Has anyone tried Stag antlers?

I'm liking the idea of them in that they're less mess ( in the house ) than raw bones and less smelly than cow hooves.

Anyone tried them? and if anyone with a Husky size dog has ~ what size did you go for?

Brilliant, I have bought 1 each for my five girls (1 BC and 4 Shelties) from Pet Perfection, they did need an overnight soak in fresh water to get the girls interested but now they all chew to their hearts content, no smell they don't go soggy and yuck like gut chews, no chunks being chewed off and swallowed.

I would next time buy the large size for all of them though, they're sold by weight and the low weight ones tend to be the tips of the horns which the girls find more awkward to hold in doggie hands.

I would never be without them now

HG I buy the large ones or ones with a 'fork' as they like to have something to hold on to. I get mine from Pure Dog when in season and ebay, out of season. They do last a long time as long as you remember not to leave them in the garden - sun and rain will eventually rot them down or they will be carried off by some critter! ;-)

Unlike raw bones, there's no smell or mess, no flies if left alone, they don't go 'off' and dirt doesn't stick to it if used in the garden. Mine have free access to them and pick them up or leave them, whenever ( and wherever...lol) they like. You do have to bin them when they become small enough to be a choking hazard or small enough to swallow.

All in all, I think they are the best natural chew - raw bones aside, and far far better than rubber, rawhide and  nylabones . :-)

My dogs love them, they keep their teeth clean and keep them occupied for hours

I can't use them as one of my girls has to roll on everything before eating My friend had to pick her dogs up because we were worried about what damage they could do to Calida.

My lot are too used to raw bones, put an antler in front of their noses and they walk away .

Mine love them althou one of my girls had a complete barking fit at it first and only after seeing all my others tuck in and having a good chew on theirs  did she get more interested and have a chew on hers.

Althou expensive worth it with my lot who are hard chewers.

There's also https://www.antlerdogchews.co.uk/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=20

They do antlers sawn in half so the inner is exposed and Fallow antler which is softer, all antlers are shed rather than from culled animals.

Can puppies have antlers or not till there adult teeth are through

On the otherside two of mine won't touch them and one will occasionaly give a passing chew even when I soak them it seems to make no difference.

One of my girls was not too keen to start with so after the nights soak I rubbed it with Arden Grange paste since then she's been super keen, I've not had to put any paste on it since the initial rub, I think she needed it to have a slight whiff.

My girl didnt like her first small one from thhe vets but pets at home started selling the stag bars ones and i got her a large and she loves it it one of the bits is now half the size than when i got it, but unlike some of the bones its not broken or had any bits flake off so im happy with it.

My pup chews them but my adults have lost interest Abit, I gave 2 away to friends and family to see what there dogs thought of them. They loved them to start with though, bones do stink after a while but with the big dogs don't last long at all. We will probably buy some fresh ones soon as there getting bad breath, might have to crack the toothbrush out with the older ones.

Thanks everyone I'm sold after Colleens comments!
Jane, thanks for that link. Definitely like the look of that company, they have a really good variety and the best prices I've seen.
   Will let you all know how we get on!

we had to buy the puppy one as she wouldn't leave it alone in the pet shop we were buying her food in .... the whole shop must have been like christmas day for her as they had placed several "treat" things in baskets on the floor but she kept going back to the antlers and how could I resist those puppy dog eyes?  Might try and soak it now as she hasn't given it much interest lately and we are about right for the teething stage!

I bought my pup a Stag bar but thought that she would probably not be interested. How wrong was I !
She buries it, throws it around and chases it, and occasionally has a chew on the end to get some marrow.
As others have said, pick a piece with a branched end so that they get more grip.
And mine was 98p cheaper at PAH than online with the company.

I've had to take ours away because they're the only thing they fall out about!

Shame..... they spent hours chewing them, problem is, gradually, they all wanted the same one.

WeLl the consensus is a yes odd why mine don't like them

I think if your dogs are used to eating raw bones, they could well find antlers a tad boring. I have one that likes a raw bone and one that doesn't .... but they both love chewing. Yes, I could give Taffy a raw bone, but they like chewing in tandem, most usually when relaxed in the evening while on the sofa with me and I definitely don't want bits of meat stuck on my furniture or to find one hidden behind a cushion...lol. He also never finishes a raw bone, usually just sucking or nibbling bits off, leaves it for days and I end up throwing it away after it has been in and out of the fridge,  covered in hair, dirt and all sorts :D

My solution is to give them both antlers - there are at least 5 laying around ready to be chewed as the mood takes them. Sometimes they favour the same one - I just take that one away for an hour and they are happy with the ones left. For me, antlers fill my dogs chewing needs, keeps OH happy by not having bits of blood, slimy bits, smell, flies and a muddied lump of something for him to gag over ;-) Have to say he doesn't mind me feeding raw though, most probably because that is confined to the kitchen....lol

Another thumbs up for antlers would be if you were staying at someone else's house - I can't see anyone objecting to an antler, but can imagine the look of horror when confronted with a rmb!!!! :D

If I remember, the Stag Bar ones say to roughen one end if the dog seems uninterested, to sort of release the marrow smell, not that there is much, to my nose anyway - have never had that problem though as they go mad for new ones :)

> WeLl the consensus is a yes odd why mine don't like them

Mine have hardly touched theirs too FF. £40 wasted here, but at least the ad is true and they do last a long time - forever I guess as the dogs just aren't interested in them. I've tried soaking the ends, putting butter on them and all sorts. My dogs are big chewers too - they love raw and roasted bones, cow hoofs, rawhide etc just not the antlers for some reason.

yep too true chamsung cant have them on trade descriptions they do last lol. Will try sanding again and resoaking. Only one of mine generally chews things ( appropriate things now she is older , well mainly lol): other than raw bone that is. Thinking about it yes all other dog chews except antlers !!

