Antler as a chew/teething tool question.

[strdsk]

So my guy won't touch anything but antler to chew on as far as tooth maintenance goes. I know there is some debate about if this is safe or not, but it's been my only viable option. It's either antler for us, or severe tooth issues. Last year, it took almost the entire 12 months for him to go through a whole antler. This year, he is ripping thought them! So....he's no doubt ingesting some of the debris, there is antler debris/dust in his nest, and he is chewing them from big to very small size. What's the odds the calcium and other chems in antler can adversely affect him...or...can he choke on the chips if there are any? Please advise with any info....thanks!

[SarahL]

Hi,

I'm Sarah. I have been giving Chance my little girl antlers since she was old enough to hold them after her teeth came in. She is now almost 4. They grind their teeth on them. If you get antlers from someone who hunts -from the source, then they are organic. My other half and I both hunt so what I do is I take an antler after we process the whole deer, and we waste NOTHING, and I smash it with a hammer break off the sharp points and give them to her. Even the deer bones are ok. I hope this helps. If you need some I have plenty!!

Take care and stay nutty 🐿️❣️

Sarah and Chance

[strdsk]

Thanks for this info! The antlers we got were from a guy who finds them in the woods. So kind of organic, but there is always risk of chronic wasting disease with deer parts. Thanks also for the very kind offer....I may take you up on that sometime! Best!!

[Rock Monkey]

Out in the wild antlers dropped by males are sought after as a dietary supplement by all sorts of creatures. An antler contains a great many minerals. I boiled mine before presenting it. So, if the antler is being chewed on it is likely not just to wear down teeth. Yes, they do eat the bone dust. The fact that the antler is so sought after suggests that there may be needed minerals missing from their diet.

What are the principal components of his diet?

[strdsk]

Thanks for this info! His diet is Henry's block and veggie based....so I doubt he's lacking. But ya' never know!




Out in the wild antlers dropped by males are sought after as a dietary supplement by all sorts of creatures. An antler contains a great many minerals. I boiled mine before presenting it. So, if the antler is being chewed on it is likely not just to wear down teeth. Yes, they do eat the bone dust. The fact that the antler is so sought after suggests that there may be needed minerals missing from their diet.

What are the principal components of his diet?

[Rock Monkey]

You are probably very familiar with the link below, but it never hurts to review to make sure that the veggies given are all good choices.

https://www.henryspets.com/healthy-diet-for-pet-squirrels/

Also does the squirrel get to spend any caged time outdoors so that they can get direct sunlight to create vitamin D which is needed to process the calcium? Unfortunately window glass blocks the UV-B rays needed to create vitamin D.

[strdsk]

Thanks for sharing...I will certainly double check! No otuside time, but got daily exposure to uva/uvb bulb until recently. A few members here swore by that...so we did it. Then, just recently, members on other noted boards for squirrels said we were crazy to do this to him....so we stopped. LOTS of conflicting data online, so we stop when we feel we may be making wrong choices. So sad local vets won't just help....kind of ridiculous, too.....but I digress...lol...




You are probably very familiar with the link below, but it never hurts to review to make sure that the veggies given are all good choices.

https://www.henryspets.com/healthy-diet-for-pet-squirrels/

Also does the squirrel get to spend any caged time outdoors so that they can get direct sunlight to create vitamin D which is needed to process the calcium? Unfortunately window glass blocks the UV-B rays needed to create vitamin D.

[Rock Monkey]

Well, in my opinion, there is no substitute for the simplest natural form of the thing. To be clear, I am only suggesting that you take him outside if he is in a cage and you are somewhere nearby to keep an eye on him.

Yeah, most vets have little, to no, experience with squirrels and will stick with standard procedures which might actually be harmful.

Have you tried give oak branches?

[strdsk]

Never tried oak branches. Even with something like introducing branches....some swear by it here, others told me no. Very confusing at times...lol...




Well, in my opinion, there is no substitute for the simplest natural form of the thing. To be clear, I am only suggesting that you take him outside if he is in a cage and you are somewhere nearby to keep an eye on him.

Yeah, most vets have little, to no, experience with squirrels and will stick with standard procedures which might actually be harmful.

Have you tried give oak branches?

[Rock Monkey]

You have to carefully choose the species of the tree. There are lists out there. Oak is common in many places and safe for squirrels. Eating buds and chewing on branches is something that squirrels do in the wild.

(I have squirrels that prune my pecan trees. I believe they do so to increasing nut production, that is just a theory but I have seen it so many times, so has a friend, that I speculate that it must have a purpose, but I digress, sort of.)

[Rock Monkey]

I provided the branches as a chew substitute. Whenever she would chew on something inappropriate I would present her a small piece of branch. (She didn't live in a cage.) When left to her own devices for hours I would come back sometimes and discover a pile of chewed up branch pieces and all of the forbidden objects left untouched. (She was much better behaved when I wasn't around.)

In the spring time, with buds on the branches, she eagerly ate the buds. They will also eat some of the bark.

[Rock Monkey]

Their incisors grow 6 inches a year, so they need to chew on something. So part of the function of block is to wear down the teeth, but I am not sure that takes care of all of their teeth maintenance needs.

[strdsk]

Block alone wasn't enough for my guy. But even with the antler....seems only the top teeth get filed. Is this correct? Thanks!





Their incisors grow 6 inches a year, so they need to chew on something. So part of the function of block is to wear down the teeth, but I am not sure that takes care of all of their teeth maintenance needs.