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!

[Adina P]

What WOULD be a chew toy that one could dent with a fingernail?

[Moe]

Noodles. ;)

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

If I gave Winston a toy that I could dent with my finger he'd rip it to shreds and try to eat it. I doubt that's much safer. Either way they need to be supervised.

[Adina P]

Exactly.  Rubber toys are dentable but they are either not chew worthy to my dogs or they are fun to destroy.  But as far as supervision, how does that even do anything for potential tooth damage?  I can stare at my dogs the whole time they gnaw on bones, but that doesn't stop them from hurting a tooth if a tooth was going to get hurt.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

maybe it you stare and chant "please don't break, please don't break"?  :)

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Adina & Amy - You two are cracking me up!  You're right!  Supervision isn't really going to do much, unless you see that splinters of the bone are coming off or something.  I don't see how that can help the teeth. 

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Sherri - I feel the same way!  My doods, especially Bexter would rip anything else to shreds, eat it, & then have a real safety hazard!  I'm keeping our antlers!  I mean, you can also say don't drive a car because you might get in a wreck too!

[F, Calla & Luca]

The Bionic bone now is something Luca chews on and I think it would not break a tooth . It's relatively new but he is showing more interest in it ant it is intact. Calla like bones and chews small bits off. She also chews on antlers more than Luca. I don't think I want to restrict them more that I do. No digging, no balls in the house and on and on.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

I still can't get mine to chew on the bionic bone.  I'll have to have Luca explains to Cubbie and Ollie about how much fun it can be. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

He still doesn't chew on it like Calla does a bone or antler. But if I've thrown it a few times he will gnaw for a while.

[Carolyn Shusterman]

Let your doodle recycle Costco's empty large white plastic vitamin and supplements containers.  Hershey has so much fun chewing the label off and chasing it around the room when it gets away from her, I think Hershey enjoys the sound it makes when it bounces away.   We do let her play with the containers only when we are in the same room as she.  She sometimes chews them so vigorously.  When she looks like she is going to collapse the container we take it away and toss it.  Best to take the lids off because they are made of harder plastic and could break in pieces.  

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Our vet tech said "go ahead and use antlers, it's good for our business when they have to have their tooth pulled because they are cracked!" WTD?? So now DH will not let me buy thise for them, however they both chew on durable powerful chewer nylabones!