Let's talk about Antler chews...
Recently I had an owner pick up a large "all-natural" antler chew from a pet store for the duration of their board & train. I wanted her to grab a large one because the antlers I have left are getting a bit too small for a big ol' pitbull mouth.
She had mentioned that they usually only last a week with her dog & not to expect it to help deter any destructive chewing. This threw me off because the 4 antlers I have, lasted about a year & have a good year left in them depending on who I let chew them & for how long.
The owner told me that they will split in half after just a few days of use from her dog & all I could think was WOW okay.. we will see how this goes, this must be the super chewer of the year for that to happen!
Sure enough within a week, the antler she bought from the pet store was starting to show significant horizontal cracks, chips & discolouring.
Meanwhile, the antlers I have were still intact & showed no signs of cracking, chipping or discolouration.
SO what's the difference your probably asking yourself at this point...
The difference is the antler chews I have are ACTUALLY all-natural. They came from my dad's deer hunt last year. My family uses all the parts of the deer from their hunts every time, which means the dogs get the antlers. (among other parts)
Antlers that are shed in the wild or came off a fresh hunt are FULL of nutrients and provide essential minerals
1. Calcium is required in the greatest amount and helps with a number of important functions like bone formation, muscle contraction and much more.
2. Phosphorous another mineral required in high amounts and is essential for muscle function. Unfortunately, it is the most common mineral deficiency in animals worldwide.
3. Zinc helps with a number of functions, improves skin and hair and aids with protein digestion.
A canine’s diet consists mostly of protein making zinc even more important.
4. Manganese Improves cellular function, strengthens bone and cartilage and affects enzymes responsible for energy.
BUT ...
What happens when large retailers take on products like this??
They HAVE to cook them, sterilize them & unfortunately chemically treat them with bleach to have a long shelf life.
This process also removes any & all nutritional value from the antler!
I don't know about you but I feel flat out TRICKED after having to spend 3 days to find any information that wasn't from a store promoting its own products.
I wanted to share this information with you in case you have these store-bought antlers in your home. I highly recommend calling up that family member or friend that likes to hunt & asking if you can have their antlers.
If you don't know anyone that hunts you still have options! Heres a few:
Go to www.wildcountryantlers.com & purchase REAL all-natural moose & elk antlers
OR
Send me a message & let me know if you'd be interested in going on a shed hunt trail walk WITH your dog included!
More info to come soon about that program :D