Deer Antlers for dog chewing

3ringer

Senior Member
I was at pet smart yesterday and saw deer antlers for dogs. They were 36 dollars for a small piece. The points were filed off smooth. Anybody ever given there dog deer antlers. I have never heard of this.
 

cactusjack

Senior Member
Yes, my GSP loves them for a about a week then he gets sick of knawing on them. I've never bought the ones from the store though.
 

JustUs4All

Slow Mod
Staff member
We like them. Having lots of dogs, we have learned that the raw hide chews and large bones make some of them sick for some reason. I tried antler and they loved them and they did last a very long time. My wife found a source for elk antler pieces online. They are not initially inexpensive, but when their longevity is considered they are a good value in a chew. Our dogs like the section, but especially like the splits as they can access the marrow area more easily though they continue gnawing them when that part is gone.
 

StriperrHunterr

Senior Member
Our dogs like them, but getting the size that's big enough isn't always easy. I don't want them even possibly swallowing it.

Cow bones work just as well and are easier to find in the bigger sizes.
 

chp.cheatham

Senior Member
My GSP loves to chew on the sheds I bring home. You can't destroy these things. One thing I did discover is it is a good idea to cut the points off flat because when she chews on them the points will get into the looped carpet fibers and pull your carpet.
 

3ringer

Senior Member
Good information , thanks.
 

Ihunt

Senior Member
My jack Russell mix has eaten two or three sheds. She is 2. She loves those things.
 

dick7.62

Senior Member
My dog loves them. Ordinarily he can't chew them up. But one time we cooked him some in chicken broth in a crock pot(cooked for several days) and he was able to chew them up.
 

danielk

Member
Antlers are full of minerals that are good for dogs. Our dogs love them. We actually had to stop giving one of our dogs antlers because he just straight up tries to break them with his back teeth right away. For him we've since switched to root chews since they're much softer and still take a while to get through.

https://www.smartdogguide.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-root-chews-for-dogs/

They're about $20 a pop but I'd rather pay that than have to take him to the vet. Mind you this dog has cost me more than any other dog I've ever had in terms of vet bills and damage he's caused. English bull terriers are great but can be a handful and require a lot of supervision. The lab on the other hand still gets her antlers.
 

Anvil Head

Senior Member
My hound gets all the antler scraps he wants since I'm a custom knifemaker. He has learned to "ask" first - brings them to me once he's snagged one from my cabinet to get the OK. Amazing self control in a dog to say the least (I'm not smart enough to teach him that). Only one he tries to sneak past me and out the shop door is a moose shovel, it must have a special smell or flavor to him.
 

The Donk

Senior Member
My GSP is spoiled on antlers. She prefers the freshly dropped ones as opposed to the older ones we find for some reason. Any 2.5 year old or younger sheds feed her habit.
 

Anvil Head

Senior Member
Rex brought me half an fairly healthy 8 pntr drop yesterday morning from over near the goat farm behind me. Two decent handles for me and a couple of weeks of fun chewing for him. We went back out to look for the other side, but no luck so far. He's now learned a new trick that makes his "old man" happy. Gonna hit the big woods later and see if he's got it worked out.
 
Top