Are you looking for a new snack to get your dog excited about? Do you want your furry friend to have treats that are nutritious and, at the same time, kill boredom? You’ve come just to the right place.
We all know that dogs love to eat bones! And deer legs are undoubtedly a treat you can go for instead of the dull, conventional chicken legs.
If you’re wondering if your dogs can eat deer legs, and if deer legs are nutritious enough to be worth it, we’ve got you covered.
Can All Dogs Eat Deer Legs?
Like any other organism, each dog is different from the other; this means that while some dogs like to devour and eat treats slowly, some dogs eat their treats within the blink of an eye.
Deer legs are not recommended for dogs gobble up their treats.
The reason behind this is the risk of choking. This is why deer legs are also not suitable for puppies and small dogs because of the risk of consuming large amounts.
What Nutrition Do Deer Legs Offer To Dogs?
You must be wondering that, like any other bones, dogs will derive nutrition from deer bones, but in this case, you’ll find yourself to be wrong.
Dried deer legs are packed with iron, calcium, protein, fat and manganese. Dogs who enjoy deer legs occasionally tend to digest more protein, calcium and calcium phosphate than if they eat their go-to kibbles.
In addition to these nutrients, deer legs also have collagen. Collagen is excellent for dogs as it boosts coat health and makes the bones and joints stronger.
NOTE: Ensure that your dog does not “eat” the entire bone, just the cartilage. Dogs cannot digest bones.
6 Health Benefits Of Deer Legs For Dogs
Yes, you heard the headline correctly. The benefits of deer legs don’t stop with nutrition!
Deer legs are long bone types. In other words, they have a hard, smooth surface which on the outside as well as the exterior is surrounded with meat and marrow, which offers your furry buddy a tremendous amount of benefits that are listed below:
1. Dental Aid
Deer legs are a natural dental aid for your dog. The long-lasting texture of deer legs makes them different from the conventional types of bones.
They aid by removing plaque and tartar build-up from your dog’s dental cavity.
The even consistency of deer legs helps strengthen your dog’s dental health.
2. Long-Lasting
Deer legs offer a firm and tasty texture, which implies long-lasting deer legs. This means that your lil’ bud can spend hours, days or even weeks chewing this treat!
Deer legs are ideal for dogs with strong jaws and serve as a tremendous challenge to keep your dog entertained.
3. Combats Boredom
It is known to all that chewing and gnawing is what comes to a dog naturally. Deer legs is an excellent tool for your dog to combat its boredom and relieve your dog’s stress and anxiety as your little buddy can spend hours and hours chewing on a deer leg.
4. Hypoallergenic
Deer is a protein source that can single-handedly replace all the widely available protein available for your dogs.
Suppose your dog experiences protein allergies and sensitivities after consuming chicken or beef. In that case, we advise you to use deer legs as it is hypoallergenic and significantly less like to cause an allergic reaction in your dog.
5. Low in Cholesterol
Unlike commercial pet foods, deer legs do not have a high-fat content, which means that deer legs do not cause a weight gain in dogs.
Weight gain is one of the reasons for high cholesterol in dogs.
Low in fat and cholesterol, deer legs serve as the perfect treat for medium to large dogs on low-fat diets.
6. 100% Natural
Deer legs are an utterly natural teat for your dog as it has no added flavors, artificial ingredients or preservatives.
Not only this, deer legs are gluten and grain-free, thus making it a treat that includes dogs with sensitivities and intolerance to these food groups.
NOTE: Ensure that your dog does not chew on deer legs for more than 30 minutes at one sitting.
What Are The Risks of Giving Deer Legs to Your Dog?
The primary risk that a dog is exposed to while ingesting deer legs is a choking and intestinal blockage. Choking can occur when your dog breaks a big chunk or when the bones splinter. And intestinal blockages arise when your dog gulps in a large quantities.
As a dog parent, it is crucial to keep a watch on your and regulate the sessions.
It is imperative to note that deer legs should not be given to dogs if they tend to gobble their treats.
Furthermore, deer legs shouldn’t be given to your dog if your dog tends to gulp treats.
Deer legs are advisable only to the dogs that gnaw gently and bite small parts.
FAQs
Can deer legs be stored?
Yes. Deer legs can be stored. Freezing deer legs might even eliminate the potential bacteria found in deer legs.
Can dogs be given deer legs found in the open forest?
No. Deer legs found in an open forest might have a ton of bacteria on them, simply because we do not know how long the deer leg has been exposed to the environment.
Conclusion
Deer legs stand undefeated as the perfect snack for nutrition and curbing boredom, in our opinion. Not only do deer legs have nutritional benefits they are also long-lasting, which makes them a recurring treat that your little canine can’t get enough of.
However, as a responsible dog parent, while picking up treats, you must always bear in mind whether or not the treat size is appropriate and whether the treat matches your four-legged friend‘s chewing habits.
If so, your dog likes to gnaw slowly and bites the small parts; deer legs are the ultimate protein chew!
We hope the article cleared all your doubts and catered to your needs. Feel free to discuss, chat and drop suggestions using the comment section below.
Dr. Aram Baker has been with Santa Clarita Animal Hospital since 1995 and his special interests include behaviour medicine and dermatology. He graduated from the Cleveland Humanities Magnet Program in Reseda, CA and attended California State University at Northridge where he received a Bachelor’s degree in biology. He went on to pursue his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at the University of California at Davis. He also spent time in the zoological medicine department at U.C. Davis during his Junior and Senior years. He is dedicated to caring for all pets big or small, young or old with compassion, patience, kindness, and love.