I’ve bought my dogs Anco root chews for around seven years. Our first staffy, Lyla, loved hers, and her original chew sits ornately on the bookshelf next to her ashes.
Phoebe took interest in the chew and would steal it off the shelf, clearly intrigued by it – so we got the Scamps one each about two years ago. They’ve since dwindled down to much smaller chunks, so earlier this month, I treated them to new ones. There wasn’t a great deal of them left inside our local Jollyes, so I got a medium and a large, which were both between £11 and £14. Ideally, I’d have liked two large ones.
The Anco Roots are made from 100% untreated, natural tree root, which acts as a natural chew and toothbrush to promote good dental health. They’re sustainably harvested, meaning only the ‘tuber’ is harvested, which then sprouts again. Anco only harvest a limited, responsible number per year keeping the ecological impact to a minimum.
Suitable for dogs and puppies, you can pick from sizes XS to XL, and they’re incredibly durable – like I mentioned, Phoebe and Frank had theirs for a couple of years!
Rosie Bescoby, a clinical animal behaviourist commenting on behalf of PetPlan said: ‘Chewing and gnawing are natural behaviours for dogs, and provide stimulation and enrichment. An Anco Root will gently exercise your dog’s jaws, as well as his joints as he holds and manipulates the root. It’s also safe for your pet’s teeth, and acts as a natural toothbrush rich in vitamins and minerals.’
When Frank was a puppy, he was quite the chewer and took a liking to the corner of the sofa. When he was at this challenging stage of puppyhood, we would deter him from chewing the furniture and redirect him to an Anco Root.
Now, on the first day of chewing, the root will shed a bit – mostly just crumbly bits from the outer part of the root. Some larger bits also came off Frank’s as he’s got a stronger jaw, but I just picked these up and put them in the bin. They cause a small mess for a couple of days, but after that, there’s minimal fallout as the wood is denser in the middle. The Anco Root doesn’t splinter like regular wood or sticks, making it much safer. That said, please be reminded that dogs should always be supervised with treats and chews.
Whilst on the pricier end of natural chews, they do last and the dogs are really interested in them, you might say they’re barking mad for them – get it, bark? Dog? Tree? Anyway, for their longevity, I don’t mind paying the extra pennies – but I’d like to get them some of the even bigger ones so they last even longer.
