Are Elk Antlers For Dogs A Good Chew Toy?

31 Comments

1. I have a 7.5 pomerainian puppy who I bought split elk antlers at age 4 mos.
   She loves it
   Question is how do I know when to replace it? There is a lot of chewed off marrow missing

2. So glad I found this post and your comment! My two pups LOVE split elk sheds (and go through them faster than I thought they would haha) and I plan on purchasing a large amount today from your site. So excited about the larger size options since the dogs will probably average 100lbs when grown and they’re already getting quite big!

3. We turned to elk horn chews after having a serious issue with our dog who was eating rocks and sticks. We purchased 2 rather large ones (10″ long and 1″ diameter) to ensure she couldn’t swallow or even break off pieces, which she has not been able to do and we monitor her chewing. She stopped eating rocks and sticks and loves the elk horn. We feel pretty safe with her chewing on it. It’s keeping her teeth clean and resolving her chewing issues.

4. Okay, you sold me. Great info. Just ordered from you.

5. I have four dogs, three large (black Lab, boxer/Lab mix, Weimaraner and long haired Chihuahua). I use elk antlers and find the following to be true.

   I buy from reputable boutique pet stores or online suppliers. I buy X-Large whole antlers and make sure the “boney” part is very thick so my dogs can’t break them easily. I then saw them into quarters with a band saw. That means 4 for 1 in pricing, which makes them much more affordable. The sawing exposes the marrow which is the part they like and they just love them. They are like any chew, you must supervise them when they are new and keep checking them as they get older. We have had no side effects from them and it is a delight to see the tiny Chihuahua carrying around one of the very large antlers. She adores them especially after the big dogs get them started. I have two very heavy chewers and they seem very satisfied with the antlers. My boxer mix follows me to the basement to supervise the band saw stuff and tries to get me to give him first choice before I take them upstairs.

6. I have been purchasing Mountain Dog Chews for about 1 year. Our personal dogs love them as well as our foster dogs. They last sooo long, and if you get the split ones they have a real treat sooner. If no one has tried these for their dogs , your dogs are missing a BIG treat!
   Vicky
   in Virginia

7. Hi! So I have an Aussie pup who found one of my old baby deer antlers and was nibbling on it for a while. It started getting soft and he was loving it till I smelled it and remember one of my friends I believe used a bleach solution to clean it forever ago. As in over 6 years ago; I don’t know if I should be worried for my pups tummy and his health. It wasn’t very much and I looked up if this has happened before to anyone else by accident and couldn’t find anything. Any help or advice would be awesome.

8. Thank you for sharing your story. I agree: “There’s nothing out there that’s completely safe.”

9. My 3 yr old mini aussie has always been an aggressive chewer and we bought him the best elk antler available online. He absolutely loved them and goes through at least 3 or 4 chews a year.

   Unfortunately, we had to take him to a veterinary dentist for a root canal and an extraction. Two upper premolars were cracked. The dentist told us the antlers most likely caused the crack and that dogs should not chew anything that you can’t put an indent with your thumb nail. (i.e. hard nylabones are not safe either. Dentist recommended rubber type kongs and some rawhide since they soften when wet)

   There’s nothing out there that’s completely safe. In hindsight, I would have not given my dog the antlers. It’s too difficult to tell if they will hurt themselves or not – especially if your dog is an aggressive chewer.

10. The FDA does not recommend any bone products for dogs: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm208365.htm

    If left unattended, dogs can swallow bone fragments that can puncture or get stuck in their digestive tract.

    I’m sure it’s fun for the dog, but it’s a gamble every time.

11. You may want to check this out with your vet.

12. We have Elk antlers. The dogs took one outside and it got soft after being in the rain. The dogs chewed it down and swallowed it. Is this ok ?

13. If you have concerns about your puppy possibly wearing down her teeth you might have it checked out by your vet. Thanks for sharing your experience with elk antlers!

14. I have not had any realty problem with my dog and her “antler chews”. At least what we have given her are litterally cut elk antler and a derived antler. She was able to break down and consume the deer antler after a few weeks. The elk antlers have been around for almost a year and she’s only been able to eat out the marrow. She loves to chew on them, but I am concerned that she is only wearing down her teeth on the elk antlers since sheet can’t seem to break them down. Tasha my dog is a 45-50lb dog

15. It’s up to you. Every dog is different. Some will be possessive with things like elk antlers while others will not. We have mostly Labs and they can be possessive and obsessive with tennis balls. One of the items we don’t allow our guide dog pups are tennis balls because of this possessive/obsesive behavior. It’s up to you if you want to do the same with your dogs and elk antlers.

