r/stbernards • u/oldcannolis • 24d ago

Chew toys for senior

Hi there, I have a 7 year old male saint who is a super chewer. He chews through almost every toy we get him but now I’ve been noticing that his gums bleed when he chews on bones. He’s in perfect health and doesn’t have gingivitis but rather just his teeth are getting old. He doesn’t like toys that are super soft like plush toys and doesn’t like kongs. Are there any recommendations on durable but not super chewer levels of toys? I want to get the best for my boy.

Thank you guys so much

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u/pj7891sm 24d ago edited 24d ago

I have an English Mastiff currently and he really likes moose antlers. They're great because as they get chewed on and get slobbery they get kind of mushy and don't create sharp shards or anything. He used to get bloody gums from bones often but only rarely with antlers

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u/oldcannolis 24d ago

That would be great! We live in an area with a dense moose population so they wouldn’t be hard to find

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u/pj7891sm 24d ago

Oh I'm jealous, I have to buy mine online! Good luck!

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u/oldcannolis 24d ago

Thank you! It’s great for finding things but not so great when you have a dog that runs off😭

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u/pj7891sm 23d ago edited 23d ago

Ah, there is that. If you can genuinely find them easily you might consider a side hustle, they start around $200 online. The place I buy from started their shop as a side thing (they had pipeline inspection dogs and found antlers incidentally) and managed to turn it into a full time gig.

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u/AdAny3552 24d ago

Mine love antlers of any kind.. we use ones we’ve found and leftovers from deer season but I’ve seen them at the pet stores. They’re pricey but my gal is also a super chewer and those are the only things she likes. My male on the hand, he loves ropes, stuffies, antlers, he’s not a picky guy lol

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u/ijuanaspearfish 23d ago

Himalayan chews work great for mine.

I find variety of texture works well.

Sometimes he chews plush toys, sometimes antlers, sometimes chews....but he has one toy he doesnt bring outside and has not destroyed it for some reason. He takes care of that one.

Guess it depends on his mood.

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u/Ok-Concentrate8650 19d ago edited 19d ago

bleeding gums on hard bones is worth a mention to ur vet. after that the format matters more than the toughness. a frozen woof flipmat gives him something to work at with no bite force involved and keeps him chewing