# Water Buffalo Horns?



## Tipz

I came across a water buffalo horn at petsmart on discount because technically the "expirey dates" are coming up in a little bit. I've been looking up chews for him. This one is pretty giant. Opinions on these? He doesn't chew anything to the point of destroying it. I'm supervising him now while he chews it and he seems to love it. it doesn't look like he'll be causing any damage to it but I want to know if anyone has had any experience. I won't let him chew it without supervision but yeah... opinions?


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## Poodlebeguiled

Do they kill the water buffalo to get their horns? They are an endangered species. So if they have to kill them, I wouldn't buy them.

I don't feed things that are super hard because I worry about their teeth fracturing. My dogs raw food diet includes things like chicken wings that aren't terribly hard. But antlers and those things worry me. Do they get softer when wet? I don't know much about these hard chew things, as I am paranoid. lol. So I'll be interested in responses from people more in the know.


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## Caddy

I can't imagine they would kill water buffalo just to get the horns for dog chews, and then sell them in public pet stores. I've bought the deer antlers (not killed just for their antlers) and I do worry about a chipped tooth, but the raw marrow bones don't come without some risk also. It's odd what we each worry over, I've always been too scared to give my girls chicken or turkey necks.


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## oshagcj914

I've given them before. I don't think they're quite as hard as antlers (my parents' dog and a friend's dog have broken teeth on antlers) but I did throw mine out because the cut end started splintering pretty badly.


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## Caddy

oshagcj914 said:


> I've given them before. I don't think they're quite as hard as antlers (my parents' dog and a friend's dog have broken teeth on antlers) but I did throw mine out because the cut end started splintering pretty badly.


Oh, don't say that, now I'm worried and I paid 36.00 a piece for them.


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## Poodlebeguiled

They kill elephants for their tusks. I hope they use already killed ones that died naturally, not at humans' hands. I hate to see wonderful species go extinct. That's all...like the lovely gorilla is about to do if something isn't done fast. I can't imagine it either. But there's a lot that the human race does to animals that is beyond imagination. 


That said, I am afraid to feed any necks or hard, weight bearing bones. So I don't.


I would prefer to let the dogs chew on something softer...chicken wings or thighs. Or a rope toy or bully stick I guess. All things have potential risks so of course, supervision is always a good idea. I always stick near by my dogs when they're eating and keep an eye and an ear on them.


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## Jokerfest

Poodlebeguiled said:


> Do they kill the water buffalo to get their horns? They are an endangered species. So if they have to kill them, I wouldn't buy them.
> 
> I don't feed things that are super hard because I worry about their teeth fracturing. My dogs raw food diet includes things like chicken wings that aren't terribly hard. But antlers and those things worry me. Do they get softer when wet? I don't know much about these hard chew things, as I am paranoid. lol. So I'll be interested in responses from people more in the know.


I just wanna ease your mind somewhat and say if they're killing them they are likely farmed animals. People raise water buffalo for their milk and meat just like cows so it's likely a byproduct of that. 
Some animals are endangered in the wild but not captivity tigers are a good example.


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## Tipz

The water buffalo don't shed their horns so they do have to be dead first but I can't imagine they aren't farmed like someone said, and certainly not killed for the purpose of the horns, more likely they're used for meat or something and they can just get some extra with the horns. That said I won't be buying one again, it was just so cheap I thought I'd try it out.
He likes it quite a bit. It does get a little softer and I'm told eventually they can start to splinter it so I need to be careful of that but it seems pretty decent anyway. Not worth paying full price for though.


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## Mfmst

I was in Target yesterday and wandered into the pet section, where I saw something labeled buffalo horns. I touched one and it felt like a hunk of rock. All I could think of were fractured teeth and abscesses. It was in a fairly large 'USA' section. Buck likes bison knee caps and I regularly order a bag from Boulder Dog.


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## Poodlebeguiled

Mfmst said:


> I was in Target yesterday and wandered into the pet section, where I saw something labeled buffalo horns. I touched one and it felt like a hunk of rock. All I could think of were fractured teeth and abscesses. It was in a fairly large 'USA' section. Buck likes bison knee caps and I regularly order a bag from Boulder Dog.



