Antler Chews

FriendsOfZoe · 10-19-2007, 08:57 AM

I was restocking on poop bags and Canidae this morning, and I saw something new in our local shop--Antler chews. I didn't get one because I wanted to ask what others experiences are. I know I have seen Renoman make a few posts recommending them, but I have a few questions for Renoman or anyone else who has had experience with them.

Things I like: all natural, doesn't splinter, seems like it would be too hard to digest like rawhide, nutrients in it, real bone that NEVER had meat on it (as I've said before, I really don't want to give raw meaty bones for many reasons that I don't want to list again), etc.

Questions:
How long should I expect one to last? Zoe can tear through a thick rawhide in no time (she doesn't get them any more though) but currently has a large sterilized bone that she loves. I think this will last pretty much forever as she can't even put a dent in it. I definitely don't want the antler if she will chew through it in hours.

How are they on the digestive tract? Rawhide makes Zoe sick (lots of things make Zoe sick, but diarrhea always follows rawhide chewing) and I don't want to try bully sticks or the like because I've heard that these are usually more likely to cause GI distress. The sterilized bone doesn't cause any problems, probably because she doesn't really get anything off of it.

Other than that, just what are your experiences with them? I gathered from Renoman's posts that they are good, and I know Zoe would love chewing real bone (rather than nylon bones)--I just want to make sure they will be good for her before I get one.

Thanks for any help!

Renoman · 10-20-2007, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FriendsOfZoe

I was restocking on poop bags and Canidae this morning, and I saw something new in our local shop--Antler chews. I didn't get one because I wanted to ask what others experiences are. I know I have seen Renoman make a few posts recommending them, but I have a few questions for Renoman or anyone else who has had experience with them.

Things I like: all natural, doesn't splinter, seems like it would be too hard to digest like rawhide, nutrients in it, real bone that NEVER had meat on it (as I've said before, I really don't want to give raw meaty bones for many reasons that I don't want to list again), etc.

Questions:
How long should I expect one to last? Zoe can tear through a thick rawhide in no time (she doesn't get them any more though) but currently has a large sterilized bone that she loves. I think this will last pretty much forever as she can't even put a dent in it. I definitely don't want the antler if she will chew through it in hours.

How are they on the digestive tract? Rawhide makes Zoe sick (lots of things make Zoe sick, but diarrhea always follows rawhide chewing) and I don't want to try bully sticks or the like because I've heard that these are usually more likely to cause GI distress. The sterilized bone doesn't cause any problems, probably because she doesn't really get anything off of it.

Other than that, just what are your experiences with them? I gathered from Renoman's posts that they are good, and I know Zoe would love chewing real bone (rather than nylon bones)--I just want to make sure they will be good for her before I get one.

Thanks for any help!

Antler chews are more like a bone or nylabone than a rawhide, bully stick or those other chews.

They've had no effect on my dogs' digestive tract because they're not ingesting any of the antler. They spend hours chewing on them and they love the stuff in the center, but they're unable to bite off pieces. If they were going to have any effect on anyone it would be Buck with his colitis, but he's fine with them.

I've had some of the antlers around here since last Feb. so I'd say they last a long time. The boys will rotate the ones they like to chew on so I just leave them alone until they've been worn down to a size I think is too small for them. I've had one antler that lasted only 3 weeks and that was because the boys were taking turns on it. Buck would chew it and hide it in his crate. Chazz would steal it out of Buck's crate and hide it in his and on and on... apparently this one particular antler was very tasty!

I hope I've answered your questions. If you have any other questions you can pm me if you like.

GreatDaneMom · 10-20-2007, 03:33 PM

ive never seen antlers... but i give my dog cow and horse hooves. i buy the cow for $.99 at petsmart... .but she gets horse feet right from the horse... when we shoe them. she loves them a lot and doesnt get sick from those, and i believe antlers are made out of like, the same thing right..maybe not, i dunno. but Chloe gets sick from rawhide because she doesnt like to chew it, she swallows pieces 3x3 inches at a time. then she throws up, so no more of that.

all4thedogs · 10-20-2007, 04:58 PM

My group loves antlers, which was a god send here. Rawhide to scary, so we dont give it. Bully sticks STINK, so they are for outside only. I wont give hooves at all (vet said they are big no no). Antlers are great for in the house. And my crew really likes them.

