Deer or Elk antlers?

[NielZ]

After doing some research online I saw that deer or elk antlers could be a safe alternative to nylabones. I decided to go to the store and pick up a deer antler. I brought it home, and Cody went nuts for it. He was occupied for hours. I decided to do a little more research on them and it seems many people have had issues with antlers fracturing their dogs teeth.

 

Its a real shame because this could have occupied him for hours every day. Does anyone know of any safe alternatives that will last just as long but is safer for your dogs teeth? I read somewhere that the antler splits may be a bit safer since the marrow is exposed thus having a spongier surface.

 

I have also used kongs filled with frozen pumpkin and apple sauce, but Cody can devour these in minutes. What do you use to keep your dog occupied?

[Sue R]

The problem with "lasts as long" is that it can often mean "is just as hard" and that's not what you want. One alternative is something that might not last as long but which will give plenty of chew time and satisfaction - like neck bones (pork or lamb) or rib bones. Of course, how long such a bone lasts is a function of the chewer and the chewee - with Dan, even pretty spectacular neck bones can be history in very short order. But, at the end of the chew fest, he's got sparkly teeth and he's happy.

 

Just a thought!

 

Edited to clarify (thanks for the reminder, Amy!) - I am talking about raw bones, not cooked bones!

[amc]

You are talking about RAW neck and rib bones, right, Sue? Just wanted to clarify.

 

Thanks,

 

Amy

[Beach BCs]

I've given my three dogs deer and elk antlers. The only one that broke teeth was Texas...and he has distemper teeth. My vet told me that the Elk antlers we harder than deer antlers. ?? At any rate, because Tex can't have them I gave ours away.

[D'Elle]

I have also heard a lot about dogs breaking teeth on antlers, have known several dogs who did, so I don't think they are a good idea.

Raw bones are safer for the teeth, but are not entirely safe either, as they can cause choking and can break off with a sharp point or edge than can hurt the dog's gums or insides. I was giving raw bones to my dogs until I saw one snapped off with a point sharp enough to pierce flesh, whereupon I took it away.

 

I don't like nylabones because how can it be good for the dog to swallow pieces of plastic, however small? So, as far as I know, there's nothing truly safe for the dog to chew on.

I have given my dogs those smoked knuckle bones you can get in pet stores, and maybe they are the safest, but I don't know. Probably they could splinter as well.

I have given them cow hooves as well, and they don't splinter, so maybe they are the safest thing. The dogs like them but not nearly as much as they like bones.

[Sue R]

You are talking about RAW neck and rib bones, right, Sue? Just wanted to clarify.

 

Thanks,

 

Amy

Absolutely! Thank you for the clarification, Amy. I get so used to "bones" being "raw bones" that I neglect to make the distinction when I'm communicating with others.

[GentleLake]

I have given my dogs those smoked knuckle bones you can get in pet stores, and maybe they are the safest, but I don't know. Probably they could splinter as well.

 

Actually, I'd consider them among the most dangerous options. Cooking bones changes their molecular structure in a way that makes them indigestible. It not only makes them harder and more likely to cause teeth to break, it also means that when they splinter, the digestive acids can't blunt any sharp points, making them much more likely to perforate the gut or intestines as they pass through. They're also much more likely to cause impaction issues if the dog can chew them up and swallow pieces of them because, again, unlike raw bones they're not digestible.

 

Raw bones that splinter into sharp points, like deer or turkey leg bones, give me the willies too, and though I know that dogs are capable of digesting them and that those sharp points don't stay sharp in their guts for very long, I still tend to avoid them most of the time. But I have fed both on occasion with no problems, though my very small sample of about 5 raw fed dogs over the past 16 years isn't enough to prove anything. I do hear of many people feeding both without problems.

 

The weight bearing bones (i.e. leg) of large ungulates should be avoided because even when raw they're too hard for a dog to actually eat and can be a dental bill waiting to happen. Large rib bones from mature cattle are also pretty darn hard so I avoid them as well. If they're just given long enough for the dog to strip off any meat attached to them and then taken away.

 

If a raw bone can't be chewed up and consumed in one feeding, IOW an "edible bone," it should be avoided altogether IMO, or at the very least given just long enough for a dog to remove any marrow or flesh remaining and then taken away. I don't trust my dogs not to try to chew them before all the marrow and flesh is completely removed, so I just don't buy them; I'm not willing to take the risk. In the raw feeding community large bones like this are often referred to as "recreational bones" (as opposed to "edible bones") or "rec bones," but also the homonymically disparaging "wreck bones" for their potential to wreck teeth.

 

I've heard the same things as others about the dangers of antlers and even of hooves, though I do give mine hooves. I think of the various options they might be the safest, though I have no evidence to back that up. Bodhi did recently have a broken premolar that had to be removed so I may be rethinking them as well, though it may also have been from feeding larger neck bones frozen, which I'm also rethinking, or possibly poor nutrition when he was young.

[LauraV]

We like no hides by Earth Animal. They last awhile and are pretty good for them.

[diane allen]

Yep, no antlers in this house! (for aforementioned reasons)

 

One of mine simply will NOT chew (vs. swallowing big chunks) any bones. So - Kongs are our only alternative (and we don't really do them very often - but usually it's cream cheese with some kibble mixed in).

 

diane

[MyRuna]

I bought an antler for Runa, but took it away because it sounded like she was going to break her teeth on it. What do you all think about free range bully sticks?

[waffles]

I bought bully sticks twice. Paid around $8 for each medium sized one. Gone in under 20 min. Just not worth the price for me.