> £40

!! - why buy them when my bones are free ?? :) :) Mine have their bones in the garden so no problems with mess - unless Tara digs hers up then then tries to sneek it into the house :) :)

Is there anything special done to the antlers before giving them to your dogs?

I no some people that hunt Deer, Moose ect could I just give my dogs the antlers like that to chew?
I see them in the store but holy they are pricey and not even a big piece either.

Exactly the same experience as Chaumsong, no interest from my 10 collies at all and so a lot of money wasted. Our new butcher gives us bones for free but would have been useful to have something that could be kept round the house without worry of flies/decay etc

> !! - why buy them when my bones are free ??

A moment of stupidity? Everyone was talking about how wonderful antlers are, and how they don't smell or leave a mess so I thought I would try them :-)

> A moment of stupidity?

LOL :) :) We all have them :) :) :)

When Inka was in the USA her boyfriends owner got her some and they didn't last long.  So mine stick with hooves.

oddly  or perhaps not he gets  guardy  but not usually with chews hooves and certainly not antlers. It gets quite complicated in our house because each dog hasn different behaviours around differnt chews. With three very different sizes sometines its better not to have anything chewy that could cause trouble :)

Is there anything special done to the antlers before giving them to your dogs?

I don't know if the ones for sale are treated, but I've bought whole antlers for years from a stick maker at a game fair, never had a problem.

I think I've read they powerwash them first but I have no idea where I read it..

Thanks I'll have to check into that.
Its def no price if I get them off friends who hunt and my hubby can cut them for the dogs :-)

I suppose if you were worried about it you could boil them before you gave them to the dogs.

Well we now have an antler fan ! One of the antlers that has been hanging around for must be a couple of years , mostly me tripping over it as it has been carried around or thrown has now been claimed by Bales the new boy! He loves it and spends hours having a good chew ! The girls look at him almost to say what on earth are you doing ! At least we have one happy customer !

H has one too and loves it. It's the only chew type thing other than bones that has lasted - the only draw back is that it stains the carpet but a bit of Vanish carpet cleaner helps.

We have renewed interest from the non antler lovers now so I have been looking and seem whole fallow deer antlers so has anybody tried those ? They seem on the expensive side

I got the bit of Fallow antler, Daisy has barely touched it, the normal antler has been chewed nearly to nothing though.

I always worry that prolonged chewing will wear teeth down?

Was it a half or full one as would imagine the half one exposes the inner tasty bit which would be more appealing ?

As for wearing the teeth down like with all things moderation is advisable :-)

> As for wearing the teeth down like with all things moderation is advisable

Agreed :) My two 14+ and 10 1/2 have worn teeth - but not too much, they haven't required any dental work - and to be honest, at their age, I don't care :) They haven't had antlers but bones - the health benefits (clean teeth, nice poos etc ) far outweigh worn teeth :) :)

> Was it a half or full one as would imagine the half one exposes the inner tasty bit which would be more appealing ?

Yes it was, I think it was the smallest size, it's still lying in her bed, untouched.
Fussy mare

I asked if it was a full one or a half one and you have answered yes it was lol !

> I asked if it was a full one or a half one and you have answered yes it was lol !

pmsl....sorry, half one.

Lol !

Mine liked them when they had been soaked overnight. You could try that.

My dogs loved them but I have just taken them all away as one of mine (all of which are are partly raw fed) broke her 2 big , back upper teeth . They have just been repaired and the vet who is a dentist specialist said that he is finding this is quite common - also with load bearing bones . Apart from the stagbars mine were getting bone but only wings, necks, caracasses and all have lovely teeth until the break occurred :(
I guess anything in life can be a risk though and it's up to the individual owner to decide what is ok for their dogs so I'm not saying don't give them , just not right for my dogs.

Mine love them but they don't last particuarly long, 2 weeks tends to be the max for the large one in our house. (3 medium breeds taking turns on it).

I have just bought a small one for Willow  - 4 month old lab. She's pretty bouncy so I thought it might keep her quiet for a bit. Well she's flinging it round the kitchen and growling at it like something demented  - I suppose it depends what you mean by quiet!!

Sounds like my Lottie with her toys! A filled marrowbone kept her quiet for a while, before she started throwing it off the sofa and pouncing on it!

My dog ate a third of a stag bar and was really ill with v. & d.  Wouldn't buy any more.

I had better keep our antlers out of willow's way when she comes on a visit !

I am not going to buy the split ones again as Bales demolished one of in about ten minutes.