Seem to find some conflicting info, some say they're amazing, others say they're too hard. Opinions? Specifically, was looking at this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0...ords=Antler+Dog+Chews+-+Antler+Tip+Puppy+Chew
I bought Stanley one - he didn't seem impressed. He just wanders around with it in his mouth. Never seems to eat it. Rawhide chews he loves though
A number of vets have reported serious tooth fractures in dogs that have been chewing antlers. Apparently they are very hard. It is difficult to assess how great the risk is, without doing some kind of controlled study, but I have decided to avoid them
Our other dog ran off with both rawhides as soon as I put them down and cached them who knows where =_= Well she cached hers then ran back and took his and cached that one too =_= She's like a maestro at hiding things... tucks them perfectly into corners, precicely hides them behind table legs, buries and then neatly covers back over with leaves etc
I tend to follow "the rule of thumbnail" - if it's too hard for your thumbnail to make a dent in it, it's too hard for my dogs. It's not quite that black-and-white, as I do feed my dogs smaller bones that obviously wouldn't be dentable, but do break easily under pressure from a dog's jaws. I don't feed weight-bearing bones from larger mammals, though.
So I guess that would rule out the harder type of nylabones that feel like a dense hard lump of plastic?
Kongs, kongs and more kongs! You can fill them with all sorts of different things if you like to add variety, and freezing them once the dog is hooked on them makes them last much longer. Some people use Nylabones and are happy with them, but I prefer not. When they were younger, Shadow stayed with a friend of mine for a couple of weeks and loved the Nylabones she had for her own dog. I bought a couple - this being before I thought about them being too hard. Willow was never interested and Shadow only stayed interested for a week or so. After that, he ignored them. Kongs, on the other hand, never get boring
I see they are green and wilds antlers? We do give them to Bramble, under very strict supervision. They are much softer and split in half. I can see where they have been gnawed quite clearly. These are the ones I bought... https://www.antlerdogchews.co.uk/antler-dog-chews/easy-antler-dog-chew-easynormous
We have about 8 or so Kongs stuffed with canned dog food that I was using to keep them busy here and there, I have several frozen ready to go, but I was worried I'd make him fat if I gave them often. Although in saying that I realise I could be filling it with his regular meal instead
Have you tried fish chews? The same company sell whole salmon skins, I cut them up and the dogs go crazy for them!
Yes that link are the same as I was looking at. Both of our dogs can chew for England And one of them is a dainty little Chi cross. When we first adopted her she somehow dented and crushed a metal tube.
Blimey! Yes these are a bit different from most antlers. When the marrow is gone they recommend you then discard the antler
I was looking for something that would be as appealing as chewing wooden furniture and walls are to him (the pup), something durable and long lasting? I'm not sure what fish chews are but sound like a treat type of chew?
Xena is a massive chewer (you should see some of my wooden furniture) so I give her one shin bone per week. I know many aren't a fan of them, but one bone will keep her gnawing for hours and hours over the course of the week, probably because she's teething and needs that release. I do frozen Kongs too, but save them for when I leave the house and have to crate her.
Hooves are also nice chews and very cheap. And you can smear a thin layer of butter inside so that they lick them, too -- very time-consuming. I know some people soak them so that they're even more appealing. But some really stink when they get wet! I've never soaked them. I have quite a lot in a tub on Snowie's shelf, and every now and then he goes there and fishes one out. They seem to last forever (if not chewed up); they don't appear to "go off". I bought a Nylabone for Snowie when he was a puppy and he showed absolutely no interest in it. I still have it -- it was so expensive I can't throw it out!
I'm in the minority..........Harley does have antlers and goes through stages of gnawing on them. She isn't a big chewer though. She gnaws on the marrow inside of the antler and leaves them when the marrow has gone. Shes never had them unsupervised. We do use kongs and fish chews, but occasionally she just wants a chew/gnaw on the antler (she is 3). She had her first antler at about 6 months old.
