Having toys that can be chewed on helps dogs not get bored when their owner goes out on business. But their choice should be approached very responsibly - toys should not pose a danger to the pet, and ideally they can also be beneficial. This is why deer antlers for dogs are very popular. Every breeder should know about them.
Great treat for your pet
Main advantages
Of course, before purchasing deer antlers for dogs, the benefits and harms of them should be studied.
It’s worth starting with the advantages of the treat. This is actually a really useful product. Dogs always enjoy chewing on them, which helps keep their teeth in perfect condition - you no longer have to brush them. Fact! Deer regularly shed their antlers, which are collected and sawed off for dogs.
Therefore, the animal world does not receive the slightest harm. The special smell makes them not only a good cleaning tool, but also a wonderful toy. So, the beneficial qualities of horns are obvious.
The best solution for city dwellers
The modern rhythm of life does not make it possible to walk the dog often, and the heavy smoke in megacities and living in an apartment have an extremely negative impact on the pet’s health. In such a situation, maximum attention should be paid to the diet, which must be filled with all the vitamins and minerals necessary for proper development and good functioning. Deer antlers contain them in large quantities. The benefit for the animal here becomes double. This is both a complete satisfaction of all gaming needs and an excellent addition to a healthy daily diet.
The toy weighs 100 g, how much is it
Alas, it is impossible to give a definite answer here. After all, horns can have different densities. The longer they were stored (or simply lay in the forest), the more they dried out, which means their density decreased.
On a note! It is not advisable to store purchased horns for a long time - you should immediately give them to your pet.
So you shouldn’t be happy if you managed to buy a huge piece cheaply. There is a high probability that its density has decreased and when trying to chew the toy, it will simply crumble into dust and the dog will not even have time to enjoy it.
Deer antler for a dog - how to choose the right one?
Deer antlers are a natural treat for dogs, supplied mainly from the northern regions of Russia. Why they are useful and how to choose a treat that suits your dog – we’ll tell you in this article!
This delicacy is a real horn from a domesticated reindeer (sometimes the antlers of other species of domesticated deer are used - red deer, wapiti and sika deer, as well as elk).
Both males and females of reindeer have antlers. In winter, males shed their antlers, and females only in early summer. It is these shed antlers that are used as delicacies. In nature, shed antlers of deer and elk lie for a long time, they are gnawed as entertainment and by predatory animals - foxes, wolves, bears, and rodents - to obtain useful substances and grind teeth, and even by the deer themselves, when there is little food and vitamins and minerals in their diet is not enough.
The difference between shed antlers and sawed-off young antlers is simple - shed antlers have no skin on the surface, the color is beige or grayish, and the inner spongy part is slightly darker, and is surrounded by a horny hard layer, while in antlers the color of the surface of the horn and the core is darker, as the growing the horn is penetrated by blood vessels, the porous inner part occupies almost the entire volume of the horn. Cutting off young deer antlers is a rather painful procedure, but shed ones do not cause pain to the deer, this is a natural annual process.
Deer antlers contain a lot of protein, calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus, which have a beneficial effect on the condition of the dog's teeth and bones. They also contain B vitamins, various amino acids and microelements, as well as collagen, glucosamine and chondroitin.
Deer antlers, as a delicacy, differ in density and hardness. The hardness is affected by the size of the outer shell; the wider the ring and the smaller the porous part, the harder the horn, and vice versa - if there is a lot of porous part, the horn is easier to chew on. The hardest parts of a deer antler are the ends of the branches, the middle part and the part at the base of the antler are usually more porous.
The structure of the horn is such that sharp pieces do not break off from it, like from hollow bones, for example. When gnawing, the horn gets a little wet and gradually wears off with shavings and fine crumbs, exposing the spongy core. During gnawing, dental plaque in dogs is well cleaned.
The size of the horn should be chosen in accordance with the size of the pet and its individual gnawing characteristics.
- Solid horn is suitable for adult dogs and dogs with powerful jaws.
- Soft and medium hard horns are suitable for puppies and older dogs.
In any case, when a piece of horn becomes so large that the dog can try to swallow it whole, it’s time to take it away.
The remaining piece can either be washed, doused with boiling water and offered as a means for grinding teeth to omnivorous rodents, or simply thrown away. Gnawing on deer antler must be done under supervision, and if the dog gets too carried away, you can limit the time of gnawing. This, again, depends on the characteristics of the individual dog.
