# Are Antler's Safe?



## joeyoey (Jul 30, 2016)

Hi everyone,

My boy, Bailey, is 13 weeks old today & getting into EVERYTHING and chewing most everything too. Tonight at the pet store I decided to get him a deer antler just to see if he'd be interested in it. Seriously, I've had him a month now & it's the longest he's ever sat still! He's been under my desk for almost 2 hours now chewing to his little hearts content.

My question is, are they safe? I keep seeing conflicting information. Some dogs have used them for years with no problems and others end up breaking teeth or grinding them down.

Can someone give me some advice? Is it worth the risk? I hate to take it away from him since he's loving it so much, but if he's going to hurt himself I don't want him using it and we'll just try something else.

Thanks in advance for any help.

~ Joey


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Congratulations on your addition! Bailey is very cute! I have never given my two antlers. When Scout teeth were cleaned I was told antlers could cause a tooth fracture. I have just stayed away from them because of that reason.


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## articshark (Apr 4, 2016)

Java gets bully sticks and moose antlers. She prefers the bully because it gets softer over time. The moose antler is hard. Some boil the antlers to soften them up. I've tried that as well, but she will chew for a minute and then leave it alone to go find her bully stick. She hasn't broken any teeth on the antler, though. I check her teeth almost everyday and we do a full cleaning once a week. I do try to dab some enzymatic toothpaste on her periodically as well. So I'm pretty familiar with her teeth and mouth and stuff. We've had the moose antler in the house for about 2 months now.


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## Eveningpiper (Sep 23, 2015)

I don't know how we would have gotten through our first year with Ruby without the antlers. It is the only toy she really likes and she spends a lot of her day chewing on every version of them. So far no problem with her teeth.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Yes it is POSSIBLE for a dog to break a tooth on an antler. Some are harder chewers than other. I know dogs who have worn their teeth to nubs on tennis balls! (mostly Goldens and GSD's)

OTOH, dogs need a way to satisfy their natural urge to chew or they are likely to be destructive. Bully sticks may sound like the ideal answer, but they aren't without problems either. There HAVE been cases of dogs chipping teeth on those too, and they can carry unwanted bacteria. They are also quite high in calories, and some dogs consume them quickly. Finally, if you have a beef intolerant dog like Kodi, they are off the menu for everyone in the family. (the others would leave them around for him to steal)

Himalaya Chews (a very hard cheese made of mostly yaks milk) are similar in problems to the bully sticks, though I've never heard of a bacterial problem with them. 

My guys don't have much interest in the harder antlers, like deer or elk. Their favorites, by far, are the flavored moose slices from Acadia Antlers. these are boiled in flavor, so are softer then plain antlers, and because they are sliced, it's easier for small dogs to get at the tasty inner part of the antler. Is it possible that they could crack a tooth on one? Probably. Has it happened in our house? No, over 7 years of using them. They ARE soft enough to be consumable... they get smaller over time, and I replace them before they get dangerously small. To me, if the dog can soften and grind material off the antler, it is unlikely to be hard enough to hurt them.

YMMV, but these have been, for me, the most satisfactory chews. They like them, they are low (or no) calorie, they last a LONG time, no one has gotten hurt chewing them and none of my dogs has a food sensitivity to them.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Yes, what Karen said. 

She shared about the flavored "Tasters" from Acadia Moos Antlers on here and I ordered some. Tucker is not a chewer, but I believe that the dog's teeth and jaws are strengthened by chewing, to help the teeth stay healthier longer. I may be the one you heard about that soaks one end in and inch or so of boiling water to get the scent and softness going. 

Tucker's teeth have gotten much cleaner since I started giving him these.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

I'd skip the antlers How to Select Non-Toxic Dog Bones and Chews


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

articshark said:


> Java gets bully sticks and moose antlers. She prefers the bully because it gets softer over time. The moose antler is hard. Some boil the antlers to soften them up. I've tried that as well, but she will chew for a minute and then leave it alone to go find her bully stick. She hasn't broken any teeth on the antler, though. I check her teeth almost everyday and we do a full cleaning once a week. I do try to dab some enzymatic toothpaste on her periodically as well. So I'm pretty familiar with her teeth and mouth and stuff. We've had the moose antler in the house for about 2 months now.


Just had to mention tooth fractures can happen below the gum line too. Some can only be seen on an x-ray. Scout had x-rays done with his cleaning. My friends Westie just had his teeth cleaned and x-rayed. He was found to have two teeth fractured that need to be pulled. Like Karen mentioned bully sticks can also cause damage. My two love bully sticks so I hope we don't have any problems.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

The way Tucker chews his moose antlers is what I feel safest about. Safer than having him put under anesthesia to have his teeth cleaned. He is very chemically sensitive and his digestive system easily sent out of balance. 

You do have to do your research, weigh the options, and make your best choice. There is no one right or wrong way, I don't think. Every dog, person, and situation is different.


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## articshark (Apr 4, 2016)

Oh, I didn't know that about below the gum line. But seriously, she chews on the moose slices for a few minutes every couple to several days. And even with the bully sticks, it takes her several weeks to even chew one 6" stick down.


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## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Our vet says if you can't scratch it with your fingernail, it's too hard and our holistic vet says if you can't bend it in your hands, it's too hard.
Sophie can't have anything now anyway due to her tummy so she has learned to enjoy chewing kong type of chews. Once she's real stable though I might try the boiled moose antler like Sheri does.
BTW Sophie has already chipped the tip off one canine from chewing on an antler. And my longhaired doxie, Jessie, from years ago got a slab fracture of her carnasial from a bully stick.

Sophie is still very young and loves to chew so I do give her cardboard boxes. VERY bad mom. And now she obliterates the mail  but she loves to have something to chew and rip and she always spits the pieces out.


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## Layla's Mom (Feb 1, 2016)

davetgabby said:


> I'd skip the antlers How to Select Non-Toxic Dog Bones and Chews


Very good article, thanks :grin2:


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## Chi-Chi's Mom (Dec 10, 2015)

Chi Chi loves the Vital Essentials freeze dried bully sticks. I tried the Barnsworth but they upset her tummy.


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## joeyoey (Jul 30, 2016)

Thanks so much for all of the helpful info. I still haven't decided what to do long-term but for now I'm letting him have it for short periods of time. I keep it on my desk & when he starts to get into everything or causing mischief I give it to him for a little while. He immediately stops everything & settles down for a good chew. lol


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

As Karen and Dee Dee said the slices are the best for small dogs. I showed these to our vet and he said he would be fine with them. The inner part is all soft marrow. These are the ones from Acadia Antlers. Many on here love them. I can actually bend them and Tucker chews them under supervision only and on trips. He loves them and always goes for the center of the antler not the outer edge until is gets really soft from his saliva. Some have more marrow than others so I just order about 15 or 20 and pick the ones I want him to have depending on the situation. Hope this helps you out.


This is from Daves link. If your dog fits this description as it does Tucker your ok. 

Antlers Are a Good Idea for These Dogs

If your dog happens to be a soft chewer who just enjoys holding or gently gnawing on a bone, antlers are for you. Antlers are the world's strongest bones and they last forever. You can purchase elk, moose, or deer antlers, and they're very economical because they just don't wear down. Antlers come in a variety of sizes and can be split, cut or whole, but again, you don't want to give a small antler to a large dog because of the potential for tooth fracture. Giving small antlers to small dogs and big antlers to big dogs is a really good idea, but first you want to make sure they're gentle chewers.


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