Over the last decade or so, the number of people giving their dogs deer bones as a chew toy has sky rocketed and in some areas, deer bones are far more popular than the traditional bones for dogs and we only expect this to increase over the coming years.
This is due to deer bone technically being safer for a dog to chew on due to the product usually not shatters while also seeming to have a taste that dogs love to keep them occupied chewing it for longer.
This has resulted in more and more people reaching out to ask questions about using deer bones for dogs with more and more people asking about making the switch over to deer bones with each month that goes by.
The questions that we see from the dog owning community about using deer bones for their dogs tend to be very similar every single month too so we have decided to publish this article going over the more commonly asked questions to try and help as many of our readers as possible.
Now, before we go any further, we just want to say that the term “deer bone” is usually referring to a deer antler rather than an actual bone from the deer.
You are able to purchase deer bone for dogs in some areas but this is very rare and the vast majority of the better long lasting deer bones on the market that keep your dogs occupied the longer will all be deer antlers.
Throughout this article, we will be using the term “deer bone” as it is what the product is more widely known as been though the product is made from deer antler.
Are Deer Bones Safe For Dogs To Eat?
Deer bones are safe for dogs to chew on as a way to pass the time with many dog owners giving their dogs a deer bone as a chew toy and the popularity of using deer bones only increasing.
Although deer bone will rarely shatter or splinter, there is always a chance that small parts can come off and that your dog will eat it but this poses less of a threat than a splinter from a regular dog bone.
You also have to factor in that there is a wide range of different types of deer bone available on the market now due to the demand for the product being so high.
We would always recommend long lasting deer bones if possible though as they tend to last longer while also having a much lower chance of shattering or splintering even if you have a high bite pressure dog breed.
In addition to that, the majority of the better, longer lasting deer bones on the market are around the same price as regular deer bones.
This means that you are able to go with the better products with minimal risk to your dog that are usually only a dollar or two more than the other types of deer bone for dog on the market helping to keep your costs low while keeping your dog occupied chewing its deer bone for as long as possible.
Is There Any Point In Cooking Deer Bones For Dogs?
The majority of commercial deer bones are already treat and ready to go as soon as you get them so you can just take one out the packaging and give it to your dog.
If you do source your own deer bone for your dogs then we would highly recommend that you cook it prior to giving it to your dog as it can help to reduce the chances of bacteria being able to transfer from the bone to your dog and cause potential problems.
There are various cooking technicals that are able to strengthen the deer bone too making it harder for your dog to chew through it and ensuring that it will last your dog for as long as possible.
The thing is though, the time and effort required to source your own deer bones and then cook them correctly is usually not worth it for the vast majority of people and simply ordering some ready to use deer bones are the better option for most people.
We have seen countless reports from people who are able to source their own raw deer bone who have decided to switch over to just buying the ready to use deer bones for their dogs as it is so much easier.
Just because you are able to make something yourself, does not mean that you should or that it’s even worth it as people live busy lives these days and often don’t have the time to cook deer bones the right way anyway.
What Are The Benefits Of Giving Deer Bones To Your Dog?
The main benefit of giving your dog a deer bone rather than a traditional bone is that a deer bone will not splinter or shatter anywhere near as much as a traditional bone reducing the chance of your dog cutting itself or injecting the bone.
Another very popular advantage is that deer bone can last considerably longer than traditional bones with even heavy chewers or dog breeds with a high bite force struggling to get through them quickly.
As we mentioned earlier in the article though, there are a number of different types of deer bone on the market these days so we would always recommend that you specifically go with long lasting deer bones for your dog as they offer the main benefits above.
A secondary benefit that we have seen some people suggest that deer bone for dogs offer is that they can break down tartar build-up on your dog’s teeth but we have not seen any scientific evidence to back this up.
Still, as far as dog chew toys go, deer bone are an excellent option and it is easy to see why they are sky rocketing in their popularity right now while showing no signs of slowing down either.
It seems that once people try them with their dog, they realize just how much dogs enjoy chewing on deer bone and how long they are able to keep most dogs occupied for and they never try other chew toys again.
Can Dogs Get Sick From Chewing On Deer Bones?
There is a risk of a dog getting sick from a raw deer bone due to the bone containing bacteria but this really is a small chance.
The majority of the commercially produced deer bone have gone through various treatments to drastically reduce the chances of that happening and their reduced chance of splintering also reduces other risks to your dog when given a deer bone too.
Again though, this is when using a reputable deer bone product such as the long lasting deer bone range as different vendors of deer bone may not treat their product to the same standard.
As we mentioned above, one of the main advantages of deer bone is that they will usually last much longer than normal bones or chew toys for dogs but this does not mean that you should keep the same deer bone for months at a time.
The longer your dog has access to the deer bone, the more bacteria will build up on it and due to the low prices of deer bone, you are usually able to easily switch the old bone out for a new one.
If you want to stick to the same bone then you are able to steep it in boiling water to get rid of any bacteria that may be growing on it though to help keep your dog safe when chewing deer bone.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over using deer bones for dogs to an end. We hope that we are able to help our readers better understand why giving dogs deer bone to chew on is such a popular thing right now that just keeps increasing in popularity as time goes on. With the excellent reputation that deer bones have amongst the dog owning community, we only expect their popularity to increase in the future too!