16. My mother bought a cut grade b elk antler for our nine month old Great Dane. I won’t let him have ANY antlers because our previous Great Dane got possessive with his and would snarl at them if they tried to touch it or him when he had it. Is giving our dog an antler a good idea, based on our past experience?

17. Thanks for telling us about your experience with antlers. My boys really enjoyed them as well, but they are heavy chewers so I wasn’t surprised that they went at it as soon as gave them the okay.

18. My German wirehaired pointer is not a chewer. She would pick up one of our other dogs bones maybe once a week and chew on it out of boredom.
    I work at a pet shop and saw that we had a moose antler on sale for $5! I had heard of and seen them so many times but couldn’t bring myself to buy one for $20+ knowing she might not even touch it. $5 though I could not pass up.
    The first night I bought it I had it sitting on a table she was instantly interested in it. She doesn’t pick up things that are not hers so she only licked it. I gave it to her and she just kept licking it. Worried about how the antler would be for her I put it on a shelf she could not reach at bed time. She sat there and stared at it for about 5 minutes.
    The next night I gave it to her and it was more licking at first, then she chewed on it for about 20 minutes straight. That’s an amazing amount of time for her! Normally she chews a bone just a few times and walks away. By the time she was done with it the first night she already had some decent divets in the antler.
    I’m planning on getting more for her and my other two dogs. I would definetly recommend these and will be recommending them to everyone!

19. Hi Margo,

    I’m definitely not an expert here on antlers for dogs, but I can tell you what we’ve ordered in the past. We have a 50 lb and 70 lb Lab and also a 55 lb Aussie mix. We order the largest antlers they have in stock. In the past if the antlers have been too large we just cut them down into smaller pieces. My main fear is that if we order something too small for our dogs there is the possibility of them swallowing and choking.

    Hopefully that helps.

    Take care,
    Colby

20. I have three Chow Chows. Two males one 42.5 lbs., 14 months old, second 52 lbs. 6/8 years old rescue and a tiny female 39 lbs. 8 years old. Our organization is Northwest Chow rescue. What size antlers would you recommend? I want to order one for each of them. All three are rescues and the 6/8 year old is being flown this week from Memphis to Eugene, Oregon. He was 4 hours from being euthanized when a girl (a saint) in Memphis bailed him out. He is HW positive, and we plan to begin treatment next week as soon as he is evaluated.
    Thanks,
    Margho

21. Hi Tessa,

    I’ve seen the same thing when my dogs have chewed on bones for extended time. I’m guessing that yes it’s probably from the antlers, but if you’re concerned it’s always best to check with your vet.

    Take care,
    Colby

22. Ive been given antlers to my dogs( I have 2 bulldogs) for a while..They LOVE it I bought them new ones 2 days ago (Thursday) and they have chewed one down to about half (an XL one) now today (Saturday) one of my babies had a chalky white stool.. Is it related to him chewing a lot on his antler? Thanks 🙂

23. There is definitely a lot of good and bad antlers for dogs out there, and the market is getting increasingly flooded with imports. I started Blue Ridge Dog Chews after seeing how my teacup poodle, Filo, played with a deer antler rack my son brought home. We only source deer and elk from within the US, and moose from both the US and Canada.

    We tend to find dogs have a preference because of the difference in taste. Filo originally started off on elk chews, but increasingly she prefers the moose, which is fine with me because they last longer. We are also using antler to make rope and pull toys too.

    I chuckled when I read about stepping on an antler in the dark….done that too, got the t-shirt and sore foot 🙂

    If you don’t mind a shameless plug for our business, our website is http://www.BlueRidgeDogChews.com and we are happy to answer any questions your readers may have.

24. Hi Sue,

    Thanks for sharing your experiences with elk antlers with your dogs. Most dog toys are not too durable and we always keep a close eye on our dogs and pups when they are playing with any toy. KONG is one of our favorites too.

    Thanks,
    Colby

25. I just bought our lab elk antler and he loves he we have had no issue with him its been better the raw hides we had been buying for him in worry he would swallow it since he is 8 months old and he was eating 6 of them a week almost due to his chewing and he love his antler I would have to say make sure you are buying the right size for you dog they have diff sizes of them and they can be expensive I paid 20 bucks for a med size one at a local pet store just make sure with everything you buy for your dog or puppy that you are there to supervise what he is doing. The only problem I’m having any advice would be great are what to get him for fun puppy toys right now all we seem to see to work is the kong toy but he will only play with it if we stuff it with food for him witch isnt a problem just going threw lots of bananas for him anyone have any good toys out that I have spent 200 bucks on toys the last month for him right now his antler is working but I’m sure soon he will be board with it.

    Thanks sue.

26. Thanks for letting us know about your experience with the sliced Elk bone. I hope your dog is doing better after fracturing his tooth.