For outside I usually give them a raw meaty bone, but thats simply preference

Renoman · 10-20-2007, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatDaneMom

ive never seen antlers... but i give my dog cow and horse hooves. i buy the cow for $.99 at petsmart... .but she gets horse feet right from the horse... when we shoe them. she loves them a lot and doesnt get sick from those, and i believe antlers are made out of like, the same thing right..maybe not, i dunno. but Chloe gets sick from rawhide because she doesnt like to chew it, she swallows pieces 3x3 inches at a time. then she throws up, so no more of that.

I know lots of dogs that love seeing the farrier show up. They know it means lots of good treats. They sit by anxiously awaiting and steal the hooves before they even hit the ground.

The antler chews are pretty much the same idea. They are a natural chew, not chemically treated. I am very careful with my boys and I have not found any reason not to give them antlers as yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by all4thedogs

My group loves antlers, which was a god send here. Rawhide to scary, so we dont give it. Bully sticks STINK, so they are for outside only. I wont give hooves at all (vet said they are big no no). Antlers are great for in the house. And my crew really likes them.

For outside I usually give them a raw meaty bone, but thats simply preference

The best thing about antlers is they are great for inside. No mess, no smell woohoo! I also save the raw bones for outside - otherwise I'd end up with it in my lap since Buck likes to share his things with me.

Question though, did the vet specify that even horse hooves are a no no? I have never given them to my dogs, but I know lots of dogs that are allowed the pleasure, so I'm just curious as to the reasoning.

all4thedogs · 10-20-2007, 05:36 PM

Actually Im not sure if that included horse hooves or not, I specifically asked about cow hooves. I cant remember the reason she gave me (it was a few years ago), but I remember it making sense at the time. If I remember I will ask next time Im in.

I found this after a quick search of the web.

Cow hooves are exactly what they sound like—hooves from cows. Dogs consider them tasty treats, but similar to rawhide, they can prove problematic.

* Cow hooves are so hard; they can actually break your dog’s teeth.
* Sharp, uneven pieces from the cow hoof can be swallowed and tear the wall of the bowel. If this occurs, infection is almost definite and so is death. Why take that chance?

Another one:
Cow hooves are even more dangerous than rawhides. They are hard enough that a dog can actually break a tooth on one. They can also be chewed up into sharp fragments which may cause a partial intestinal obstruction. Partial obstructions are often difficult to diagnose until the point at which the fragment is ready to perforate the wall of the bowel from pressure against the sharp edges. If perforation has occured, the infection that ensues from leakage of intestinal contents can be fatal.

GreatDaneMom · 10-20-2007, 05:49 PM

huh thats interesting... ill have to remember not to get her those anymore (shes only gotten one) but i dont think thats the same with horse hooves. horse hooves arent as hard as the cow, especially right from the foot itself. theyre softer. i think she likes them so much cuz the smell like horse poo... i have to watch her, she likes to pick up little piles of poo in the barn and chow down

groooossssss

Renoman · 10-20-2007, 05:50 PM

Almost sounds like that would apply to horse hooves as well doesn't it?

I'll stick to my antler chews and raw bones just to be safe.

ACampbell · 10-20-2007, 09:28 PM

Difference in cow hooves and horses hooves...cow hooves get treated before put on the shelves, if you've ever had the farrier out, hooves shrink once they dry out...why aren't the ones on the shelves dried out?
On the ranch when we'd trim feet we couldn't get rid of the dogs, a freshly trimmed hoof piece is soft and pliable, just like fingernails...made of protein and all around a good treat. If they didn't finish them before they dried out (not often, would find pieces of hoof no bigger than my finger and throw them out) they got tossed. As long as they are fresh they are soft, just like your fingernails when they get wet. They don't splinter unless the hooves on the horse were really crappy to start with and thin, and they kind of "melt" when they start to chew on them...commercially sold cow hooves are hard and take a lot of doggy slime to soften up.
We had 50 horses at one time (down to 30 now) and trimming day was the dogs favorite, and my most hated...thats hard on your back!

FriendsOfZoe · 10-21-2007, 04:40 PM

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I'll go ahead and get an antler chew and see how Zoe likes it...she's certainly not getting fresh horse hooves in Boston, haha!

I'll try to come back to this thread later and post about how it works out with Zo.