 

I feed raw as a diet so my dogs get bone in meals every couple of days. I sometimes feed it partially thawed so it gives them more of a challenge. Otherwise Levi can pollish off a 1lb chicken leg quarter in under 4 min and Dixie at least takes longer. What really gets them working for a while are partially frozen pork hearts. Levi will lay there for quite some time gnawing at one as they seem to be a bit tougher than others hunks of meat, plus they're typically a nice 1lb size.

 

I also wouldn't feed any knuckle bones or smoked cow parts from pet stores. Only edible bone-in meat for us and frozen Kongs. I filled them with canned dog food and freeze them overnight. Usually provides 40 minutes of entertainment and quite cheap. Levi came with some broken teeth years ago and so I try to be cautious with what I give them.

[terrecar]

I wouldn't give my dogs anything as hard as antlers now that Hannah broke a tooth, although that isn't what broke it. She wasn't interested when I did give her one a few years ago. With a root canal tooth, she will only get Kongs. I do have a raw turkey neck in the freezer that I may give to Jan, but I'm not even sure about that. I may toss it and stick with Kongs or raw chicken backs for her.

[D'Elle]

Gentle Lake, thanks for all of that clarification. I don't give any bones to my dogs at this point. I wish I were not so scared of raw bones. For a while I gave them chicken leg bones raw, and the dogs go crazy for them. I like to see them so happy, and I know it is good for cleaning teeth, but I get nervous seeing those sharp points. If anything happened to them because of something I fed them I would never forgive myself.

[GentleLake]

^^ D'Elle, have you ever thought of feeding raw chicken backs? The bones in the backs are all smaller and there's really no splintering. They're completely edible and you can feed them frozen to maximize chewing time . . . and in your climate to provide a nice cooling treat.

[Sue R]

Raw chicken backs are one treat I can buy cheaply by the case. I strip out the fat and then freeze them, and give them partly thawed for a good, satisfying, safe chew. The dogs love them and they help keep their teeth clean very economically.

[gcv-border]

Sue, do you have a local source for raw chicken backs? And what is it so I can check for a similar source in my area.

 

Or can you order them online?

[Sue R]

One of the grocery stores in Morgantown carries them because there is a wildlife park in Kingwood that purchases them regularly. The key is normally whether or not the warehouse that supplies your chain or local store stocks an item like this. If the warehouse stocks it, the store can and will often order it in for you if they don't carry it regularly. My problem with any other store around here is that the local warehouses for none of the chains (Kroger, Giant Eagle, etc.) carries anything suitable (necks, backs, etc.) but this one does because they have a regular market.

 

However, sometimes you can find a store that will get "parts" like that in the carton for you so it pays to ask around.

 

Good luck!

[gcv-border]

Thanks Sue. Will check around in my area.

[GentleLake]

do you have a local source for raw chicken backs?

 

Ask the managers at supermarket meat departments or local meat markets or butcher shops. Many can order them for you, even if they don't carry them in the store.

 

Also check your Yellow Pages under Meats, wholesale. Or if there are any restaurants that specialize in chicken you could ask them for their supplier. There's a restaurant here called Phil's Chicken House where I've seen the wholesale trucks making their deliveries. I got the name of the place, which is actually in my hometown nearly 200 miles away from where I live now, so I'm going to contact them to see if I can meet the truck to get a case now and again when they're making a delivery here in town.

 

There are often churches or fire departments that do chicken barbecue fund raisers. Contact someone there to see where they get their chicken from.

 

Lots of possibilities if you put your thinking cap on. (Can you tell I've been doing this for a while? )

[D'Elle]

Thanks for the suggestion of chicken backs. I think I will try that. :-)

(But really, the bones would be safer? sorry. I am maybe overly protective, but I want to be very careful.)

[Alchemist]

I used to feed Bully sticks, but I know a dog that swallowed a bully stick - whole. So I no longer feed these.

 

I stock up on turkey necks in the winter (when the grocery stores tend to carry them). I chop them in half (a good cleaver helps), and throw them in a freezer (wrapped so that I can separate them). I feed them frozen - makes them last longer. The dogs love them, it keeps them occupied if I have to crate them for a while, and it keeps their teeth clean. It's safe - the bones are more like cartilage, and don't splinter.

 

I also end up with lots of chicken carcasses (we buy our chickens fresh from a local farmer, and cut them up and freeze the parts ourselves). Most of the chicken carcasses get converted to stock, but if I'm shy on turkey necks and freezer space, I'll feed each dog a half a frozen chicken carcass. They love them, and again, the bones (being raw) don't splinter. (Legs and wings are not included in the carcasses).

[GentleLake]

the bones are more like cartilage, and don't splinter.

 

Turkey and other neck bones aren't like cartilage, which is soft tissue and not nearly as hard as any kind of bone. But you're right, the poultry neck bones don't splinter.

[MyRuna]

I used to feed Bully sticks, but I know a dog that swallowed a bully stick - whole. So I no longer feed these.

Oh, my goodness! What happened to that dog?

[Alchemist]

The alert owner realized it disappeared too fast (or perhaps she was monitoring its consumption and saw it disappearing down the dog's throat) - at any rate, the dog survived unscathed. (Good advertisement for keeping an eye on a dog chewing such things!).

 

I confess, I don't tend to monitor my dogs' consumption of frozen turkey necks anywhere near that closely.

 

 

Oh, my goodness! What happened to that dog?

[simba]

Duck necks- good or bad?

 

For whatever reason they're the neck I find easiest to get.