Ostrich Bone and Your Dog’s Teeth: How Chewing Helps (and What It Can’t Replace)
by
Gerhardus Hanekom
on
Sep 30, 2026
At the annual checkup
Brenda took her 11-year-old Cocker Spaniel to the vet. The vet asked if she brushed her dog’s teeth.
“I said no, she just chews on an Ostrich Knuckle.”
★★★★★ Brenda T., Ostrich Knuckle
She isn’t the only one. Here’s what a good chew does for your dog’s teeth, which bone fits which dog,
and where a chew stops and your vet takes over.
How it works
What chewing does
1
Tartar starts at the backIt shows up on the back teeth, where dogs do their grinding.
2
A firm chew works right thereEvery time your dog bears down, the bone scrapes along the teeth, and saliva rinses as they go.
3
It has to lastA dental biscuit is gone in two bites. Twenty minutes of gnawing is twenty minutes of scraping.
Coatings work against you too. A chew glazed in sugar or flavoring leaves residue on the same teeth you’re trying to clean.
The bone
Why ostrich bone works for it
The inside is a honeycombOstrich bone sits between hollow chicken bone and solid beef bone. The dense honeycomb gives teeth something to grip and scrape against, and it wears down gradually as your dog works at it.
Nothing on the surfaceEvery Savannah chew is 100% ostrich. No glaze, sugar, starch, grain, or preservatives.
Air-dried, never cooked or smokedSlow drying at low temperatures keeps the bone’s natural structure.
Dogs keep going back to itThat’s what makes it work. A chew your dog ignores cleans nothing.
From our reviews
What owners have noticed
★★★★★
“The mild-moderate tartar on her back teeth is literally GONE since she’s had access to these bones!”
Kris P.Large Ostrich Knuckle
★★★★★
“This is the first bone that has thoroughly cleaned her back teeth! I have been brushing her teeth in vain for quite a while. Who knew all I needed to do was buy an ostrich hip bone?”
Hans M.Ostrich Hip Bone
★★★★★
“My two super chewers love these! They clean their teeth without wearing them down!”
Yvonne S.Ostrich Hip Bone
A few of our reviewers are vets themselves. They’re wary of bones for the reason every vet is: hard chews can crack teeth.
They still give these to their own dogs.
Sizing
Pick the right bone
The right size matters more than anything else on this page. A bone that’s too small can be swallowed,
and a power chewer will finish a light bone in an hour.
Ostrich Knuckle
Small to medium dogs4" × 3"
Compact and knobby. Brenda’s 11-year-old Cocker Spaniel chews this one.
A good chew supports your dog’s teeth between vet visits. It doesn’t replace checkups, professional cleanings,
or brushing if your dog lets you.
Start with 15 to 20 minutesFor the first few sessions, so their stomach can adjust.
Stay in the roomKeep an eye on them while they chew.
Take it awayOnce it’s small enough to swallow, or if big chunks start breaking off.
Use a mat or towelIt sheds small flakes as it wears down.
See your vet if you notice:
Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
Loose or broken teeth
Bad breath that doesn’t go away
Chewing on one side or dropping food
Where it comes from
Why ostrich
Most dogs have never eaten ostrich, which makes it a good option for dogs who react to chicken or beef.
It’s a lean red meat, not poultry.
Our ostriches are free-range and alfalfa-fed on our family farms in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, with no hormones
or antibiotics. Every chew is processed in a USDA- and EU-inspected facility and ships from South Dakota.
Try one
If your dog doesn’t love it, our 180-Day “Tail Wag” Guarantee covers you.
New to Savannah? Code NEWTREATS15 = 15% off your first order
Always supervise your dog while chewing and choose a chew suited to their size, age, dental condition,
and chewing style. This article is for general education and is not a substitute for veterinary care.
At Savannah Pet Food, we stand behind the quality of our products with unwavering confidence. We understand the trust you place in us to provide the best nutrition for your furry companions, and we are committed to ensuring your satisfaction.
Magic immediately took his new bone and ran to his bed to dig in! As you can see, he obviously loves it. You can tell that it’s fresh. Plus, compared to so many other options on the market, there’s plenty of nutritional benefits. The odor wasn’t extremely strong or offensive, either. And lastly, a benefit for me: the Ostrich shaft bone was very affordable.
This runner is a new treat for Reggie. He loves the tendons and jerky but now has another winner. Looks like it’ll take him a while to chew through which is great for time left alone!