FriendsOfZoe · 10-27-2007, 12:27 PM

Okay, so I picked up an antler chew at our local shop today. Now, I would rather get her a larger antler from the internet (even from an elk hunting supplies compnay or something), but I figured I would give the small "Antlerz" brand chew first just to see if she likes it before I put a lot of money into getting some. Good news is she absolutely loves it. Bad news is, she's chewed almost a third of it up already! It just crumbles when she chews it. The pieces are small enough and soft enough that I'm not too worried about her choking, but I still took it away from her. I thought the whole point was that they're not supposed to crumble or splinter, but break down slowly--and not within 10 minutes!!

Do you think I got a defective antler? Now I'm really not so sure about ordering these...do others dogs usually consume them? And if so, in how much time?

cynical · 10-27-2007, 12:48 PM

My dog has eaten a few of these over the years. I have never seen one splinter or crumble. Perhaps you got a "defective" one. My dog was a chew monster when she was a puppy and she could eat one in 2 days. Now that she is older they sometimes last for months. I order them, and other healthy single ingredient treats from http://www.petextras.com

Renoman · 10-27-2007, 02:00 PM

I have never had an antler crumble... and these boys can chew. You might have gotten an older dried out one -

I haven't heard of the Antlerz brand.

I know you're in Boston - do you have a Dave's Soda and Pet City nearby? That's where I get mine and they come in all sizes, but they're usually large and thick.

valleyview1955 · 10-30-2007, 01:43 PM

Oh, that is a name that i have not in a while...Dave's soda a pet food city.

I currently hate Dave, he is a business man. period. He started to sell puppies in some of his store because they were going to be profitable (this was in 2000). When the company had the meeting, I was the only one to speak up, and I got fired for it. All of his employees at the time were deluded little sheep, saying it was going to be great, and the puppies would be well cared for. I asked where his suppliers were, and he never gave me in answer. Two days later I was fired. The jerk couldn't even do it himself, he had a manager do it.

I do NOT support Dave. that is just my two cents.

Renoman · 10-30-2007, 07:54 PM

I had heard that the store previously sold puppies and small animals. I have no first hand knowledge of that since I only started shopping there when I moved here about 1 year ago.

I can tell you that the store I shop in sells only fish at this time. I've never been to any other location so I can't say.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience while employed there. Based on your post, it sounds like your situation was handled very badly and that's a shame, for all parties involved.

melgrj7 · 10-30-2007, 08:15 PM

Got my dog an antler chew a month ago or so, he loves it. He has barely made a dent in it, and he gnaws on it for a good amount of time daily.

FriendsOfZoe · 11-07-2007, 07:39 AM

Well, our shipment of antlers came in yesterday (we bought six to save on shipping) and--good news--she LOVES them! There is a huge difference with these; now I know the one I had before was defective. She chewed for almost 2 hours straight and only worked off some of the enamel (or whatever the outermost covering is called) on one end. I'm feeling very good about these. I ended up ordering from Pet Expertise Online store (you can find it pretty easily) and I am very pleased with them so far. If you buy 6 or more, the price goes down, and they were very quick with the order. The quality looks very good too.

So that's one good supplier for anyone who's interested. If others know of local suppliers or places to order online (especially if anyone finds a good place to get antlers from hunters or people who collect deer sheds--that aren't too expensive, like a full decorative rack would be!!), please post here! I'm singing the praises of antlers because I already think they are a great natural chew!

Renoman · 11-12-2007, 03:20 PM

I'm so glad you are happy with the antlers. After telling everyone how great they are I felt horrible when you had the bad experience with the first one you purchased.

My guys love them and I find they're a great alterative to some of the other 'manufactured' products out there.

Shaina · 11-12-2007, 04:30 PM

Thanks for following up w/ how it turned out, FriendsOfZoe.

I was looking for them around here, but wasn't having any luck...I think I'll try ordering them from that site.

Citrine · 05-19-2008, 05:57 PM

Hi Everyone!

Just thought I'd try to revive this thread by asking if anyone knows of a source for antlers in Ontario.
I have a great dane/golden retriever puppy who's a big chewer. I recently took her nylabone away, as it was getting shredded at the ends and the 'healthy edibles' version only last about 20 min. I'll be keeping my eyes out for antlers on our hikes....but in the meantime.... :-)