The Canine Ledger

Safe Chews: Bones, Antlers, Nylon and Rawhide

Chewing is good for dogs, but hard chews can break teeth and bone treats have killed dogs. What the fracture study and FDA reports show, and the thumbnail test.

Written by thecanineledger

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If your dog is choking, retching again and again, or vomiting or off food after swallowing part of a chew or bone, contact a vet now. → Emergency Signs in Dogs: When to Go Now, Not Tomorrow

“Approximately fifteen dogs reportedly died after eating a bone treat.” That’s the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), counting reports it received between November 2010 and September 2017 about processed bones sold as dog treats (FDA, No Bones (or Bone Treats) About It, archived copy).

While chewing itself seems to be good for dogs, the evidence on which chews are safe is thin, and some of it is paid for by the industry. This page sets out what we found: one lab study on how much force breaks a tooth, a set of FDA reports, and a rule of thumb vets have used for years.

1. Chewing matters

Dogs chew for food, comfort and play. A 2025 review from the University of Sydney argues that chewing may help with “dental and oral hygiene, digestive health, bone strength, psychological health, and stress management” (Quinn et al., 2025).

The same review is honest about how little is known. It says chewing’s “relevance to a dog’s comfort, health, and purpose remains unclear.” It’s a narrative review, not a trial, and its authors declare no commercial conflicts.

So the question isn’t whether to give a dog something to chew. It’s what.

2. How hard is too hard

Broken teeth are common. A 2018 study puts the reported share of dogs with a fractured tooth at “20–27%, although the literature quantifying this number is limited” (Soltero-Rivera et al., 2018). Owners often miss them: the authors cite a finding that “half of owners of dogs with fractured teeth do not notice tooth fractures.”

One lab study measured the breaking point. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania pressed on 24 large cheek teeth taken from dogs after death. On average the teeth broke at 1,281 newtons, a force the authors say was “within the maximum chewing capability of the average dog.” They conclude that “a similarly rigid chew material that fails to yield below 1,281 N would be considered to be a risk of fracturing a maxillary fourth premolar tooth.”

Weigh it carefully. The study used teeth outside a living mouth, and the authors list the ways that could change the results. They also declare that the research “was conducted with funding from Mars Care and Treats Petcare Europe”, part of a company that makes dog chews, and one author works there.

Our note: The only fracture-force study we found is small, done on teeth from dead dogs, and industry-funded.

3. The thumbnail test

With no lab at home, owners need a simple check. Writing in the UK trade paper Vet Times in 2019, Lisa Milella set out the long-standing advice: “a dog should not chew on anything hard that cannot bend or break when in contact with teeth, or anything that cannot be indented with your thumbnail” (Milella, Vet Times, 2019).

She’s frank that this is opinion: “While expert opinion is valuable, it is the lowest form of evidence”. She also notes that, at the time, “no limits existed for the textural properties or hardness of chews, food and toys”. Vet Times is trade press, not a peer-reviewed journal.

Our note: Milella wrote in 2019 that no hardness limits existed. We haven’t found a newer standard.

4. Chew by chew

ChewWhat we found
Cooked or kitchen bonesThe FDA warns that chicken bones and other bones from the table “can cause injury when chewed by pets”.
Bone treats (processed, packaged bones)About 90 dogs in the FDA’s reports, about 15 deaths. Problems included blockages, choking, mouth wounds, vomiting, diarrhoea and rectal bleeding.
AntlersMilella’s article shows a tooth fracture “as a result of chewing on an antler”. She reports vets raising concern about “fractured teeth seen following dogs chewing on antlers or nylon bones”.
Nylon bonesThe same concern, from the same letter. We found no study.
RawhideWe found no study on rawhide and teeth or blockages that we could read.

The Sydney review adds a second risk beyond teeth. Citing earlier work, it says “the hardness, smoothness, and low dissolvability of the chewed item were risk factors for it becoming lodged in the gastrointestinal tract”.

Reports like the FDA’s only count what US owners and vets chose to send in. They don’t show how often a chew causes harm.

Our note: We found no source on rawhide, so that row is an honest gap.

5. Signs of a broken tooth

Milella describes what to look for. A recently broken tooth with the nerve exposed “will have a pink or red spot”. If the nerve has started to die, it turns black. Her verdict: “any tooth with pulp exposure needs treatment.”

She adds that a dog that seems to be coping, with no obvious pain, still needs treatment. If you see a chipped tooth or a coloured spot, book a vet visit. → Dental Disease in Dogs: What Brushing Can and Can’t Do

Our note: This advice is ours. A visible broken tooth also needs a vet visit.

6. What to do

  • Do the thumbnail test. If you can’t dent it, think twice.
  • Watch your dog chew, especially with something new. The FDA advises “supervising your dog with any chew toy or treat, especially one she hasn’t had before”.
  • Keep table bones and the bin out of reach.
  • Ask your vet which chews suit your dog’s size, age and teeth.

7. What we could not verify

Commonly saidWhat we found
“Antlers are natural, so they’re safe”No evidence they’re safe. A dentist reports fractures from antlers.
“Chews clean teeth, so harder is better”No. Harder chews raise the risk of fracture, and the only force study is industry-funded.
“Rawhide is dangerous” / “Rawhide is fine”We found no study either way that we could read.
“There’s a safety standard for chew hardness”None existed in 2019, Milella wrote. We found nothing newer.

Sources

Always confirm with your vet before acting on anything on this page.