Antlers and tooth damage

[Heather Martinez]

Teddy absolutely loves chewing antlers that have been cut in half that I get from Antler Pantry. He also enjoys the white Nylabone Dura (the hardest one available). He's such a strong chewer that he can go through a bully stick in 5 minutes, which is why I am so happy with the antlers and how long they last.

Note that Teddy never eats any fragments of bone that break off, so I have no other concerns with him having antlers/bones, but I still never let him chew on them unsupervised.

However, I took him to the vet on Saturday and, while his teeth are perfect and have no tarter, she recommended only giving him a bone that is soft enough to indent with a fingernail. The Nylabone definitely is not that soft and the outside of the antler isn't either. The vet said that he could break his molar on them (the farthest one at the back of his mouth) and it would have to be removed. I've taken away the bones for now until I can decide if it's safe for Teddy to have them.

I know that a lot of people on DK use antlers as this is where I learned about them. Has anyone experienced tooth breakage from a bone/antler? Or does anyone have a vet with a different opinion? Any recommendations for softer bones that still last a long time? Thank you!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

When I first started giving the boys antlers I did ask the Vet if she had any concerns.  She said no, but not to give them to them unless I was around.  She feels that way about all kinds of chews.

[Carol and Banjo]

Our vet gave us the same recommendation.   If you can't dent it with your fingernail it should not be given to the dog.  I have to admit that we do use Nylabones and Antlers...but on a limited basis and supervised.    There's so little else we can give him that he doesn't instantly destroy.   I cross my fingers every time I give him either of these items to chew.  

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Tara's vet is a dental specialist and as far as chews go she says if you slap your knee with it and it hurts it is too hard and could break teeth.  So that eliminates just about EVERYTHING that a dog actually wants and that will last a long time for them. Fortunately Tara is not a heavy chewer but I still give her bully sticks which do not pass the "test". The vet never does tell you WHAT to give your dog to keep them occupied only what NOT to give them! :(  I know there are DK doodles that have broken their teeth on Nylabones and antlers so it can happen. If you use the search feature you can find some of these stories. I haven't yet heard of anything that is soft and also lasts a long time... sorry!

[Carol and Banjo]

Oh dear....I must have missed those stories!!!   Putting the stuff away and will see if we can learn to live without!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I'm pretty lax with the antlers. I leave them around a lot. Clearly I shouldn't be doing this. Thanks for the warning!

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

I do the same thing, Sherri.  There are nylabones and antlers all over the house that they have access to while we are at work.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

My MILs vet says not to give bones at all. I think its phooey. Dogs in the wild chew bones Im sure. They are designed for it. Vets just like dogs to have dirty teeth so they can charge a fortune for cleaning in my opinion

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

 I don't know that we can compare what wild animals do with our doodles. Wild dogs/wolves don't live as long as many domestic dogs.  Although wolves can live to be 16-20 years old, their average life span in the wild is 6-8 years. Their life variables are totally different and who knows if they are suffering from a broken tooth?   I don't know of anyone monitoring that sort of thing. I would imagine that some of them do break teeth.And I also question if they lay around for hours and chew on bones like a bored companion animal will which is what puts the teeth at higher risk of breaking.

Tara's vet cares about her teeth but is a big advocate of brushing the dog's teeth rather than  allowing them to chew on hard objects. But that still leaves us with the loss of "entertainment" the doodles get from chewing on the hard objects. :(

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I wasn't trying to say that our dogs are not physiologically similar to wild dogs. I'm talking more lifestyle differences which tend to put our dogs teeth at more risk although as I said I don't know what the dental health of wild dogs' might be. For instance our dogs would be more at risk of a broken tooth for the simple fact that they live twice as long (or longer) and are going to be chewing bones/hard objects for a much longer time. That sort of thing...

[Moe]

My vet sells antlers in the office. He says they are great for cleaning the teeth. Did your vet say that your dog has wear on the teeth or that your dog's teeth were particularly susceptible to breakage or is this just the vet's general potion on antlers?

[Heather Martinez]

That's her general position, Teddy's teeth are perfect so far and definitely no tarter, which she mentioned. 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

My vet says its okay as long as they are supervised.  I am going to continue for now...Peri is such a huge chewer and she loves her antlers.