27. I have a 3 year old mutt and I have been given her sliced Elk bone for a year or so and she fractured a tooth. I will never use them again. They are american made I know for sure my boss gets them from New England and slices them himself. Learn from my mistake.

28. Yes! We’ve got plenty of dog toys lying around the house that can be a danger to our health. Thanks for sharing your experience with elk antlers for dogs.

29. Antlers are one of the only chews I deem safe for my dogs, however they are definately a danger to my health when I step on one of them in the middle of the floor at night. Most painful thing in the world, I swear! I get Jumbo Elk Antlers for my 2 English Mastiffs, they seem to last much longer than white tail or moose antlers.

30. Love the Elk antlers we got 2 weeks ago. Our 2 Britts LOVE them. They are always trading which one has which chew. They are lasting, and it was well worth the $8.00 each. I did get them from our favorite dog store Woof. So I know the owner will only sell what she feels is safe for her fur kiddos.

31. Hey all! This comment arrives a bit late, but I just found the site and wanted to chime in. I am the owner of Mountain Dog Chews (www.mountaindogchews.com), a boutique distributor of Grade A+ elk antler chews. Although we are new on the scene, I’ve spent my life with dogs and antlers by virtue of my interests in the great outdoors.

    By FAR, I prefer elk antler over any over species of cervids (whitetail deer, mule deer, red stag, etc.), as the antler material offers optimal density — which makes for a chew that is durable, but also more safe. Elk chews actually are LESS dense than other antler chews as its outer-structure / marrow ratio is much lower. By contrast, most deer antlers are incredibly hard throughout (think jawbreaker hard), while lacking much in the way of core marrow. I have found that such other antler offerings carry too high a risk of causing slab fractures (Ouch! I can’t imagine the pain of a broken tooth…) for me to feel comfortable offering them to our dog, much less endorsing them to the market through Mountain Dog Chews. Too, although all antlers are less likely to splinter as compared to cooked meat bones, elk (and moose, also) chews can be virtually worry-free from splintering (if processed correctly and sized appropriately), while deer antlers may readily snap or crack when at the mercy of a voracious chewer – to me, personally, it’s an an apples to oranges comparison.

    If you’ve indulged me this far, I’ll point out one other thing (well, a couple of related things) to keep in mind when considering ANY antler chew from ANY brand/store… First, (until I saw shenanigans firsthand, I had assumed the following would be a GIVEN in conducting business (unfortunately it’s not, and it’s a huge issue)) make sure you know what you’re buying! That is, there is rampant misinformation in this particular market – it’s audacious, in fact. By analogy, if one was a seller of sacks of “dog food,” generically stated, I could find myself purchasing anything from horse meat to top-shelf, small-batched organic kibble that rivals what I, myself, eat for dinner! Frankly, folks who are tossing chalk white low-grade antlers in a bag/box and simply stamping them “antlers for dogs” are doing a grave dis-service to the pet industry. …Namely owing to:

    (i) safety issues associated with passing off weathered white, often-cracked, Grade B/C/D shed antlers as suitable, when in fact such chews are prone to splintering, devoid of the same nutritional benefits found in fresh, brown Grade A+/A chews, and, in a worst case scenario, a hazard to our pups. More to this in pt (ii); however, the takeaway is: do not settle for junk. Awhile ago, I ran into a gent who told me that he sold “antlers” and as “antlers are antlers, what you get is what you get…” There was no care or differentiation as between deer v. elk, and certainly no concern regarding antler grade. We all should expect more, generally speaking.

    and…

    (ii) a general lack of knowledge as to the commodity aspects of the shed antler market (from which antler chews are derived). In a nutshell, there is a market for every type of antler, and within each market, there exists a somewhat subjective (albeit time-proven) “grading” system. As a rule of thumb, chews made from deer sheds are significantly less costly (to the manufacturer, note) than elk antler chews. Moreover, with respect to grading, the lower the grade, the significantly less costly (again, to the manufacturer, note). For sake of example, consider the following grading scale (used w/r/t elk sheds):

