Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
ARE ANTLERS SAFE FOR DOGS?
Yes! Antlers of all types (Deer, Moose, Elk) are a popular, natural, organic chew option for dogs, providing your dog with countless hours of long lasting enjoyment. Antler chews are rich in minerals and provide a safe, satisfying way for dogs to satisfy their need to chew. To ensure a safe chewing experience, you’ll want to make sure you select the right antler length and correct antler type based on your specific dog. You’ll want to consider your dogs age, breed, chewing habits, dental and overall health. As with all consumable chew toys, please supervise your dog when providing any antler chew. Whether it be for the first time or the 100th time, always supervise your dog while they are chewing. Once any chew has become worn down to a size that could pose a choking and/or swallowing hazard to your pet, please discard responsibly, and replace with a new Antler Ridge Co Chew! If you have specific questions or concerns about whether antler chews would be a good fit for your pet, be sure to reach out to your local veterinarian for additional guidance.
ARE ANTLERS SAFE FOR PUPPIES?
Yes, antlers are generally safe for puppies and are a great alternative to the table leg, chair, couch, shoes, or whatever else they may have been chewing on around your house! Some important things to note with providing antler to your puppy. Puppies are constantly growing and have developing teeth and jaws, so it's really important to provide them with the right sized antler piece. This helps prevent risk of tooth damage and choking. Split antlers tend to be the more popular choice for growing puppies as they are easier for them to chew compared to whole, harder antler pieces. As with any dog, supervision is essential when giving antlers to puppies to ensure they are chewing safely and not ingesting large pieces. Lastly, it is a good idea to start off slow and gradually introduce antlers to your puppy. You will want to monitor your puppy’s reaction to the antler piece and observe their chewing behavior. Once you have identified your puppy’s chewing behavior, you can introduce additional antler types as you see fit. If you have specific questions or concerns about whether antler chews would be a good fit for your puppy, be sure to reach out to your local veterinarian for additional guidance.
ARE ANTLERS SAFE FOR OLDER or SENIOR DOGS?
Yes, antlers are generally safe for older or senior dogs. Antlers provide a durable chewing option that can help maintain dental health by keeping away plaque and tartar. Another benefit of antlers for older dogs can be the mental stimulation it creates. Mental stimulation promotes engagement and activity. As with any dog, it's essential to consider your senior dog's individual dental health and chewing ability before giving them antlers. Some older dogs may have sensitive, decaying, or weakening teeth so choosing split antlers to chew on may be more appropriate. If you have specific questions or concerns about whether antler chews would be a good fit for your dog, be sure to reach out to your local veterinarian for additional guidance.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ANTLER CHEWS?
Antlers are an all natural, organic chew, that provide several natural nutrients and minerals that your dog craves! Antlers are a great source of calcium, phosphorous, glucosamine, chondroitin and other beneficial minerals and nutrients. All of these nutrients add to the overall health of your dog. Antlers are also a great way to keep your dog’s teeth clean! All of our antlers contain no additives, no artificial coloring, no added flavors, no preservatives, no GMO, no plastics. The antler you purchase is the same antler that was found in the wild. Antlers are known to be more durable and safer than traditional chews made from plastic, bone, rawhides, etc. Our antlers will not splinter or crack like other chews such as bones, bullysticks, pig ears, pig hooves, buffalo horns, etc. Last but not least, all of our antlers are sourced from within the USA, always!
WHICH ANTLER IS RIGHT FOR MY DOG (DEER, ELK or MOOSE)?
It really depends on your dog! Think it about it from a human perspective. Some people love spaghetti while others prefer hamburgers while others prefer salads. Every person has food that appeals to them and it is the same way with dogs. The best way to determine which antler type is best for your dog is to try each. Some dogs perfer the ease of access to marrow which make Elk Split antlers a great choice. Other dog’s prefer chewing for extended periods of time and working to get the marrow making whole antler pieces great options. The type of antler (Deer, Elk, Moose) is one deciding factor and another would be the part of the antler that is being chewed on. Each part of the antler has its own unique characteristics in terms of chewability.
WHAT SIZE ANTLER SHOULD I ORDER FOR MY DOG?
Finding the correct size for your dog’s new antler chew will greatly depend on both, the size and breed of your dog. Other factors to consider are your dog's age, general health, and overall chewing habits. When selecting an appropriately sized antler chew, you’ll want to make sure that the antler piece you are starting off with will not be able to be swallowed whole. If you are on the fence about whether your dog can swallow the piece, we recommend going up at least another size. All of our products contain length measurements to help you in deciding the appropriate length antler chew. The next thing to consider is your dog’s jaw crush strength. If your dog can destroy the dining room table leg, we wouldn’t recommend getting them a small sized split antler piece. If you consider your dog to be a power chewer, we certainly would recommend a really hard antler such as the base of the antler. (More info on hardness in a question below.) Lastly, as with all consumable chew toys, please supervise your dog when providing any antler chew. Whether it be for the first time or the 100th time, always supervise your dog while they are chewing. Once any chew has become worn down to a size that could pose a choking and/or swallowing hazard to your pet, please discard responsibly, and replace with a new Antler Ridge Co Chew!
WHERE DO YOU SOURCE YOUR ANTLERS FROM?
We source our deer antlers from local shed hunters in the midwest with most of our deer antlers coming from the state of Ohio. Our moose antlers are sourced from local shed hunters who in the northeastern part of the United States. Our elk antlers are sourced from local shed hunters in the midwest. With every antler we source, we make sure that the antler has been legally obtained by means of shedding and meets our quality standard. All of our antler is sourced only from within the United States.
SHOULD I PURCHASE SPLIT or WHOLE ANTLERS?
