You can rinse them off if you want to or just give as is.
Antlers - Any preparation needed? (My dog's impatient!)
I just got two freshly shed reindeer antlers, and I'm wondering if they need any special preparation before giving them to my dog. I'm going to saw them into smaller pieces, but should I do anything else? Freeze for a week or something?
I'm thinking that it would be fine to just rinse the dirt off with hot water, but if anyone has knowledge/experience that says otherwise, let me know. Thanks!
I'm thinking that it would be fine to just rinse the dirt off with hot water, but if anyone has knowledge/experience that says otherwise, let me know. Thanks!
1 - 12 of 12 Posts
No prepping needed. Just give. I wouldn't cut them, you don't want them to to turn out too small and be a choking hazard. Give the whole thing, and if you want you can put it up and save it for later.
These are whole antlers - they NEED cutting. I can't have my dog dragging an entire antler around the house. I cut them into large chunks - larger than the ones sold in pet stores. He's chewing on one right now and loving it 
Just checking--did you buy them or find them/get them from a friend? I once got excited because I found a full deer rack a buck shed in the backyard and was going to give it to Stella. But the vet said that that might not be safe because of germs and there might be trace amounts of blood on it she shouldn't ingest. I asked if boiling it would make it safe but they said just not to. If that's the case I might ask your vet.
They are from a local reindeer farm/research center. I'm not too worried about germs; dogs are tough and mine's eaten worse things (before I could stop him, of course) without issue. My old dog chewed on bones from an old moose skeleton on our property and never had issues.Just checking--did you buy them or find them/get them from a friend? I once got excited because I found a full deer rack a buck shed in the backyard and was going to give it to Stella. But the vet said that that might not be safe because of germs and there might be trace amounts of blood on it she shouldn't ingest. I asked if boiling it would make it safe but they said just not to. If that's the case I might ask your vet.
If its a whole shed, then yea I would cut off each one and give them whole. But no peeping needed otherwise.These are whole antlers - they NEED cutting. I can't have my dog dragging an entire antler around the house. I cut them into large chunks - larger than the ones sold in pet stores. He's chewing on one right now and loving it
What do you mean by "cut off each one and give them whole"? By whole do you mean not split? Not that I really need to know, but I like to understand what people are saying.If its a whole shed, then yea I would cut off each one and give them whole. But no peeping needed otherwise.
I'm talking about cutting off each tine, and giving them whole. They aren't too big.
That is kind of odd. Dogs can handle germs just fine. I've also fed raw deer in the past. Wild, not ranch raised. There was plenty of blood there.Just checking--did you buy them or find them/get them from a friend? I once got excited because I found a full deer rack a buck shed in the backyard and was going to give it to Stella. But the vet said that that might not be safe because of germs and there might be trace amounts of blood on it she shouldn't ingest. I asked if boiling it would make it safe but they said just not to. If that's the case I might ask your vet.
I'd give the antler in as big of pieces as you can.
Vets know very little if anything about dog nutrition. Salmonella won't hurt dogs, so germs are nothing. Dogs as well as us live in a world of germs. Blood also won't hurt them,in fact blood has nutrients in it as well. They are designed by nature to eat raw meat which includes blood. There are more than "trace" amounts of harmful man made ingredients added to the kibble the vet is selling though...... It's a typical vet scare tactic.Just checking--did you buy them or find them/get them from a friend? I once got excited because I found a full deer rack a buck shed in the backyard and was going to give it to Stella. But the vet said that that might not be safe because of germs and there might be trace amounts of blood on it she shouldn't ingest. I asked if boiling it would make it safe but they said just not to. If that's the case I might ask your vet.
Stella has a sensitive stomach. That might've been why he said that.That is kind of odd. Dogs can handle germs just fine. I've also fed raw deer in the past. Wild, not ranch raised. There was plenty of blood there.
1 - 12 of 12 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Dog Forum
A forum community dedicated to all breeds of dog owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeds, training, puppies, food reviews, service animals, and more.
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
