[Travis A]

I’m trying to find something for my 2 boys Pit/Shepherd mixes. I want something that’s durable where they won’t eat it all in one setting. I would say they are average chewers nothing overly aggressive. I hear the Antlers are good but could risk teeth damange, which is odd because it promotes good dental health so idk what to think. The bully sticks i hear about bad manufacturing of them which leads to dogs getting sick. Id really rather have a bone or antler something they can work on for a while. What would be the best options and best places to find them? Thank you very much.

[aquariangt]

Bestbullysticks.com has a lot of good chew options. My personal favorites are rib bones and stuffed aortas. Most smaller scale pet stores have a nice selection of chews as well

[Travis A]

I see i’ll have to give them a look, i was really curious about the Antlers i have read the preference is Elk Antlers and of good Grade and they are great for your dog supposedly but was hoping someone could clarify further with their experiences. With me having 2 growing big boys i don’t want to have to buy a new $20+ bone every other week so i liked the Antler idea and longevity of them from what i’ve read.

[aquariangt]

How old are they? I certainly wouldnt ever feed a puppy an antler, and in general they make me nervous as a whole. if you are looking for a really tough chew, I find water buffalo horns to be a bit less brittle on the teeth. They will get through them, but not as quickly as some other things. One nice thing about the site I said is that they have most product in bulk, and it’s definitely not $20. Antlers are usually the most expensive chew

[Cyndi]

Aquariangt, where on earth do you get water buffalo horns? Sounds interesting…

[aquariangt]

we carry them, and im not actually sure where we get them from lol, I’ll have to check. Wag.com and petco both have them as well

[Cyndi]

Ok, thanks. I’ll have to check those out!

[aquariangt]

We also have some pieces of them that we call “flexies” that aren’t the whole horn. I’m not positive how big Bailey is from the pictures, so keep in mind that some of the horns are quite large. I use the smaller pieces myself, but aussie/bc size dogs can use the smaller full horns, and labs and bigger can use the big ones

[Cyndi]

Bailey is 50lbs. She is a Border Collie/Pit mix. She loves her bully sticks still, but has gotten bored with her elk antlers. I like to order big size antlers/horns for her, because things like that last her a long time.

[Travis A]

Thank you for the advice I appreciate it, my boys are 8 months old right now but over 50 lbs could be over 60 idk i haven’t weighed them in a little while. The horns i was actually trying to look into as well, i’ve seen those around i thought they would be more likely to break into sharp pieces though. IDK i’m just not a big fan of what i hear on the bully sticks not to mention smell and any mess they leave of course i’m sure there are good and bad ones as such with all products. They currently have chewed on generic cheaper rib bones and regular bones, but honestly those were from the dollar store so i don”t want to continue with those. The rib bone actually is still going they seem to like the marrow in it so they chew it slower. I may try the horns or a sampler of the antlers, i’ll probably steer clear of the bullysticks for now though.

[aquariangt]

at 8 months antlers could still be worrisome, but if you want to go for it, try to find moose instead of elk-they’re a bit softer. The horns don’t really chip off any different than a rib bone. Frozen marrow bones are great as well if you can find a place that carries them. Once they’ve gotten the marrow out you can refreeze them with peanut butter or canned food or rehydrated raw food, so it works for a nice long time.

[Travis A]

Ok thank you very much, we did have some of the marrow fille bones you mention and they do like those quite a bit. I may hold off on the antlers till they are closer to a year or older, are Raw bones from a butcher the best for them or do they still pose a risk of splintering and bacteria and what not?

[aquariangt]

as long as it isnt cooked you should be good. Bacteria is always a possibility but if you get it from a reputable source you should be good to go. I get from butchers on occasion but i usually buy from pet stores, sometimes it’s irradiated which works out, but good pet stores know whats healthy

[Naturella]

Hey, Travis!

Well, you asked for personal experiences and here is mine. I got Bruno when he was 4-6 months old (probably around 5-6). He was changing teeth and needed some serious chew supply. He is an avid chewer ever since. He really likes “meaty” chews like bully sticks, tracheas, gullet strips, cow/pig/lamb ears/snouts, fish skins, etc. However, they do not last him too long.

I did give him an antler as a puppy and have never stopped since. It contains good minerals and lasts a WHILE! It never hurt his teeth – not even the puppy ones, them sharp bastards! lol But, if you want, you can try your pups with a split antler – it doesn’t last that long, but it is mostly the inside “marrow” part, which is must softer and gentler. But for me, I always have to have an antler on hand, plus one to have when the first one is chewed to a nickel-sized piece, when I take it away (Bruno is 13.5lbs). But I have a great pet specialty store with seriously the best AND most affordable antlers I have seen, if I move from this area I will drop at least $70 but stock up on them antlers! Lol.

Other “long-lasting” chews are the Himalayan Dog Chew (super hard, dry yak cheese), raw marrow bones,. and the bull horns as aquariangt said. Bruno likes it all, just give him something to gnaw on, lol, but antlers keep his interest the most and last him the longest, so they are our household favorite. 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Hi Travis and All!
I give my two dogs that are about 80lbs each bully sticks, pigs ears and large marrow bones. I put the bully sticks in vice grips to slow them down a bit and prevent them from swallowing them. I’m wondering what anyone thinks of the smoked bones found in many pet stores. Are they considered cooked when they are smoked? Best Bully Sticks advertises their bones as smoked also. I’d like to try a knuckle bone, as they are often recommended for large dogs. Happy Saturday and Go Huskies!