Split or whole antlers can be great options for your dog. The question of which you should purchase depends on your dog. If you have a dog that is a strong chewer (power chewer or aggressive chewer), split antlers probably are not the best choice as they will be consumed at a rapid rate. When an antler is split in half, the marrow is immediately exposed and half of the antler piece loses it’s thick outer layer that protects the marrow subsequently impacting the antler’s overall structural integrity. We recommend split antlers for dog’s that casually enjoy chewing and do not want to spend the time chewing on whole antlers to get to the marrow. Split antler pieces can also be good for senior dogs. In short, we recommend whole antlers for those power or aggressive chewers and split antlers for the moderate chewers or senior dogs.
WHICH ANTLERS ARE THE HARDEST?
Before we go any further let’s define “hardest”. For the sake of this question, we will define “hardness” as the thickness of the outer portion of the antler that surrounds the inner marrow. The thicker the outer portion of the antler is, the harder the overall antler will be and the longer your dog will have to chew to reach in the inner marrow. Now that we have defined hardness, different portions of the antler have different hardness levels. For example, the base (lower portion of the antler that connects to the animal’s skull) has the highest hardness level. Think about it like a tree. The base or trunk of the tree is the thickest and hardest part of the overall tree. The branches that come off of the tree tend to be smaller and less thick. The overall antler can be very similar. The strongest part of the antler is the base, are the best for power chewers due to the hardness. As you move up the antler, the main beam is the next hardest. This part of the antler still has a thicker outer portion protecting the inner marrow but the marrow is not as dense. Lastly, you have the tines of the antler which has the thinnest outer layer and are naturally skinny in nature. From an overall perspective, deer antlers are generally the hardest throughout and moose antlers have the softest parts. In summary, it really isn’t so much about which type of antler (Deer, Elk, or Moose) is the hardest but rather what part of the antler your dog will be chewing on!
DO YOU FIND YOUR OWN SHED ANTLERS?
We find some deer sheds every year but are not able to find enough on our own to meet the demand of our customers. We source our deer antlers from local shed hunters in the midwest with most of our deer antlers coming from the state of Ohio. Our moose antlers are sourced from local shed hunters in the northeastern part of the United States. Our elk antlers are sourced from local shed hunters in the midwest. With every antler we source, we make sure that the antler has been legally obtained by means of shedding and meets our quality standard.
DO YOU OFFER BULK or WHOLESALE DISCOUNTS?
We offer bulk and wholesale discounts starting with orders of $1,000 or more. Send us an email If you’d like to learn more about our bulk and wholesale opportunities.
HOW BIG ARE FULL SIZE ELK ANTLERS?
Full size elk antlers can measure over 5 feet in height and 5 feet in width when sitting on a bull elk’s head. A full size elk antler typically has main points and each point may be up to 24” in length or greater. Similar to moose antlers, elk antlers can weigh over 20 pounds a piece!
IS IT HARD TO FIND A MATCHED PAIR OF ANTLERS FROM THE SAME DEER?
Yes, depending on your location and how big a deer’s home range is, it can be difficult to find a set of antlers from the same deer. Often times a deer will shed one side of their antlers but the other side may stay attached for several days later. This can make it extremely challenging to find the other antler side as the deer’s location may have changed. Sometimes you get lucky and the deer sheds their antlers at the exact same time so if you find one, you’re likely to find the other.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEER AND ELK ANTLERS?
The main difference between deer and elk antlers are the size and overall shape. Elk antlers are much larger than deer antlers. Elk antlers can span over 5 feet in width unlike deer antlers which span a modest 18 to 24 inches. Elk and deer are similar in that their antlers are largely made up of tines (long points). A full size deer antler tine may reach 12 - 16 inches in length where an elk’s tine can easily reach 24” or greater.
DO YOU OFFER MIXED ANTLER BUNDLES FROM DEER, ELK, and MOOSE?
We currently offer deer, elk, and moose products but do not currently have any standard bundles that include all 3 types. You can always purchase a combination of deer, elk, and moose antlers that make the most sense for your dog. Check back as we are constantly making changes to our product offerings.
HOW MUCH DOES A MOOSE WEIGH?
A full size moose can weigh up to 1,400 pounds and eat anywhere from 40 - 60 pounds of browse a day! Calves or baby moose weigh 25-35 pounds when they are first born in the spring and can weigh up to 400 pounds when fall comes.
HOW MUCH DOES A FULL SIZE MOOSE ANTLER WEIGH?
Moose antlers of a full size, mature bull can weigh 20-25 pounds a piece. Times that by two and you have up to 50 pounds that are sitting on top of a bull moose’ head. That’s a lot of weight! However, younger bull moose have much smaller antlers and therefore weigh less. Young bull moose can have antlers of only a couple of pounds.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR FEMALE MOOSE TO HAVE ANTLERS?
Under normal circumstances, female moose do not grow or shed antlers but it is possible. There are rare occasions where female moose have grown antlers but it is usually due to an abnormality such as producing high amounts of testosterone.
WHEN DO MOOSE SHED THEIR ANTLERS?
Moose shed their antlers throughout the winter months and into early spring. The exact time may vary between region and bull moose but generally you can expect antlers to start falling in the winter to early spring.
DO BUCKS LOSE THEIR ANTLERS EVERY YEAR?
Yes, bucks lose their antlers every year. Elk, deer, and moose all lose their antlers every year. You can visit another one of our blog posts to read more about the antler shedding process.
DO YOU SELL VELVET ANTLERS?
No, we do not sell any antlers that are in velvet. We only sell shed antlers and typically, animals shed their antlers long after the velvet on the antlers have fallen off. Typically in the United States, velvet antlers on animals such as deer, only last during the antler growing stage. Once the antler stops growing, the velvet falls off while the hardened antlers stays attached to the animal. Velvet falls off during the early fall months.
