Is your dog's chew toy too hard?
If you can't dent a chew toy with your fingernail, it's hard enough to crack your dog's tooth. That rules out antlers, hooves, nylon bones and cooked bones for dogs that chew hard. Choose tough rubber toys instead, which bend under a bite.
Key Takeaways
- Press your fingernail into a chew. If it doesn't leave a dent, it can break a tooth.
- For strong chewers, choose rubber toys like Kong, which give a little under the bite.
- Chewing on one side, dropping food or avoiding cold water can be signs of a broken tooth.
Why the toughest toy isn't the safest
A chew toy that survives for months looks like good value. But the force of all that chewing has to go somewhere. If the toy doesn't give, the tooth takes it.
Most dogs never bite hard enough to break a tooth. Some do, and you can't tell which kind of dog you have from its size or breed. A vet study found that the big chewing tooth at the back of a dog's jaw can break under a force an ordinary dog can produce. The details are in the research section below.
The fingernail test
Press your thumbnail into the chew. If it leaves a mark, the chew gives way before the tooth does. If it doesn't, the tooth is the softer of the two.
Cornell University's vet school gives this exact test, and advises avoiding antlers, hooves and bones, and not giving dogs ice. In a Hyderabad summer, ice cubes for a panting dog are a common one. Cooked chicken and mutton bones from the kitchen carry the same risk.
Hard chews we sell, honestly
Some things on our own shelf fail this test.
- Nylabone power chew, Rs 600. Solid nylon that won't dent. Fine for a gentle chewer who mouths and gnaws. The wrong choice for a dog that bites down hard.
- Dogsee yak milk bars, Rs 1,536 for five packs. These are sold on being extra hard. If you buy them, soak the bar in warm water for a few minutes first, take it away once it's a small stub, and skip them for a dog that has already chipped a tooth.
- Wooden chews, and anything that rings when you tap it on a table, belong in the same group.
What to give a strong chewer instead
Rubber. It bends under the bite, so the force doesn't all go into the tooth.
The Kong Extreme at Rs 1,254 is made for dogs that destroy toys. The red Kong Classic suits everyday chewers.
Both are hollow, which is the real trick. Fill one with curd, peanut butter or your dog's own food, freeze it, and a quick chew becomes a long, satisfying job. That matters in a Gachibowli flat, where the heat keeps dogs indoors for much of the day and the chew toy is their main outlet.
"Dental" on a hard toy doesn't mean much
An independent council tests whether dental products really reduce plaque and tartar. Everything on its approved list for dogs is an edible chew, a food, a water additive or a brush. There are no hard chew toys on it at all.
One chew we sell comes from a product line on that list: Virbac Veggiedent, Rs 613 for medium dogs. It doesn't replace brushing, but it's a far better choice than a hard toy with "dental" on the pack.
Signs of a broken tooth
Dogs rarely show pain. Look for small changes instead: chewing on one side, dropping food, avoiding cold water or treats, or slight swelling under one eye.
Lift your dog's lip and look at the big tooth behind the long canine on the top jaw, on both sides. A pink or dark dot in the middle of a broken surface means the nerve is exposed. That won't heal on its own and needs a vet.
Our clinic is next to the store in Gachibowli, and checking takes about a minute. Bring the chew with you and we'll tell you whether it's safe to keep buying.
The research behind this
A team at the University of Pennsylvania took the upper fourth premolar, the large shearing tooth at the back of the upper jaw, from dog cadavers and loaded each one at a chewing angle until it broke. The average breaking force was 1,281 newtons. The authors concluded the teeth broke at "forces within the maximum chewing capability of the average domestic dog". A separate 1995 study of pet dogs (Lindner and colleagues) measured bite forces from 13 to 1,394 newtons, with an average of 256, so most dogs are well below that level and a few are not.
| How the tooth broke | Teeth, of 24 |
|---|---|
| Crown, nerve exposed | 12 |
| Crown, nerve intact | 6 |
| Crown and root, nerve exposed | 5 |
| Crown and root, nerve intact | 1 |
Population: 24 maxillary fourth premolar teeth from dog cadavers, loaded to failure in vitro, University of Pennsylvania, published 2019. Source: Soltero-Rivera et al., Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2019.
Seventeen of the twenty-four teeth broke through into the nerve, which is the difference between a chip that can be left alone and a tooth that needs treatment under anaesthetic.
Cornell's Riney Canine Health Center gives the thumbnail rule in these words: "you should be able to make a dent in the item with your fingernail", and advises: "Avoid antlers, hooves and bones, which may break a tooth." The same page lists the signs of a fractured tooth, including a dog that may "react to hot and cold, even avoiding drinking fresh, cool water".
The Veterinary Oral Health Council's accepted-products list for dogs contains no rigid chew toys: every entry is an edible chew, a diet, a water additive or a brush. In a large owner survey cited in a 2022 Frontiers in Veterinary Science paper, only 4% of owners brushed their dog's teeth daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are antlers safe for dogs to chew?
They're risky for dogs that chew hard. Antlers are too hard to dent with a fingernail, and Cornell's vet school advises avoiding them because they can break teeth.
What chew toys are safe for aggressive chewers?
Tough rubber toys such as the Kong Extreme. They bend under the bite instead of passing all the force into the tooth.
How do I know if my dog has a broken tooth?
Watch for chewing on one side, dropping food, or avoiding cold water and treats. A pink or dark dot on a broken tooth means it needs a vet.
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
कुत्ते के लिए कौन सा चबाने वाला खिलौना सुरक्षित है?
अपने नाखून से खिलौने को दबाकर देखें। अगर उस पर निशान नहीं पड़ता, तो वह दाँत तोड़ सकता है। ज़ोर से चबाने वाले कुत्तों के लिए मज़बूत रबर के खिलौने, जैसे Kong, बेहतर हैं।
क्या कुत्ते को हड्डी चबाने देना ठीक है?
नहीं। पकी हुई मुर्गी या मटन की हड्डियाँ, सींग और खुर बहुत सख़्त होते हैं और दाँत तोड़ सकते हैं। गर्मी में बर्फ़ के टुकड़े देना भी इसी वजह से ठीक नहीं है।
कैसे पता करें कि कुत्ते का दाँत टूटा है?
देखें कि कुत्ता एक ही तरफ़ से चबा रहा है, खाना गिरा रहा है या ठंडा पानी पीने से बच रहा है। टूटे दाँत पर गुलाबी या काला बिंदु दिखे तो vet को दिखाएँ।
Sources
- Soltero-Rivera et al., Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2019 — University of Pennsylvania
- New studies exploring carnassial tooth fractures in dogs — Veterinary Practice News, reporting Lindner et al., Journal of Veterinary Dentistry, 1995 (bite force)
- Risks from a fractured tooth — Cornell Riney Canine Health Center
- VOHC Accepted Products — Veterinary Oral Health Council
- Dogsee Chew Yak Milk Bars, product page — Cuddle Paws Co
- Dog Owners' Ideas and Strategies Regarding Dental Health in Their Dogs, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2022 — survey of dog owners, including how often teeth are brushed
Prices are current as of September 2026 and do change. The figure on each product page is the live one.