My girl Rosie is a massive fan of these treats! I buy the bundle pack, because they don't last long with her. These high value treats are great for training! She very sensitive to a lot of different proteins, so the ostrich treats don't upset her stomach or skin. The ingredients give me peace of mind knowing that they are healthy for her and clean. I'm on my 3rd bundle which I will be doing subscription for now on, since these are #1 must have in our household. Two paws up!
4 month old, 10 lb Tasha loves this Ostrich Runner so much. In between chewing it she plays with it, buries it in her blanket and it keeps her busy for a long time so I can get a puppy break. It keeps her quiet should I need to study or talk on the phone. We’re both very happy.
I have 4 dogs I watch during the day. Two are mine. One is our roommates dog and one is my sons dog. This is the roommates dog. My biggest bone chewer. Owl. He loves all the bones. He’s been chewing them for well over a week now.
This is a great product, somewhere between a bone and a chew. Both my large dogs took their time chewing these and now their teeth sparkle. I can see where chunks of tartar have been scraped off their back teeth and I think the next chew session should take care of it! My 55 pound sighthound ate his in about an hour. The Ridgeback took about 25 minutes.
I send home a bag of these with every one of my puppies that goes to their new home and I get nothing but compliments! They love the long bones they go home with too! This house stays stocked with Savannah products!
We received our very first order yesterday Oct 2nd. From the moment we opened the box our bloodhound went crazy! We gave him the long bone and he gnawed on that non stop for over 2 hrs. He carried it around in between chew sessions! He loved it so much he went to sleep with it!! Def a great choice and we will def continue buying from you guys!!
my one year old puppy maggie loves the cane bone. She's a very aggressive chewer, so the tendon bone did not last long, but this cane bone is a winner.
I ordered the 19” ostrich leg bone for our blue heeler. He destroys toys in minutes sometimes, and we have to be careful about rawhide because it can cause blockages. But this bone is perfect! He immediately carried it off to chew on, and spent an hour happily gnawing on it. I took it away after a while, and this morning he was giving me his herding stare until I realized he wanted his bone. He’s chewing on it right now. It didn’t stain the carpet like dyed bones do. It doesn’t shatter or break. And evidently it tastes delicious (I didn’t taste it). I’m very pleased with my purchase and plan to get a couple of smaller ones for Christmas presents for the smaller dogs in our family.
Thank you customer service for recommending the long flat tendons! My boy was so excited, he carried the package all the way home and tried to open it immediately!
That’s definitely a subscription worthy chew!
My GS really got excited when he saw the bone, kept him occupied for a couple hours. He got to the end of the bone and a piece cracked off the bone, we discarded it. Still enjoys chewing on it !
Daisy has had lots of different chews. This is the first one she has not wanted to give up at bedtime. Notice the side eye look she was giving me, not trusting me to not take it.
My dog has been gnawing on this for a little over a week and loves it. I've not seen any pieces come off that I think would pose a danger to her. I let her have it for about 30 minutes at a time. Great product!
My dogs love thes bones. Of all the bones, antlers, and other chew my dogs have ever been given, these are by far their favorite. They are strong enough to withstand powerful jaws while also breaking down within a reasonable time so thatwe aren't eventually left with half of an old bone that no one wants. It takes them 4-6 weeks, but they finish them off and love every minute of it.
6 month old ultra bernadoodle that has proven to chew through every bone classified as being for tough chewers. Been going for days on the ostrich knuckle. I literally have to take it away from him to give him chewing breaks. Will buy these on repeat 🙌🏻
We order the large and medium ostrich bones. Upon arrival our Luigi a 7 year old Airedale devoured the bone. In less than 2 hours the knee was gone and all that was left was the shaft of the shin. This is a reorder. Clearly Luigi love the Savannah ostrich bones.
Wrigley is very thankful and happy that I found your store. He absolutely LOVES his ostrich bone and it definitely keeps him occupied. I will definitely be purchasing more in the future and looking into your other products as well!!
The long ostrich tendon was new for my pup, and she loved it! She’s a pretty strong chewer and the tendon lasted about 15 minutes, which is great! We’ll be purchasing more of these.
This is Jax. He’s a rescue now living his best life.
He loves to chew but destroys quickly any toy or bone….until I found this ostrich bone. He absolutely LOVES it. He’d chew for hours if I let him. I sometimes have to pick up to get him to take a break. LOL
Will definitely be buying again…and again.
Thanks for a great product!
