Is an elk chew safe for my dog's teeth and to prevent choking?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I don't know about the various chews that you are describing but I will tell you what veterinary dentists tell their clients. Never give a dog or puppy anything to chew that is extremely hard and doesn't soften when they chew it. Deer antlers are too hard and they don't soften up. So you want to look for things that are hard at first but soften with chewing such as rawhides and other chew treats. Extremely hard chews can damage and cause fractures of the teeth and roots. Good luck

I'm not a fan of these types of chews. They can be swallowed whole and could cause internal injuries or obstructions. Dried marrow would regain its "texture" once moistened with your dog's saliva. If you do decide to get these, make sure they are of appropriate size and monitor Echo when he is chewing one. Replace it if/when it becomes small enough to fit entirely in his mouth.

I personally do not recommend allowing dogs to eat bones or antlers. It can cause perforation of the GI tract and/or obstruction, both of which will require surgery to fix. There are teething toys you can get from a pet store that helps with a puppy's teething, and I would recommend using ones that you can freeze in the freezer before giving it to her. The cold will help with her teething and make her gums feel better, and there's not risk of GI perforation and obstruction. I hope this helps!

Hello, and thank you for your question. These dried yak's milk treats are typically very hard, and can definitely damage her teeth over time. What happens is the chewing causes tiny microfractures in the teeth which can eventually result in a big slab fracture of the chewing teeth, requiring emergency dental surgery. I'd also be worried about the sharp shards, as I am not aware of any studies demonstrating the fragments dissolve in the stomach before passing through into the intestines. When you are looking for a chewing treat, try the "fingernail test" - if you can't make an indent in the treat with your fingernail, then it is too hard for your dog's teeth. I'd also suggest checking this website for veterinary-approved, safe dental treats for your dog: www.vohc.org. I hope this helps, and that Emmy stays happy and healthy!

I myself, am not a fan. I do see these often cause teeth to break in dogs/puppies. I would advise not to give this to your pet. It is better to get easily digestible dog dental chews (once he is a bit bigger >10 months old) or you can get kong toys that are a bit safer for him to chew on. Best wishes with your puppy Bailey going forward. Take care!

I never recommend antlers because they do break teeth, and rawhides pose a chocking and intestinal blockage risk. Bully sticks are fine as long as you watch your dog when he eats it, and the Nylabone Petsafe Wood Chew is fine too. I hope this helps!

Hi Diana, I have not yet tried the Nylabone Healthy Edibles with my dogs, but I just looked at the ingredients and think they might be a nice treat for Joey. Certainly, I always recommend monitoring a dog with any edible chew because they will sometimes bite off too large of a chunk, but I suspect that will be less of a problem with the Healthy Edibles than some of the other chew options on the market. If Joey has a problem with allergies, my favorite chews are Honest Kitchen Beams (https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/beams?gclid=Cj0KEQjwmK3OBRDKjN-L55---_UBEiQAOL6t1ONBCfGAKhdZ3BxXNOpy4Q4FLZFPR0lX79hOaIj9CO0aApIM8P8HAQ) and Sam's Yams (sweet potato treats). I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using PetCoach.