Need Your Feedback on Antlers!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Hi Food Groupies. I need some help/info/feedback on antlers.

As most of you know, JD has Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and is on a very restricted diet. Since last December, he has not been allowed to have any chew objects except for plain Dura-chew Nylabones. This is because they are hypoallergenic in terms of not setting off an immune reaction in his gut, and the pieces he chews off are no bigger than a grain of rice, which is smooth and easily passed. 

The problem is, he really doesn't like them very much, and only chews them when he gets desperate. He needs something to occupy him, and also help with tartar on his teeth, since he can no longer have any dental chews or toothpaste.

He cannot have most protein sources. But I think he could have elk or deer antlers, if I could be sure that he could not splinter them or break off any sizeable pieces. He is a very powerful chewer.

So what I'm looking for here are your experiences with your dogs and antlers. Do they just kind of wear them down, gnawing on them, without really getting anything much off of them? Or do they break off pieces? Anyone ever have any chipping, splintering or splitting of the antler? Anyone's dog ever break off a chunk?

All feedback is much appreciated.

[Sally Huff]

Gracie is also a powerful chewer and loves her elk antlers.  I have given her ones that have been split down the middle and whole ones.  She seems to like the whole ones better but the marrow inside is the real treat.  I have not had any splintering but when it wears down to a point that may be too thin, I saw it off with a hack saw.  In nine months Gracie still has two split ones and one extra large whole one.  I have never had any chunks come off they just wear away.  Good luck.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Sally! "Wearing away" is what I'm looking for!

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Luna is a very strong chewer for her size and she has only manage to "whittle" down her antler.  (She can demolish one of the non-durabone nylabones in 30 minutes... to give you an idea)

She's had this elk antler for TWO YEARS and this is what it looks like.  You can see it's quite worn on one end where she's "filed" it down with her teeth.  She only gets slobbery antler dust from chewing, never chips or chunks.

When Luna gets a bit disinterested in her antler I boil it for a few hours in beef stock and it's like a new toy again!  She chews it for a while almost every night.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, J! This is very helpful. The end of this antler looks like what JD does to his Nylabone. "Filing" and "whittling" are what I want, lol!

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

J, I was just thinking of putting their antlers in beef broth!! But would boiling them for that long of a time frame hurt them and possibly cause splintering? They don't suggest to boil the marrow bones for a long time because of this. I only do those for 10 minutes or so. I was thinking of just letting them soak in the broth.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Regarding boiling the marrow bones, I can tell you that I have given JD large marrow bones that cooked for hours in a pot of soup, and they were still too hard for him to break. 

[Cheri & Bonny]

I think the whole antlers are the toughest since that's what Bonny leaves for last -- she prefers the split antlers to get at the marrow quicker.  I bought moose antlers for her in the past -- she liked them because they were softer so I'd avoid them for Jack, especially because she seemed to be able to get pieces off of them easier.  The whole deer antlers seem to be pretty hard as well in the large size.  I didn't like the smaller size ones since they seemed to gnaw into points more readily.

They last quite awhile now -- she has 3 that she's been rotating through for the last year and a half.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Cheri! Good to know about the moose antlers, too.

[BG and Gavin]

Gavin does not chew often, but does chew hard and no splinters or chunks.  He has had this one for a few months:

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Oh, wow! This would be great! How large is this one?

[BG and Gavin]

About 8 inches long Karen.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks! Do you buy them locally, or do you order on-line?