Antlers are gnawed, not eaten — and that is the problem
An antler chew is not really a food. It is a piece of naturally shed deer or elk antler, and dogs work on it by grinding and levering with their back teeth rather than consuming it. Antler is exceptionally hard and completely unforgiving: unlike a stick or a softer chew, it does not yield at all when a dog bites down with full jaw force. Something has to give, and because the antler will not, it is often the tooth that does. The classic injury is a slab fracture of the large upper premolar — the tooth shears along its side, sometimes exposing the pulp — alongside chipped canines and worn-down molars in dogs who gnaw daily and enthusiastically.
The other risks beyond broken teeth
Antlers can also split lengthwise, producing pointed shards that cut gums and the roof of the mouth, and a dog who has worn a piece down to a short stub may try to swallow that stub, which risks choking or a gut blockage. Split antlers, sold cut in half to expose the marrow-like centre, are somewhat easier for a dog to work but splinter more readily than whole ones. Very old, dried-out antlers are more brittle than fresh ones, so an antler that has lived in a toy basket for a year is more likely to shard than it was when new. None of this makes antlers uniquely wicked — plenty of dogs chew them for years without incident — but the failure modes are dental bills and emergencies, not an upset stomach.
If you offer one, how to do it carefully
Choose an antler sized so your dog cannot get the whole thing between his back teeth or into his mouth entirely — for a powerful chewer, bigger than you first think. Supervise every session, the whole session; an antler is never a chew to leave in a crate or hand over while you go out. Limit gnawing to short spells rather than all-evening access, which is when cumulative tooth damage happens. Take the antler away permanently once it is short enough to swallow, cracked, or sharp-edged, and wash your hands after handling it as you would after any animal chew. Puppies with baby teeth, older dogs with known dental wear, and dogs who bite down hard rather than licking and scraping should not have antlers at all; a chew that gives a little is the kinder match for them.
Telling a dental injury when you see one
A dog with a cracked tooth often keeps eating, so look rather than wait for complaints: chewing on one side only, dropping the antler suddenly, pawing at the mouth, bleeding from a gum, or flinching when the side of the face is touched. A pink or dark spot visible in the centre of a broken tooth surface means the pulp is exposed, which is painful and a route for infection — that dog needs a veterinary dentist or your regular vet promptly, even if he seems cheerful. Any swallowed stub followed by retching, drooling, or loss of appetite should be reported the same day, with the approximate size of the missing piece.
Making the supervision rule stick across the household
An antler only stays safe while the supervision rule holds, and rules kept in one person's head lapse when a partner, teenager, or sitter hands out chews on their own judgement. Write the rule where the chews are managed. In KinsLe, Care Teams lets you attach a clear note to your dog's care routine — antlers supervised only, never in the crate, removed when short — so everyone who looks after him follows the same limits you set.