In what form are deer antlers sold?
In its entirety, the horn can be found on sale quite rarely. Usually the horn is sawn into pieces of sizes convenient for dogs.
- Sawed horn
For example, Zhivkus is a treat for dogs made from the antler of a domestic reindeer
- Split
A split is a piece of horn sawn lengthwise.
With this form, the dog immediately gains access to the porous core. Suitable for older dogs, puppies and adult dogs who can chew treats calmly and leisurely. For example, Zhivkus split treat for dogs made from reindeer antler
- Chips
Horn chips are horn sawn crosswise, usually into small pieces, from 0.3 cm to several centimeters.
Well suited for dogs and puppies of miniature breeds, as well as rodents. For example, Zhivkus dog treats, reindeer antler chips
- Flour
Antler meal is deer antlers ground into dust.
Used in small quantities as a dietary supplement to any food, for dogs and puppies from 2-3 months. For example, Zhivkus flour from the antler of domestic reindeer
Before giving your dog a newly purchased horn, wash it with water to remove dust from cutting the horn, and give it to the dog after meals or between meals. At first, watch how your pet chews the horn.
Is it possible for dogs with allergies
Of course, even dogs suffering from allergies can chew on such a treat. On the one hand, venison is generally a hypoallergenic product. On the other hand, the horns do not contain dyes, preservatives or other complex chemical compounds. This is a completely natural product that cannot be harmful to your pet.
One of the main advantages of horns is the absence of chemical impurities, which usually cause allergies. Therefore, you can give this favorite toy to all dogs, without exception.
Pros of the treat
Having found out where to buy deer antlers for dogs and all the benefits of using them, we can safely state the following advantages of such an acquisition:
- This is an exclusively natural product that improves health.
- It does not contain harmful dyes or other negative substances.
- Protects household utensils, furniture and belongings from damage.
- Does not injure the mucous membrane of the animal.
- Perfectly removes plaque and tartar.
- Promotes proper saliva secretion.
- A daily activity that your pet will never get tired of, because the product smells delicious.
- The owner has a lot of free time and a lot of positive emotions for the pet.
This is a kind of prey that requires a lot of effort to destroy, and is therefore especially valuable and takes a lot of the animal’s time.
The puppy chews furniture, shoes, destroys the apartment
It is in such situations that breeders often acquire deer antlers. The puppy's teeth itch and he chews everything he can find: furniture, smartphones, TV remotes, books.
Deer regularly shed their antlers, so the process of collecting them does not harm anyone
If he has a favorite toy that he can chew on, he won’t even pay attention to other objects.
Benefits in the diet
Experts have conducted a number of studies. As a result, it was found that, due to the presence of calcium, a large amount of minerals and amino acids, deer antlers for dogs can be considered a particularly valuable type of medicinal raw material. Reviews from veterinarians on this matter are unanimous. They all believe that the daily absorption of small particles of horn helps maintain the required daily norm of nutrients in the animal’s body. The smell of this treat is very attractive to dogs. Therefore, there is no need to worry that they will get tired of it. This exciting daily activity brings great benefits to the health of the animal and is recommended by all veterinarians in the country.
Expert advice
Finally, it’s worth giving a few simple tips:
- When giving a treat for the first time, it will be useful to make sure that the dog does not get hurt.
- You should buy horns only in serious stores that guarantee that they are a quality product and not a fake.
- The size of the horn must exactly match the size of the pet's mouth.
Dogs love to chew on such toys
. If you follow these simple rules, the pet will get a lot of pleasure from the new toy, the furniture in the apartment will be intact, and the owner will be able to get rid of many unpleasant worries, including brushing the dog’s teeth.
Difference from ordinary bone
We all want to see our pets healthy and happy, so from time to time we pamper them with a bone, without thinking about whether such a gift brings more benefit or harm. Such a synthetic product performs only one function - cleans the dog’s teeth. In addition, it can cause harm by injuring the delicate mucous membrane of the animal with its sharp edges. A natural bone made from horns that are harmless in all respects differs in a number of nuances:
- Completely safe and leaves no sharp edges. It is almost impossible to chew it.
- It has good hardness, and softer options are available for puppies.
- Helps replenish the lack of nutrients in the body.
- Protects expensive furniture, shoes, clothes, distracting the pet's attention.
