Antlers

[Jessica]

Brodie loves to chew but it is really difficult to find appropriate chews for him because he is a) a power chewer and b) swallows whatever is in his mouth. That means that easily digestible chews don't last for a minute and harder chews are risky in case he bites off a big bit and gets a blockage, or the chew is so hard that he breaks a tooth. My solution has been a brand of rawhide called farmfood, which claim to be 100% digestible, not processed with toxic chemicals etc etc. He loves them, they last him for several days and he does seem to digest them without any issues. But they are expensive! To allow him to chew every evening (which is what he wants, ideally) it would cost £60 a month, which is ridiculous. And not very good for nutrition.

I have avoided antlers because I worried that he might break a tooth but am starting to wonder if that might be the best solution. Apparently fallow deer antlers are a bit softer and therefore safer. Does anyone here use them for their dogs? If they are softer, is there a chance that he could bite off a blockage-sized piece? Or does anyone have other suggestions for good chews? I have used frozen kongs but he doesn't chew them really, just licks at them to get the food out and they don't last him very long at all. I've tried different fillings but he never seems that excited about them, certainly not compared to his delight with a rawhide. It is a satisfying chew that he seems to enjoy, not the food.

 

[snowbunny]

I wouldn’t risk an antler personally. Have you looked at anco roots or yak chews?

 

[Beanwood]

I have looked at all sorts of antlers, even the "softer" antlers. My conclusion is an antler is exactly that, very, very hard.

I use frozen stuffed kongs and similar, for example West Paw toys are fab! West Paw

Millies Wolfheart do a good range of chews. I like the lambskins and whisteblowers when in stock.

I also think a lot of chewing becomes a really rewarding and ingrained habit. Mix it up a bit with a few mins calming training, for example, eye contact, a bit of scatter, then finish off with a frozen kong.

 

[SwampDonkey]

Lambs skins from Millie's care great l. I use a treat company who do similar things like dried vension, veal and sheep conective tissue. I'll find website. They do wholesale so it's good.
I've used the anco roots and found they last for ages

 

[Jessica]

I wouldn’t risk an antler personally. Have you looked at anco roots or yak chews?

OK, that's interesting and good to know. I have looked at the roots and yak chews but was worried about possible blockage - there are some stories of blockages with yak chews, and the roots I looked at just seemed to be pieces of wood, which worried me. I know there are loads of rawhide blockage stories too, which is one of the reasons I'd like an alternative - though I only ever give him this brand and he has swallowed & digested large pieces before now which has reassured me a bit.

@Beanwood , that settles it then, no antlers for Brodie! I've never seen West Paw but it looks like the rubber is too thin for him, he has ripped chunks out of similar plastic toys. He even gets little bits of rubber out of the black kongs though they are the most durable I've found. The millie's wolfskin whistleblowers look fantastic and I think they would be a big hit - how long do you think one would last?

I also think a lot of chewing becomes a really rewarding and ingrained habit. Mix it up a bit with a few mins calming training, for example, eye contact, a bit of scatter, then finish off with a frozen kong.

I think you have probably hit the nail on the head, it is definitely a rewarding habit but he is so content when he is doing it that I feel like I'm depriving him of his canine right to chew if I don't! But perhaps the best solution is to alternate it so he gets his rawhide once every few days but a kong or something else on the other nights.

I've used the anco roots and found they last for ages

How do they get worn down? Can the dogs bite chunks from them? I'm not entirely persuaded on them so it's really interesting to hear that your dogs like them.

 

[Jessica]

I use a treat company who do similar things like dried vension, veal and sheep conective tissue. I'll find website. They do wholesale so it's good.

This sounds great, would love to hear the name if you can track it down. Wholesale suits us as we need 2 of everything anyway so a stockpile is fine.

 

[Selina27]

This is an interesting thread for me, I'll get my daughter to look at some of the recommendations here, her Sprollie puppy is a committed chewer and the same worries re blockages apply. Plus poor Cass hardly has a toy left !

The antler thing brings back a memory though -- before I was better informed Cassie had one as a puppy. It went missing, only to reappear in my son's overnight bag when he was away on a lads weekend, nestled among his underpants !

 

[Jessica]

That was very sweet of Cassie to give him a gift for his travels! OH and I have had similar 'treats' left in our suitcases (by Jess, no chance of Brodie giving away anything. As I tell them when they are sitting hopefully for us to finish dinner, when was the last time they gave us any kibble?)

 

[Beanwood]

The yak chews are good. It is probably best to buy the biggest one you can find.
We bought the large (150g) yak chew from Green and Wilds. I was happier that she held it between her paws to chew. When it got quite worn down I removed it from her.
We also used a huge anco root chew. Not long after, when she was 15 weeks old (give or take .. ) she fractured a baby canine, so for me I am going to err on the side of caution and not use them again.

 

[SteffiS]

I used anco roots instead of nylabones for Toffee as I was concerned about breaking teeth on the nylabone. I found the roots really good, not soft enough to chew off chunks and not too hard either. They are also an irregular shape so easier to hold and chew. A good alternative to him chewing the door frame .

 

[Stacia]

I think you have probably hit the nail on the head, it is definitely a rewarding habit but he is so content when he is doing it that I feel like I'm depriving him of his canine right to chew if I don't! But perhaps the best solution is to alternate it so he gets his rawhide once every few days but a kong or something else on the other nights.