[Naturella]

C4C, we also use vice-grips… Doesn’t slow Bru down too much, just prevents the swallowing of a big piece, like you said.

I have also wondered about smoked bones and have given Bruno a rack of smoked lamb ribs from Best Bully Sticks, but they worry me the way they break… I only gave Bruno one then took it away when the pieces looked too splintery and sharp… I tend to stick with raw marrow bones and dehydrated necks, feet, chews, etc. vs. the smoked ones… For my own peace of mind. 🙂

[Dori]

Hi C4C and Naturella. What are vice-grips? Sounds like a good idea but don’t know what they are, what they look like or where to get them. Thanks ladies.

Aquariangt. I just checked on Wag.com for the water buffalo horns. Yikes! They look huge. Does anyone know their approximate size, say in inches? You all know how small my girls are, too big do you think?

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Dori.

[Cyndi]

Dori, these are vice grips

[Dori]

Thanks Cyndi. I thought it was something specially made for dogs and bullysticks, etc. So do your dogs just chew on whatever while it is attached to the vice-grip? That’s a pretty clever idea. Thank you.

[Cyndi]

I don’t use those but think it’s a great idea for aggressive chewers or a dog that likes to swallow the end while it’s too big. Very ingenious idea. & you’re welcome Dori 🙂

[USA]

Water Buffalo horns are NOT naturally shed every year. They are harvested from dead Water Buffalo or cut from live Water Buffalo. Because they are not shed annually and renewable like Deer and Moose antlers are they worry me. I fear that some companies are selling ones that are cut from live animals and that some companies are selling horns from dead Water Buffalo that may have been diseased or dead a long time.

Sorry but I always worry when there is the risk of mis-treating live animals or selling parts of animals that are 4-D or worse and I believe those risks are much higher with Water Buffalo horns than with Elk or Moose antlers.

[Cyndi]

Never thought of that USA. Good point! Maybe I’ll stick with bully sticks and deer/elk antlers.

[Dori]

Thanks USA. Like Cyndi, I didn’t give it enough thought or I would have realized that it is not something that it is shed.
I’ll pass. Again, thanks for the heads up.

[USA]

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by USA.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by USA.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by USA.

[USA]

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• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by USA.

[USA]

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by USA.

[aquariangt]

Dori- if you can find the small pieces that would work, definitely the horns are too big, I do use the full horns for mine and you’re even smaller

[aquariangt]

USA, thanks for that information! I hadn’t even thought of that. I’ll have to maybe move on from those, I won’t use antlers, but still plenty of other chew out there

[anonymously]

“Canine teeth (and incisors) are frequently damaged from random trauma (HBC, falls, etc.). The most commonly fractured tooth in dogs is the maxillary 4th premolar. This tooth is most often fractured due to chewing trauma. Bones (ANY actual bone), non-flexible nylon bones, antlers, hooves, and, a recent addition to the bad chew toy list, yak’s milk. These products are often advertised as long-lasting. Unfortunately, because they don’t break down, the teeth used to chew them, usually the maxillary 4th premolar, does fracture. Since these fractures occur from chewing trauma, rather than random trauma, dogs are likely to fracture both maxillary 4th premolars. A common fracture of the maxillary 4th premolar can be a “slab fracture, “fracturing a significant portion of the buccal surface of the tooth and often extending below the gum line to the root structure. (Fig. 2)”
excerpt from: https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/tooth-fractures/
about the specialist: https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/meet-the-dentistry-team/

[anonymously]

Also: Give a Dog a Bone (Not!)–FDA warns of dangers of feeding bones to dogs https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm208365.htm?s_cid=w_c_PetHealth_cont_001
https://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=bones excerpt below:

1.Broken teeth. This may call for expensive veterinary dentistry.
2.Mouth or tongue injuries. These can be very bloody and messy and may require a trip to see your veterinarian.
3.Bone gets looped around your dog’s lower jaw. This can be frightening or painful for your dog and potentially costly to you, as it usually means a trip to see your veterinarian.
4.Bone gets stuck in esophagus, the tube that food travels through to reach the stomach. Your dog may gag, trying to bring the bone back up, and will need to see your veterinarian.
5.Bone gets stuck in windpipe. This may happen if your dog accidentally inhales a small enough piece of bone. This is an emergency because your dog will have trouble breathing. Get your pet to your veterinarian immediately!
6.Bone gets stuck in stomach. It went down just fine, but the bone may be too big to pass out of the stomach and into the intestines. Depending on the bone’s size, your dog may need surgery or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, a procedure in which your veterinarian uses a long tube with a built-in camera and grabbing tools to try to remove the stuck bone from the stomach.
7.Bone gets stuck in intestines and causes a blockage. It may be time for surgery.
8.Constipation due to bone fragments. Your dog may have a hard time passing the bone fragments because they’re very sharp and they scrape the inside of the large intestine or rectum as they move along. This causes severe pain and may require a visit to your veterinarian.
9.Severe bleeding from the rectum. This is very messy and can be dangerous. It’s time for a trip to see your veterinarian.
10.Peritonitis. This nasty, difficult-to-treat bacterial infection of the abdomen is caused when bone fragments poke holes in your dog’s stomach or intestines. Your dog needs an emergency visit to your veterinarian because peritonitis can kill your dog.

[Author]

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