Deer antler and injury dogs

[Peter Eaton]

Just had a phone call from my vet letting me know my Border Terrier bitch is ready for collection in an hour. But before I pick her up I wanted to share what has occurred.

My dog has not been 'pucker' for a couple of years now and she has had tests and treatment by what I would term a specialist veterinary centre in my area.She has been doing well but never quite herself, slow walking sometimes giving the impression she had bitten her tongue when playing with her toys.

Coincidental to any treatment I noticed she only chewed on one side and also her left rear molar was full of tartar and so she was booked in to have this investigated. The vet has just called to say she is well after the anaesthetic but told me she had to have her two rear teeth removed, those teeth are deep rooted so it means cutting them out and stitching. The reason they needed removing was due to a ''slab fracture' on the rear tooth and damage to the tooth along side. The vet asked if she had ever been given deer antler to chew and if so it is highly likely that this injury was caused by it. I expect he is 100% correct as she has never picked up a stick, a stone or even chewed anything she shouldn't as a puppy or once she grew her adult teeth, that is except antler!

It is ironic as I stopped giving her antler at around two years old as there were reports appearing on forums and in publications about the high rate of injuries in dogs that chew antler, teeth wear, broken teeth / fractures and penetration injuries of the mouth.


So it is likely the poor girl had a problem for 4 years ,which wasn't visible and which undoubtedly had been causing her pain, Border owners take not: Borders are known for very high pain thresholds and so don't always display pain as other breed do.

And if the above is not enough to convince you then £400 plus bill might do ,my opinion is it isn't worth the risk.

Hopefully if you do feed antler your dog wont have the same issue.

 

[arron]

Ouch !! I bet your dog is a different thing after it's come to , if only they could talk eh , I do give mine antler , BUT , only soft invelvet and still growing , she absolutely loves it , just seems a shame to waste it when it's in that stage , well done for sharing

 

[Peter Eaton]

Cheers Arron...With regards to how she is I am amzaed as soon I got her home she just went on her bed outside to sunbathe!...

I am not sure what GA they gave her but all the two others she has had in the past really made her ill, this time she just has a raspy throat from being intubated.
Give a day or two and she will be on rat patrol again ))

 

[Keith Edmunds]

That sounds painful and I am glad your bitch is recovering from surgery. I have also heard the same warnings regarding antlers.

The topic of dogs teeth is an interesting one. It used to be expected that dogs, like humans, and all other mammals will have dental issues as each year of their life goes on. In our modern age we humans want a Hollywood smile and expect our dogs to have perfect teeth and great smelling breath until the day they pop their clogs.

In reality our dogs teeth will suffer all sorts of misfortune and it is very difficult for them to keep that Colgate smile as they mature. Just like humans some will maintain healthy teeth and gums for longer than others. I have weak teeth and have avoided hard toffee for a long time now, where others can chomp on all sorts and retain their perfect gnashers.

Not in this case, but in others, I do think that the veterinary 'industry' could be guilty of raising our expectation regarding normal 'wear and tear' and making fair coin in the process.

 

[Peter Eaton]

That sounds painful and I am glad your bitch is recovering from surgery. I have also heard the same warnings regarding antlers.

The topic of dogs teeth is an interesting one. It used to be expected that dogs, like humans, and all other mammals will have dental issues as each year of their life goes on. In our modern age we humans want a Hollywood smile and expect our dogs to have perfect teeth and great smelling breath until the day they pop their clogs.

In reality our dogs teeth will suffer all sorts of misfortune and it is very difficult for them to keep that Colgate smile as they mature. Just like humans some will maintain healthy teeth and gums for longer than others. I have weak teeth and have avoided hard toffee for a long time now, where others can chomp on all sorts and retain their perfect gnashers.

Not in this case, but in others, I do think that the veterinary 'industry' could be guilty of raising our expectation regarding normal 'wear and tear' and making fair coin in the process.

I have to chuckle Keith as the vets I took her too used to sell deer antler which I had told them a few years ago was bad for dogs. The vet I spoke to told me I was wrong and that it depends on the dog you give it to and how hard they bite, work that out if you can! Anyway, took my dog back for a check up today and noted they don't sell antler anymore and was told they stopped as a dog was brought in with a serious roof of the mouth injury caused by antler an antler splinter....surprise eh.

Nurse just tried to get me to put my dog on another feed which was 'apparently' great for a dogs teeth. So I got her to show me the ingredients on the packet which were Maize,wheat and dehydration poultry protein....what ever that cr*p is. The rest of the ingredients were even worse.

That said, they did a cracking job my dog, gleaming white teeth and zero stress when I collected her so a big thumbs up for that.