I have never thought to give Rourke anything to chew except when he was a puppy! I don't think he is deprived, he never chews his teddy or bunny.

 

[Jessica]

I have never thought to give Rourke anything to chew except when he was a puppy! I don't think he is deprived, he never chews his teddy or bunny.

I know, I do wonder a bit whether we have created this habit (as discussed above) but he really is a dog that loves to chew!

The other day @SwampDonkey said that maybe a sore stomach drove Rory to eat odd things and I think something similar happened with Brodie. He had stomach problems when he came to us (at 12 weeks), and after we'd had him just a few days he passed a large piece of plastic piping that was really well chewed and that he definitely didn't find in our house. So maybe he always had an impulse to chew (and that led him to find a piece of plastic to chew on, and that hurt his insides, which made him chew more), or maybe he wanted to chew because he had a sore stomach. Not sure, but it is definitely something that he seeks out and that clearly gives him a lot of pleasure. As @SteffiS said, if we didn't give him something that he was allowed to chew I think he would use a piece of furniture! Lots of the ideas here are very useful though, and I will try using frozen kongs a bit more too, @Beanwood suggestion of some settle training and then a kong would give a good routine to use nightly (he loves routines, likes to know what comes next in the day!).

 

[Jacqui-S]

Lilly isn't a chewer unless it's a meaty bone, but she used to get rawhide and loved them but she swallowed large chunks.
She was not in the least bit interested in anco roots.

 

[Shaz82]

Yak chews don't last 10 minutes with Maisy, very expensive for only a few minutes. I bought some coffeewood a few years ago and we still have it somewhere, she loses interest quite quickly probably as it isnt tasty but it comes back into favour occasionally.

 

[Hollysdad]

OK, that's interesting and good to know. I have looked at the roots and yak chews but was worried about possible blockage - there are some stories of blockages with yak chews, and the roots I looked at just seemed to be pieces of wood, which worried me. I know there are loads of rawhide blockage stories too, which is one of the reasons I'd like an alternative - though I only ever give him this brand and he has swallowed & digested large pieces before now which has reassured me a bit.

@Beanwood , that settles it then, no antlers for Brodie! I've never seen West Paw but it looks like the rubber is too thin for him, he has ripped chunks out of similar plastic toys. He even gets little bits of rubber out of the black kongs though they are the most durable I've found. The millie's wolfskin whistleblowers look fantastic and I think they would be a big hit - how long do you think one would last?



I think you have probably hit the nail on the head, it is definitely a rewarding habit but he is so content when he is doing it that I feel like I'm depriving him of his canine right to chew if I don't! But perhaps the best solution is to alternate it so he gets his rawhide once every few days but a kong or something else on the other nights.



How do they get worn down? Can the dogs bite chunks from them? I'm not entirely persuaded on them so it's really interesting to hear that your dogs like them.

Holly's had an Anco root for a couple of years. It doesn't splinter or break off in chunks but seems to be OK for gnawing.

 

[Anne123]

Holly's had an Anco root for a couple of years. It doesn't splinter or break off in chunks but seems to be OK for gnawing.

Finn has one too and I recently bought this which doesn’t splinter either.

goodWood Kauwbare Houten Stok Voor Honden - Groot : Amazon.nl: Huisdierbenodigdheden

goodWood Kauwbare Houten Stok Voor Honden - Groot : Amazon.nl: Huisdierbenodigdheden

www.amazon.nl

The remains of the anco root I threw away because it has become too little....

 

[Atemas]

I bought both antlers and a huge Anco root when Red was a puppy and going through the chewing phase. I was never comfortable about either really but felt better them than the furniture. I threw away the antler at the first appropriate opportunity. The Anco root she still has in her toy box but it rarely comes out. I was always around when she did chew it and quickly picked up any chunks she chewed off. She gets frozen KONGs daily with Forthglade wet food well stuffed into them.

 

[Jessica]

She gets frozen KONGs daily with Forthglade wet food well stuffed into them.

I find kongs a real pain - stuffing them and cleaning them. Particularly with the bone-shaped ones I end up with wet food everywhere when I am filling them. Is there some trick that I'm missing?! I seem to make very heavy weather out of what must surely be quite straightforward!

 

[Atemas]

I find kongs a real pain - stuffing them and cleaning them. Particularly with the bone-shaped ones I end up with wet food everywhere when I am filling them. Is there some trick that I'm missing?! I seem to make very heavy weather out of what must surely be quite straightforward!

It takes me less than 5 minutes to stuff 3 KONGs ready for the freezer. I keep trays of Forthglade wet food in the fridge so just take one out each morning - the meat mixture is then much firmer. I empty the slab of food out of the tray onto the worktop, then use my fingers to break off pieces to push into the kong. I only use the traditional red KONGs. There’s always a bit of wet food left from the tray - you can guess who is patiently waiting by my side for that

 

[snowbunny]

I find kongs a real pain - stuffing them and cleaning them. Particularly with the bone-shaped ones I end up with wet food everywhere when I am filling them. Is there some trick that I'm missing?! I seem to make very heavy weather out of what must surely be quite straightforward!

@Boogie has the best method! She has beakers that the Kongs fit into. She fills them with dry kibble, then fills the beaker with water. Once the kibble has swelled up, she drains the remaining water and pops the Kongs in the freezer. No effort, no mess!