Things That Work: Antler

Last week was "All Dogs go to the Vet" week.  They get their annual check-ups and any vaccinations or boosters that might be needed.

All of our dogs checked out well with no concerns except that Wonton had a significant amount of Tartar on her teeth.  The Vet said she needs to chew more.

She's not much of a chewer but she won't let anyone else have chew toys or raw hides either.  She is the boss and that's the way it is.  So we only have low-value toys in the yard... sticks, tennis balls and other old toys that she doesn't care about.

The high-value toys are secured in their kennels and only handed out sparingly because disagreements happen... and then "expensive" vet visits happen.

So when the Vet said she needed to chew more, we weren't sure how we were going to make it happen.  He recommended reviewing the Veterinary Oral Health Council list of accepted products or get her a real bone or piece of antler.

So when I was at the Feed Store a few days later and they had a bucket of antler pieces, I decided to get one.  Only one because they were $10 for each 3-inch piece.  I used to find whole racks when I was a kid hiking in the mountains, for free.

Wonton hid the antler under her blanket for a few days before she started chewing on it, but she finally did.  It seems to be pretty durable and is definitely cleaning up her teeth.

We are going to scavenge for antlers on our next hike.

Antler definitely works to keep tartar under control.