 

[SimpleSimon]

I stopped giving mine antler a while back too, partly due to fears around teeth and partly due to the fact that once she got going on a piece she wouldn't stop until it was all gone! I'm wary of feeding anything very hard, although my dogs are raw fed I only give the softest bones (poultry necks, lambs ribs, chicken thighs, rabbits). Another fear of mine is that a large or awkward piece of hard bone could obstruct the gut somewhere. Whereas soft bone is broken down more easily once it's inside them.

 

[reloader54]

Raw feeding is the correct way to feed a dog, corn is for chickens, and the toxic kibble type rubbish passed off as "nutritious dog feed" will guarantee tooth decay/tartar. get yourself a decent commercial grinder that will grind whole carcass and balance the meat/bone/offal ratio as advised by the many websites specialising in raw feeding dogs.

ps, glad yer little fella is on the mend.

 

[Keith Edmunds]

Glad she is now fine and has her.....Colgate smile

 

[Keith Edmunds]

Raw feeding is the correct way to feed a dog, corn is for chickens, and the toxic kibble type rubbish passed off as "nutritious dog feed" will guarantee tooth decay/tartar. get yourself a decent commercial grinder that will grind whole carcass and balance the meat/bone/offal ratio as advised by the many websites specialising in raw feeding dogs.

ps, glad yer little fella is on the mend.

I have thought about getting a grinder - any recommendations?

 

[reloader54]

I have thought about getting a grinder - any recommendations?

I have a hobart , on the recommendation of my butcher, tried and tested, worldwide spares network, awesome power it will take a whole skinned rabbit and convert it to a pile of dog mince in 5-8 seconds, I freeze them for a minimum of two weeks to render any parasites harmless, I also remove the guts apart from liver,kidneys,heart.

I purchased a spare head unit to use for my own meat processing and it just slots on with one thumbscrew.

I paid £300 and expect it to outlive me.

 

[Keith Edmunds]

I have a hobart , on the recommendation of my butcher, tried and tested, worldwide spares network, awesome power it will take a whole skinned rabbit and convert it to a pile of dog mince in 5-8 seconds, I freeze them for a minimum of two weeks to render any parasites harmless, I also remove the guts apart from liver,kidneys,heart.

I purchased a spare head unit to use for my own meat processing and it just slots on with one thumbscrew.

I paid £300 and expect it to outlive me.

Whole skinned rabbit?!! Wow!! So all small carcasses ok to go straight in minus guts and skin? Sounds good, thanks.

 

[reloader54]

Whole skinned rabbit?!! Wow!! So all small carcasses ok to go straight in minus guts and skin? Sounds good, thanks.

yep and whole chickens,geese,ducks,squirrels,all the unwanted bits from a deer except the larger bones, all through a 10mm mincer plate.

 

[nun_hunter]

One of the many benefits of whole feeding is the dog having to chew up their food and crunch the bones etc. Not only is this good for them (chewing releases endorphins for dogs) but it's what keeps their teeth clean. Mincing the food first (in my opinion) takes this away and so while more convenient for owners I don't feel it's as beneficial to the dog. Plus with certain breeds prone to bloat it's better if they take their time to consume a meal rather than inhale a plate of mince.

 

[reloader54]

One of the many benefits of whole feeding is the dog having to chew up their food and crunch the bones etc. Not only is this good for them (chewing releases endorphins for dogs) but it's what keeps their teeth clean. Mincing the food first (in my opinion) takes this away and so while more convenient for owners I don't feel it's as beneficial to the dog. Plus with certain breeds prone to bloat it's better if they take their time to consume a meal rather than inhale a plate of mince.

I agree, mine also get the stuff that's to big to go through a mincer, in addition to whole raw oily fish, whole raw eggs, and tripe.
with respect,in every case of bloat I personally know of,, the dog was fed on kibble.

 

[Keith Edmunds]

I agree, mine also get the stuff that's to big to go through a mincer, in addition to whole raw oily fish, whole raw eggs, and tripe.
with respect,in every case of bloat I personally know of,, the dog was fed on kibble.

I have learnt that it isn't wise to try to allow a bunch of working dachshunds (trained on cleaves as prizes) to gnaw on them 'en-masse' in the garden.............with our lot, a scrap is almost guaranteed. They are ok with tripe sticks though - no squabbles.

 

[reloader54]

I have learnt that it isn't wise to try to allow a bunch of working dachshunds (trained on cleaves as prizes) to gnaw on them 'en-masse' in the garden.............with our lot, a scrap is almost guaranteed. They are ok with tripe sticks though - no squabbles.

Think what could happen with a Bordeaux/Mastiff cross and an Alapaha blue blood. they are great friends but they need supervision when feeding times come around.

 

[Hayduke]

My dog thrives on fresh deer bones and the marrow inside, they don't splinter and the bits left are worn and rounded by her chewing. Interesting to see some folks seemingly against bones.

 

[Rob-E]

I wonder if that’s how my GSD chipped the tip of her canine, then again she did used to carry around house bricks for fun...