My Antler Dog Chews sounds exactly like what it is. We sell antler chews for dogs. We named it that because every dog deserves the experience of being able to chew on an antler in their lifetime. There are a lot of benefits for both you and your dog, and if you have never bought one before, this is a good place to start.
What is an antler, anyway?
What surprises most people is that antler is bone. It is made of much the same material as the bone that grows inside the body, and it works in much the same way. Inside the hard protective shell is the marrow — the spongy tissue that carries oxygen around the body and helps fight infection.
Within that bone and marrow are the nutrients bone needs to grow: calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, glucosamine and phosphorus. Those nutrients are what your dog can taste, and they are why shed antler gets picked over so quickly in the wild by rodents, squirrels, beavers, coyotes and even other deer.
Antler or horn? They are not the same thing.
This is the question we get most often at the market table. The biggest difference is simple: antler is shed every year. Horn stays attached for life.
Horned animals include goats, sheep, buffalo, antelope and rhinoceros. Horn is made of thick, matted hair — alpha-keratin, the same protein as your fingernails — and it grows on females as well as males. If you find a horn detached from an animal, that animal is almost certainly dead.
Antler is a completely different story. Elk, deer and moose drop theirs every single year and grow a new set.
No, we do not kill any elk or deer for their antler.
This matters enough that we want to be blunt about it. Nothing is harmed to make what we sell.
Bulls and bucks shed their antlers in late winter and early spring. When an antler drops, the burr — the knobbed structure that connected it to the skull — stays intact at the base. You can see those burrs on the antler across this site. That is the tell.
Shed collectors hike a great many miles each spring looking for them. They sell what they find to antler buyers, which is where we come in. We cut them, and we do not alter or modify them in any other way.
A year in the life of an antler
Mid to late spring
Antler grows in velvet to allow blood flow, driven by longer days and low testosterone. Bulls and bucks show the first tips emerging from the skull. By the end of spring the length from burr to tip is roughly half of its final size.
Summer
Peak growth speed — antler is the fastest-growing living tissue in nature. By the end of summer growth is complete and the hardening process begins.
Fall
Velvet peels as the antler hardens and the animals rub against trees. That rubbing is what gives antler its rich, darker color. Once blood flow stops, the antler hardens completely into the tough bone you know. Through the rut, males use their racks to compete for mates and for protection.
Late winter to early spring
Elk move into survival mode, looking for food to get through the winter. Antler starts to fall away as they rub on bushes and trees. Older bulls and bucks usually shed first; younger ones follow later in the spring.
Why we only cut fresh shed
Antler is a great chew because of how tough the exterior is — and the newer the shed, the tougher it is. Recently shed antler that a collector finds quickly has not been sitting out in the weather. Stored indoors, out of the elements, deterioration slows right down and it lasts many times longer.
An antler shed in the last couple of years is so tough that a grown adult can stand on it without breaking it. That is why we only use antler from this season's shed. New antler makes it very difficult for a dog to splinter or break it apart.
The minerals and nutrients in the antler and marrow are also good for teeth and gums — they help whiten teeth and freshen breath alongside everything the dog absorbs.
How we cut it
Because the marrow is safely encased inside the hard antler, we cut our chews in a way that introduces your dog to it and makes them want to work their way in.
Whole antler is cut so at least two marrow sections are exposed at the ends. Split antler is cut lengthwise down the middle, opening the entire center. Either way, your dog can scrape, lick and chew those nutrients out.
We never cut an antler shorter than four inches. That is the safest length for a dog to work with.
Still thinking about it?
If you are a pet owner debating whether to try an antler for the first time — why not? It is a genuine alternative to the “indestructible” toys your ferocious baby destroys in an afternoon, and to the non-digestible treats that are hard on their stomach.
If you have any other questions, call Emily on (219) 384-1033, email [email protected], or reach the shop on (219) 213-2157. Custom orders are welcome.
A year in the life of an antler
Grown, hardened, dropped. Every single year.
Antler is the fastest-growing living tissue in nature. A bull grows a full rack between spring and fall, uses it through the rut, then drops it in late winter and starts again.
That cycle is why nothing has to be killed - and why timing matters so much to us.
The question we get most
Antler and horn are not the same thing.
The difference matters. If you find a horn detached from an animal, that animal is almost certainly dead. Antler is a completely different story.
Antler
Solid bone with marrow inside. Shed and regrown every year by the animal, so it can be collected off the ground.
Horn
Thick matted hair made of alpha-keratin, the same protein as your fingernails. It stays attached to the animal for life.
Common questions
What people ask us at the market
Do you kill animals for the antler?
No. Never. Elk and deer shed their antlers naturally every year - it happens whether anyone collects them or not. Shed collectors hike miles each spring to find them, and we buy directly from those collectors.
Look at the burr, the knobbed base on our whole and burr cuts. That intact burr is how you know an antler was shed rather than taken.
Will it splinter?
Fresh shed is very difficult to splinter. An antler shed in the last couple of years is so tough a grown adult can stand on it without it breaking. That toughness is exactly why we only cut this season's shed - antler that has weathered on the ground for years is a different and far worse product.
What is actually in it?
Bone and marrow, and nothing else. The marrow carries calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, glucosamine and phosphorus. Those nutrients are what your dog can taste, and they are why shed antler gets picked over so quickly in the wild.
Is it good for their teeth?
The minerals in antler and marrow help whiten teeth and freshen breath, and the chewing action itself helps clean them. That said, antler is a hard chew - if your dog has existing dental problems, start with something softer.
Can my dog bite a chunk off?
No. A dog cannot take a bite out of an antler. It does not tear or come apart in pieces the way rawhide or bully sticks do - it wears away slowly, a little at a time, as your dog chews.
Once it has worn down small enough to fit in their mouth whole, it is time to retire it.
Ready to try one?
Whole, split, or burr?
Every antler is the same bone. The difference is how we cut it.
Easiest to startElk Antler - SplitMarrow open from the very first chew.
For determined chewersElk Antler - WholeThey have to work for it, so it lasts.
The densest cutElk Antler - BurrThickest, heaviest, most marrow-dense.
Deer, not elkWhitetail Deer AntlerDenser than elk, in a smaller, lighter antler. Tough for its size.
Before the first chew
Always watch the first chew session.
Every dog takes to antler differently. The first time your dog has one, stay with them and monitor the whole chew time - see how they hold it, how hard they go at it, and whether the size is right.
Once you know how your dog chews, you will know how much supervision they need. If anything looks wrong, take it away and call Emily on (219) 384-1033.