# Has anyone tried elk antler chews?



## DonnaM (Aug 1, 2011)

I feed homemade cooked food which does not provide chewing opportunity. As my mini poo likes to have a good chew after dinner I have been using rawhide bones. I've always been concerned about the harmful preservatives in raw hide, but I need a clean non-greasy chew option for indoor carpeted areas. My guy won't touch the synthetics, (nylabone, dentasticks), and they're also full of toxins anyway. :afraid: I just came across elk antler as an option but I'm wondering if there's a risk of splintering? I'm hoping that since my poo is only 16 pounds his jaws are not strong enough to splinter the antler, any opinions? I'd also welcome any other chew suggestions.


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## lunamarz_31 (Nov 15, 2010)

I feed mine bully sticks...all natural.


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## stealthq (Aug 4, 2011)

They should be fine. My mother's Sheltie has two - the things are HARD. He's managed to scrape out a small amt. of the less dense core, but his teeth don't even make a mark on the outside. He absolutely loves them, though. I recommended them to her after seeing how many of the German Shepherd forum members recommend them. I figured if a GSD couldn't chew through the things, they'd be safe for just about any other dog.


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## Sookster (Apr 11, 2011)

Antler is a little different than bone. It doesn't splinter (it can _break_ but won't splinter like you imagine a cooked chicken bone to do) and is actually fairly soft so I really don't think there is a huge concern with broken teeth. I use deer antlers for chews and all the pups LOVE them. Elk antler I am assuming is a little bigger, and would probably last a little longer.


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

Beau liked them for a while, then totally lost interest. I think others on the forum have had the same experience. Splintering does not seem to be an issue at all. So far, nothing we've tried beats the odor-free bully sticks from bestbullysticks.com, which I highly recommend.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Mine like them, especially the split ones, so they can scrape at the insides. I've never had one splinter or break.

--Q


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I like to provide as many opportunities for chewing as possible. Swizzle has an antler and bully sticks. Swizzle can demolish a bully stick in one day and these are his favorites. The antler provides variety and lasts forever. My 63 pound Aussie had one too and had no issue with splintering. I really think there is nothing like raw bone (non-load bearing) to keep their teeth clean.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I looked up the bully sticks (never heard of them). Those puppies are $. Still, maybe I will try a few and an antler, too. I have been using rawhide chews, which they love.


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## DonnaM (Aug 1, 2011)

Thank you for your posts. It reassuring to know that antlers do not splinter easily. I'm going to look around for the Bullies as well.


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## FozziesMom (Jun 23, 2010)

Fozzie guards bully sticks so we can't have them. Shh don't tell Fozzie's pa though I keep one back for when he's gone. 

I also want to try the antlers to see if they trigger guarding. Fozzie needs to chew as his teeth get plaque fast from the raw diet. will try now that i know they don't splinter.


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## Jkline65 (Feb 23, 2011)

Maggie wont touch it the elk antler. Bully sticks give her diarrhea. I try to find natural unbleached rawhides.


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

Elk antlers have been marketed for dogs because it doesn't splinter. The inside is actually very soft. The only think I hate about it is the SMELL. It smells like old tennis shoes, REALLY stinky. It makes the bedding reek, the carpet reek, his mouth reek, etc. The smell is so pungent I can smell it across the room. I think he also chewed it on a blanket without me knowing. I washed the blanket but it still retained a stinky smell. Made everything in the laundry basket stink. I didn't know the blanket was still smelly at the time, and was grabbing shirts out of the basket to wear. I'd get a whiff of myself and think "Wow, is my B.O. THAT bad?" I found out the stinky blanket was the culprit and washed it again and it was fine.


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## DonnaM (Aug 1, 2011)

Thanks for the warning about the smell. I'll try one outside in the backyard.


