Dental Health

Natural dental chews for dogs, with a firm texture that makes a dog gnaw, which is where the dental benefit comes from. Single ingredient and rawhide free.

Natural dental chews for dogs from Wag & Whistle

How much work does each one make them do?

Our own figures for this range

A dental chew only works while the dog is actually working at it, so the two things that matter are texture and how long they keep going. Plenty of shops tell you a chew is good for teeth. Almost none tell you either of these.

ChewTextureMedium dog session
Buffalo hornHard, smooth3 to 6 months
Yak barHard, smooth1 to 2 weeks
Calf hoofHard, hollow1 to 2 weeks
Braided collagenFirm, braided1 to 2 weeks
Buffalo wrapFirm, rough1 to 2 weeks
Camel wrapFirm, rough1 to 2 weeks
Braided tendonFibrous, braided1 to 2 days
Beef pizzleDense, firm6 to 12 hours
Jumbo paddywackStringy, fibrous6 to 12 hours
Beef tracheaRidged, hollow6 to 12 hours
Cow earFlat, textured6 to 12 hours

The braided and ridged ones do the most per minute, because there is something for the tooth to catch on. A smooth chew of the same size slides over the surface instead. None of this removes tartar once it has hardened, and none of it replaces brushing. Sessions assume a medium dog and a chew that goes back in the cupboard afterwards.

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Air-dried duck wings for dogs

Duck Wings

Single, 5 Pack, 10 Pack, 25 Pack

from Removed from cart
£1.00
A single large pig ear dog chew on a white background

Large Pigs Ears

Single, 5 Pack, 10 Pack

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£1.75

Questions we get asked

The ones that come up most about this range

Do dental chews actually work?

Partly, and we would rather be straight about it. Chewing scrapes at plaque before it hardens into tartar, and it gets saliva going, which helps. What no chew does is remove tartar once it has set, or replace brushing. Anyone selling you a chew as a substitute for a toothbrush is overselling it.

What dissolves plaque on a dog's teeth naturally?

Nothing dissolves it. Plaque is removed mechanically, by abrasion, which is why texture matters more than any ingredient. A ridged trachea, a braided tendon or a rough buffalo wrap does more work than a smooth chew of the same size, because there is something for the tooth to catch on.

So which of yours are best for teeth?

The ones that combine texture with time. A braided tendon, because the braid works into the gaps. A beef trachea, because it is ridged rather than smooth. A buffalo wrap, because the surface is rough and they have to work at it. Length of session matters as much as the chew itself: two minutes of crunching does very little.

What about the hard ones?

Horns, antlers and yak bars give the longest sessions, so on paper they do the most. But they carry a real, if small, risk of a fractured tooth for a dog who bites down to crush rather than gnaw. Cleaning teeth is not worth breaking one, so if yours is a cruncher, stay with the softer textured chews.

Are natural chews better than dental sticks?

For our money, yes, and mostly because of what is not in them. A typical dental stick is a formed product with starches, humectants and flavourings. Everything here is one ingredient, air-dried. The abrasion is comparable and the ingredients list is a single word.

How often?

Little and often beats occasionally and long. A short chew most days does more for teeth than one big session a week, and it is easier on the waistline. Count them into the day's food as you would any treat.