That's what I find too, when I press into some of these things they have for dogs to chew on. I don't give them such hard things that don't seem to have any give in them. I sooner let them chew on a wooden twig they find in the yard. It gives or breaks off when they bite it and they don't swallow it because I have to bend over and pick up 50 little pieces of it off my lawn and if they swallow any tiny pieces by accident, their stomach juices pulverize that down like it does the bones they eat. Chicken wings are about all the bone my tiny dogs with tiny teeth eat, nothing too hard or dense. They are flexible and give easily.

I've given them bully sticks before but they usually wind up with diarrhea after. The trachea chews I got, which aren't suppose to have thyroid gland on them still make me a little nervous now that I read those can absorb thyroid gland even if it's not on them anymore or even if it's the lower part of the trachea. 

I would feel better if they raise the animals for food on a farm and then utilize the horns for something else. I just wouldn't feed my dogs such dense things. Glad you're going to find an alternative.


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## rj16

I totally understand your concern. I feel like I get different and competing advice every time I walk in to a pet store and it seems like a majority of what they sell is more risk than reward. We've bought and returned more chews than I can count. I've concluded that so much depends on the individual dog's chewing style. I've stayed away from very hard things because everything points towards Monty being the type to chew to the point of wearing his teeth down. And contrary to Forrest, he will 100% chew to destruction. 

Basically, I have no advice or opinions but I understand your dilemma!


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## chinchillafuzzy

Thank you for posting all of this, I have learned so much. Antlers seem to be so popular right now, and I had been wondering about them, as they seem so hard, but they are so popular I was starting to think that maybe they would be safe. I am glad I haven't purchased any. Does anyone use cow hooves? My old dog used to love them, and they seemed more like cartilage than hard bone. I liked them because they weren't very messy compared to some other types of chews. But I don't know if they are safe or not?


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## lisasgirl

My dogs chew on antlers and they love them. They chew them differently from bones or bully sticks, though - instead of sticking the whole thing in their mouths and chomping down, they sort of shave off pieces of the antler with their teeth. You do have to take them away if they get too small or develop sharp edges, but they're great for giving the dogs something to do. And I like that they're shed naturally - you can get tons of them for cheap if you get hooked up with people who live near nature areas. But you'd want to start out with just one and make sure that your dog is chewing it safely/appropriately, as some dogs will try to just chow down and that's how you get broken teeth.

I've tried cow hooves but they smelled AWFUL as soon as they got slobbered on. I've never tried water buffalo horns, though.


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## chinchillafuzzy

Lisa's girl - good point, I forgot that some of them have a strong smell to them. I don't remember it being nearly as strong as the bully sticks I used to get though, which is part of the reason I stuck to hooves more. Thanks for the input about the antlers as well. I may decide to give them a try... I feel like it's very hard to figure out what the perfect chew will be. I believe someone mentioned plain ears aren't messy and don't have a bad smell, that might be a good one to try!


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## Poodlebeguiled

:silly:*The history & evolution of dog chews:*I think these pet food/treat/chews companies come up with the most novel thing they can think of that can be something dogs will chew on. Every time you hear of some new kind of chew, you know they've been working hard to one-up the last fad. It doesn't matter if it breaks their teeth or causes a blockage....(read Greenies)just as long as it's some novel, fancy body part that no one ever thought of before. I see it as a marketing gimmick. And I don't see that _all_ these things are that great for a dog or his teeth. 

I heard of bully sticks. Raw hide chews soaked in chemicals existed for a long time. Then came the whole hooves (couldn't be as basic as the trimmings the horse shoer leaves) and antlers, now water buffalo horns. How unique can you get? haha. :alberteinstein:


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## ericwd9

Poodlebeguiled said:


> Do they kill the water buffalo to get their horns? They are an endangered species. So if they have to kill them, I wouldn't buy them.
> 
> I don't feed things that are super hard because I worry about their teeth fracturing. My dogs raw food diet includes things like chicken wings that aren't terribly hard. But antlers and those things worry me. Do they get softer when wet? I don't know much about these hard chew things, as I am paranoid. lol. So I'll be interested in responses from people more in the know.


Not endangered in Australia. They are a feral pest animal here.


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## Poodlebeguiled

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_water_buffalo


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## Mia42

Did you know that llamas are extinct in the wild? I think it is about the same with water buffalo. In Southeast Asia, they use water buffalo to plow their rice patties.

My dogs really like the water buffalo horns. They prefer the ones with the hole in the middle rather than the solid ones, they are much softer. More the constancy of beef hooves rather than solid as a rock.


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