Elk Antlers: The Best Chew for Your Dog

Elk Antlers are by far the best chews for dogs. After trying nylabones, bully sticks, bones, rawhide and a variety of other chews, I can tell you that elk antlers are my dog's all-time favorite -- and they have many dental and health benefits as well.

But I think I'll let my dog, Nietzsche, tell you himself what is so appealing about Elk Antlers and why we are so glad to have finally discovered them. I'll also tell you where to find the best deals on the best all natural elk antlers.

If you are wondering about the best single thing you can buy your dog for a gift or a treat, you can't go wrong with Elk Antlers. Keep reading to learn more about Elk Antlers, discover why dogs and their people love them, and find the best deals on Elk Antler dog chews.

Shown above: Small/Medium Elk Antlers vary from 4 to 7" per piece.

Although I'm a dog, I will admit to being a bit of a pig when it comes to eating - I will eat anything and everything at the fastest speed possible. It's not that my people don't feed me enough - they do and even make dog food from recipes just for me that they put in a special dish that makes it harder for me to swallow my meals in a single gulp. I appreciate all of that but I can't help that it is in my nature to chew (and swallow) whatever I can.

According to people standards, I have "no manners" and "wolf down food." Well - what do they expect? I share more genes with my ancestral pack than most humans think. Scientifically, I am a canis lupus familiaris and wolves are canis lupus. Same genus. Same biological family. Dogs used to be considered a different species but recent genetic studies have re-categorized us as a sub-species of canis lupus.

Although we're cuter and far more loveable than our lupine cousins, they do have a more complex social structure and have learned to cooperate and share when it comes to hunting and eating. Dogs have a difficult if not impossible time with this concept. To each his own. Left to our own devices, dogs are scavengers more than hunters, and Boy! er, I mean, Puppy! am I good at that! Find it and swallow it before someone else gets it.

I have learned not to eat my people's slippers, chew my bedding, and gnaw on the furniture and woodwork- but if I have a really tasty bully stick or dental chew, I will only bite on it a little while before swallowing it whole.

I'm a tiny fella - under 15 pounds - but I've been known to make bully sticks over 6 inches long disappear in a single gulp. Of course, they reappear again when my digestive system rejects and regurgitates them, but even that didn't stop me from eating them whole.

I am also, I confess (and boast), very hard on bones. I could get the toughest bone to splinter and would send my people into a panic when sharp shards of bone disappeared into my mouth faster than they could pick them up. Not that I'd ever have gotten away with it - my people are rather vigilant and quite a bit larger and stronger than me, even if not as fast. But they do have to sometimes do other things and can't watch me intently all of the time (even though I am incredibly cute and watch-worthy!).

Besides, I really don't like to be scolded and know I've made my people unhappy with me. As much as I like bones, I don't think I'll be chomping on any soon. Not that it matters much at all since I've found something I (and my people) like a lot better - Elk Antlers.

By Nietzsche Poochini

Elk Antlers are DEELISHIOUS and fun to chew on. And they have a scrumptious meaty marrow in the center that really makes my chewing efforts worthwhile.

Plus my people like them and when my people are happy, I'm happy. (And it doesn't hurt that because my people like them too, I get to have a go at one a lot more often.)

By Nietzsche Poochini

1. Elk Antlers do not make a mess. They do not get gross and slimy after being chewed.

For some reason people find this repulsive. Go figure.

2. Elk Antlers are the safest thing I can chew on. I haven't swallowed any and doubt I ever will. It would not slide down like a well-chomped on bully stick and I can't splinter it like a bone.

It takes a very long time for me to grind them down even a little but they are so tasty, I don't mind that at all. Getting to the marrow inside is worth the effort!

3. Elk Antlers are a Good Value. They are long lasting. True, people complain sometimes that they cost more than rawhide and other chews. But they can last for months and that's a lot longer than the other stuff.

And my people have found the best and cheapest source for Elk Antlers there is and they have my permission to share it with you.

4. Elk Antlers do NOT have an odor people find offensive. In fact, they do not have any odor at all that people noses can detect. And they don't leave a residue.

Which is why I'm even allowed to chew them on carpets and even on laps (my favorite!)

5. Elk Antlers keep my teeth really clean and bright between brushings.

Not to mention all the jaw exercise which has made me even better at playing (and winning) tug-of-war with my pals as well as my people.

6. Elk Antlers are very nutritious. The meaty center contains a lot of ingredients like calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, phosphorus and glucosamine. That helps my bones, teeth, coat and health.

It also keeps me from getting "doggie breath" - and no doggie breath means more people cuddling, which I like almost as much as Elk Antlers.

7. Elk Antlers are naturally shed and then gathered. Animals are not hurt or even inconvenienced in the process. They have no artificial ingredients. And they are a renewable resource.

And that is VERY important!

1 lb. bag of Elk Antlers: a mix of elk antler pieces from 1 to 3 inches for small to medium sized dogs. Quantity varies as sold by weight. (Other sizes and bulk weights also available.) Eligible for Free Shipping based on total purchase. Click for Best Price.

Shop for antlers by size (photos not to scale). Top Row, Left to Right: Miniature - for puppies and small dogs, Small for small to medium size dogs; Medium for medium and large size dogs; Bottom Row Left to Right: Large antler for large dogs and aggressive chewers and Giant Size antler for super size dogs who are super chewers. Free Shipping and Discounts are available.

by Chazz

After Nietzsche had downed a longer-than-usual rawhide bully stick and, an hour later, barfed the whole thing up with some extras all over his car seat, I swore he'd never have another one.

I went shopping and, after rejecting antlers as too expensive at several local stores, I finally gave in at the local feed and seed/pet store and paid $18.00 for a small Elk Antler. It seemed an outrageous price to pay for a "bone" that small but we rationalized, and rightly so, that Nietzsche was worth it.

As it turned out, Elk Antlers quickly became our puppy's favorite chew. He loves these things and can spend as long as two hours happily gnawing on one. You'd think they'd wear out from all that chomping - but they are extremely long lasting. He's had the same one for over 3 months and I suspect it will probably last a few more. Once we saw how much he liked his new chew, we decided we should get a few more in case this one was lost or worn out as well as one to keep in the car and one in our traveling "doggy bag" so we wouldn't have to worry about forgetting to bring the elk antler with us on excursions.

So I started shopping around at small local stores and bigger places like Petco. Their antlers were not priced more than a dollar or two lower and sometimes they were even priced considerably higher, so we checked on-line to see if we could find a better deal. We ordered one from Amazon and were happy with that. If you have the patience to bid and want to take a chance at getting an auction deal, you can find one on eBay. We also checked several other on-line pet stores.

We also lucked out when we found the other sites this page links to. All of us, two and four-legged, are very happy with purchases from the sources presented here. They are top quality with a wide variety of antler chews including burrs, "cookies," and even toys at Great Prices plus special offers, discounts, free shipping in many cases, and fast delivery.

You can see all of our Pet related articles here:

Chazz's Pet Pages: Everything About and For Dogs and Cats
Two kittens adopted us about 7 years ago, but it was not until we were recently adopted by our first puppy that I really went pet crazy -- and my growing collection of pet pages about everything related to dogs and cats...

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Did you know dogs could write?

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