These chews are hard in texture (that’s what makes them last) but it does also mean that they need to be introduced carefully. Young dogs with good teeth should be fine, but they can be too hard for older dogs (whose teeth may be less strong), unless they are very used to chewing things. Check with your vet if you are unsure. 

The split antlers are a great starter chew as the slightly softer middle is easily accessible. Yakers are sometimes a little easier than the very hard antlers too. Buffalo horns are brilliant for using as natural Kongs and stuffing with wet food which introduces the actual chewing part a bit more slowly as it is broken up with licking!​

A note on Yakers, Tendons, Tails, Ears, Spaghetti and Skin – whilst we have included these particular chews in the long-lasting chew section, and for most dogs they are, we do get the occasional dog who manages to chew them up quite quickly so we suggest you just supervise the first one! To help, you can filter on ‘extra durable’ or ‘fairly durable’.

Chewing still matters when dogs are on a diet to lose weight! But you do need to choose more carefully. Buffalo horns, antlers, coffee wood, root chews and olive wood are the least calorific. Deer or buffalo skin is a close second, but you might need to make a slight adjustment to your dog’s daily food allocation (less than for most other chews though).