    Grade A+: I would wager that less than 5% of ALL antlers could meet these criteria. This grade of antler historically was reserved for craft and artisan use (chandeliers, premium furnishings, etc.), as these antlers are THE cream of the crop, hand-selected, fresh, recently-dropped brown antler (local foliage may affect the color and weight a bit, but these are the BEST). These are the only grade of antler we use, and suffice it to say that the value of such antlers greatly exceeds the value of 99%+ of each year’s stock allocated to antler dog chews. As for dog chews, our mandate for only Grade A+ results in a chew with the most aroma (insanely attractive to your dog, but not noticeable to humans), and the highest available moisture content (which makes such chews extremely palatable to all sizes and ages of dogs). As a supplier, this unfortunately means that when we hand-select, say, 20,000lbs for our brand, our actual per-pound yield is a pittance of our competitors’. For the consumer, however, our “Mammoth Chews” often top two pounds, whereas a “Jumbo,” “Monster” or “XL” chew from others will be half-price, but only a few ounces and nary the size (honestly, for better or worse, we are selling “small” antler chews that are priced the same, but rival brand “Z’s” “extra-large” chewz – wow). The Mountain Dog Chews brand admittedly isn’t for everyone; however, we confidently contend that we offer the best that money can buy, and I’ll stand behind that. As far as we can assess, we are the SOLE brand committing (and paying top dollar for) this Grade A+ caliber of product for dog chews. Time will tell as to whether you and the markets will recognize our investment. Hypothetical financials: Naked acquisition cost to the brand = ~$20+/pound. Average yield = ~2 pieces per pound. Average retail price per chew = ~$14. Average gross margin = ~$8/pound.

    Grade A: These chews are derived from fresh, brown antler sheds, and represent the top ~10 – 15% of antlers each year. Essentially, only quality, current-year sheds will make up these chews. Furthermore, they are, but for our Grade A+ classification noted above, among the best of the best – and such chews should represent the minimum benchmark for your expectations when purchasing antler chews. Currently, I HONESTLY know of only two other suppliers in America that will give you true Grade A antler chews (we are not affiliated with either). So, if you want antler chews that actually are derived from current-year sheds and that contain the beneficial minerals touted, then demand that your supplier or retailer give a representation as to grade quality (if not our A+, then at least A). Hypothetical financials: Naked acquisition cost to the brand = ~$15/pound. Average yield = ~2.5 pieces per pound. Average retail price per chew = ~$12. Average gross margin = ~$15/pound.

    Grade B: Grade B currently constitutes the bulk of the so-called “high end” antler chew brands you’ll find online, etc. And, friends, that is not saying much (notwithstanding that we have two lower tiers yet to discuss!). If you have attended any major U.S. pet industry trade show within the past twelve months, Grade B represents, with a single exception, the antler chews exhibited. Grade B is commonly known as “hard white” within our shed hunting community. These antlers typically are one or two years old, and most likely will be significantly dried out, bleached white from weather exposure, and usually will have some degree of rodent chewing (ground squirrels, marmots, etc.) on portions thereof. They don’t call these “hard whites” without reason…! The largest, entrenched distributors in the pet industry peddle thousands of pounds each day, unfortunately, thanks to mis-information and good marketing… Will your dog care? Probably. Should WE care? Undoubtedly. Hypothetical financials: Naked acquisition cost to the brand = ~$10/pound. Average yield = ~3.5 pieces per pound. Average retail price per chew = ~$10. Average gross margin = ~$25/pound.

    Grades C and D: We’ll lump these two categories together, as even under the best of circumstances, these are (quote me!)… J – U – N – K. Please, treat your dog with a pig ear or a bully stick rather than opting for these lowest-grade antler chews. For your dog’s safety and health, if Grade A+ or A brown antler chews don’t suit your budget, don’t waste your money, when other good alternatives are available. These sub-prime Grades of chews are easily recognizable, and unfortunately can be found under a couple of established brands TODAY on the shelves of one the largest big-box pet retailers, as well as, to my personal disappointment as an authentic sportsman, on the shelves of one of America’s largest retailers of fly-fishing tackle, outdoors clothing and other “quality” gear… These sub-prime Grades of antler chews are comprised of antlers that have had (best case) several seasons of sun, wind and rodent exposure and/or (more typically) many years of sun-baking such that one may actually scratch off from surfaces white powder(!), and in any event have lost enough moisture such that you will notice cracking within the crystalline structure of the antler if you look closely (note: often you needn’t inspect closely, as the chew will more resemble a small piece of weathered coral than a wholesome best-in-class dog treat). These sub-prime Grades will easily crumble and splinter, and I can’t imagine that any self-respecting dog lover would knowingly provide this type of chew to his or her pup or support in any manner the folks perpetuating said brands’ acceptance. Again, expect more (much more)! Hypothetical financials: Naked acquisition cost to the brand = ~$5/pound. Average yield = ~4.5 pieces per pound. Average retail price per chew = ~$8. Average gross margin = ~$31/pound. (Yikes, it’s good to be a bottom feeder, eh?!?)

    So, there you have it – our $0.02! Given the above, it is CRITICAL that people (whether at the consumer-level or the big-box-retailer-level) demand to know what they are getting – AND to make sure they are getting what they have paid for in terms of value and quality / product integrity and safety (…and without regard solely to profits – as anything worth doing is worth doing only with excellence).

    Best regards,
    Corey
    Founder, MountainDogChews.com
    Questions? Bark at me: topdog@mountaindogchews.com

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