog that also recently experienced a slab fracture. The tooth is set to be removed next week. Again, the antlers are the only hard thing the dog has access to (and she's been on very strict crate rest for the last two months, so in this case, we really know what she has and has not been able to chew).

 

I'm sure there are dogs that can (and have) chew on them with no problems at all. But at this point, I'd be more cautious in recommending them.

 

Best,

Danielle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A veterinary dentist who gave a seminar a while back said dogs can fracture teeth on things as simple as nylabones, raw bones, cooked bones, antlers, rocks, hard plastic toys...pretty much anything hard could potentially fracture a tooth. I think the genetics and how the dog chews probably both play a role in whether they will ever break a tooth chewing. I don't think its the antlers themselves, its more the fact that they are a hard chew thing. I think people just need to be aware of the risk when they give their dogs hard things to chew, and check the teeth fairly often. If the dog fractures a tooth it doesn't necessarily need to be removed - it all depends on if the pulp cavity is exposed or if it causes a pocket. My oldest had slab fractures on both her upper molars but they were fine. My current oldest broke one of her premolars on a rock and had to have the tooth extracted because I could see the root pulp.

My next 2 (8 and 2 years old) so far have not broken any teeth. I do give them antlers, raw bones, cooked bones etc but I'm willing to take the risks to see them enjoying themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...