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## Underpants Gnome (Oct 12, 2009)

My guys like the split elk antlers. Bully sticks are expensive and only last about 15 minutes. I was looking for something that would last longer and the split elk antlers last forever. I store them in the fridge in a little bit of chicken broth to soften them up. I give them to the poos when I want to keep them busy and they will chew for hours. Then I just put the antlers back in the fridge for another day. I think the bully sticks have more odor than the elk antlers, but maybe that's just the kind I bought.


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

After replying to this thread the other day, I gave my dog the elk antler again. He loves it, but I still hate the smell. It makes your hands stink when you pick it up. Tonight my husband came back from rock climbing. I was walking around the house and kept saying "Do you smell that? I can't believe the elk antler still smells. I can smell it all the way from here" (I was in the living room, the elk antler was in the kitchen). I thought it was the antler because I'd still smell it when I was in the kitchen. I sit down in the living room and I get a whiff of it again. I sniff it out to realize it's my husband's feet! lol his rock climbing shoes REEK. It's funny that it smells just like the antler though. I told him to go wash his feet, but I can still smell it! I told him to go wash his feet with a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, because this is what they wash dogs with who have gotten hit by skunks!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

That is funny! Your poor husband with skunk feet - I would put baking powder in his shoes overnight then shake them out. Whatever brand of antler I bought does not smell at all. Swizzle love smelly chews the best (bullys) but for variety I got the antler and he does go for that too. Try cow trachea. Not as expensive as bullies - last longer and does not smell as bad. These are a big hit.


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## CurlyDog (Aug 20, 2008)

I wonder what is up with the smell. I bought Raleigh a split elk antler at a sort of health food store for dogs (so it's not bleached). It doesn't smell, and i have a very sensitive nose! He's 5 mos. old and losing teeth. He loves it. He does get bored so, I try to cycle it through with the deer antler and some beef tendons...


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## stealthq (Aug 4, 2011)

CurlyDog said:


> I wonder what is up with the smell. I bought Raleigh a split elk antler at a sort of health food store for dogs (so it's not bleached). It doesn't smell, and i have a very sensitive nose! He's 5 mos. old and losing teeth. He loves it. He does get bored so, I try to cycle it through with the deer antler and some beef tendons...


I was going to say the same thing. My mother's got two antlers, from two different sources and neither smell though her dog has them in his mouth every chance he gets.


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## Turbomelvis (Oct 4, 2011)

Just an fyi.. I just looked at the bully stick website and they now offer a newer improved "odor free" bully stick. heres the info Odor Free Best Bully Sticks


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## Turbomelvis (Oct 4, 2011)

Also Is there any difference in buying antler chews from a website thats already "cut up" vs buying full antlers via ebay or friends? Im in a decent hunting area and we have all kinds of deer antlers available... I would definitely cut the tips off so no danger of it poking or jabbing..


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## moe10 (12 d ago)

tokipoke said:


> After replying to this thread the other day, I gave my dog the elk antler again. He loves it, but I still hate the smell. It makes your hands stink when you pick it up. Tonight my husband came back from rock climbing. I was walking around the house and kept saying "Do you smell that? I can't believe the elk antler still smells. I can smell it all the way from here" (I was in the living room, the elk antler was in the kitchen). I thought it was the antler because I'd still smell it when I was in the kitchen. I sit down in the living room and I get a whiff of it again. I sniff it out to realize it's my husband's feet! lol his rock climbing shoes REEK. It's funny that it smells just like the antler though. I told him to go wash his feet, but I can still smell it! I told him to go wash his feet with a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, because this is what they wash dogs with who have gotten hit by skunks!


i have been buying from devil dog online. i buy the jumbo and large elk antlers and they have never stunk. my dog recieved an elk antler for xmas from a friend of mine and within 1 hour it was splintering and stunk like a rotting corpse....in the trash instantly. splintering elk antler can perforate the intestine.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Basil doesn't find them interesting at all.

I bought antlers from one of my friends for $40, and sawed them into twig size pieces. But, nothing. 

Rip $40.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I prefer lamb ears, USA sourced, or CET Enzymatic chews. For extra special, bison kneecaps from Boulder Dog Food.


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