Why bully sticks

2887 Views 15 Replies 12 Participants Last post by GrdnDelite, Nov 28, 2011

Ripley!

Discussion Starter · Nov 27, 2011

I know the recommendations of no cooked/baked/smoked bones, no rawhide, no weight barring bones (which are shoulder bones weight barring?). But why are bully sticks ok? The ones I've given my chihuahuas have been quite stringy after they have chewed on them for awhile. And would seem to cause choking with an aggressive chewer. Ripley has never had one but I recently got one for her. What about rib bones? And are cows the only species to get bones from or are lamb and pig ok? Maybe it's based on the dogs size/breed?

1 - 16 of 16 Posts

blueberry

· #2 · Nov 27, 2011

I was told by the rescue group when I picked Huck up that he loves them. I went and bought a larger one....he ate it with in 5 minutes! That was the last one he got.....I was afraid he would choke on another one or get an obstruction.

Reactions: 1

vivienne00

· #3 · Nov 27, 2011

The bully sticks I get are the 12" jumbo odor free or low odor. They don't appear to be stringy - maybe dobes chew off smaller chunks. The smaller ones are like candy so I get the largest diameter possible.

Weight bearing bones are back leg and front leg bones. The ribs are fine and so is the neck and actually the head. I feed the knuckles attached to the weight-bearing bones but supervise and remove the bones once the knuckle parts is gone.

I give bones from chicken, turkey, emu, lamb, beef, pork, veal, rabbit, fish - I feed raw and they get the bones as part of their meal, never as something to chew on for recreation. The bully stick is the recreation chew. They rarely get one though - maybe once a month or maybe more often but certainly not daily. They are not cheap.

Reactions: 2

Toby'shuman

· #4 · Nov 27, 2011

My vet sells bones that have been steamed, apparently it makes them soft and therefore less likely to cause obstructions. I don't know if that is true or not as I don't buy them for my Dobe as he just gobbles down any kind of bone, hide stick etc, etc and I fear he will get an impaction because he doesnt chew them enough.
He does like pigs ears mind, they are smoked here and are his favourite, although he sometimes has to be reminded to chew them not gobble them down in one go.

Reactions: 1

ssgharkness020147

· #5 · Nov 27, 2011

I've found there are varying degrees of quality with bully sticks. My dog can dominate of the 8-10 dollar bully stick. If I get him the 20.00 variety he cannot break it in to chunks, takes him 3-4 hours to eat. Lately what I really like are dear antlers.

Reactions: 2

Ripley!

Discussion Starter · #6 · Nov 27, 2011

This is what I found on Best Bully Sticks:
Bully Sticks can also be smoked, in a traditional smoker, to remove moisture and if done with wood, a smoked aroma can be imparted on the product. Our sticks are cleaned and sorted in a refrigerated facility to ensure safety. The bully sticks are then hung vertically from racks and cooked in an oven to ensure that they are bacteria free and safe for dog’s consumption.
So I'm wondering why so many are fans of bullies if they are also cooked in some way like a bone.

KoaRad

· #7 · Nov 27, 2011

vivienne00 said:
The bully sticks I get are the 12" jumbo odor free or low odor. They don't appear to be stringy - maybe dobes chew off smaller chunks. The smaller ones are like candy so I get the largest diameter possible.

QUOTE]

Agree with this 100% - took me a while to find a bully that lasted longer than 3 minutes. Koa can still blow through one of the 12" jumbo ones in 30-45 minutes, but I'll take what I can get.

Reactions: 2

TheStig

· #8 · Nov 27, 2011

Toby'shuman said:
My vet sells bones that have been steamed, apparently it makes them soft and therefore less likely to cause obstructions. I don't know if that is true or not as I don't buy them for my Dobe as he just gobbles down any kind of bone, hide stick etc, etc and I fear he will get an impaction because he doesnt chew them enough.
He does like pigs ears mind, they are smoked here and are his favourite, although he sometimes has to be reminded to chew them not gobble them down in one go.

Dogs can't chew and have no reason to. They have some molar like teeth way in the back, but since their jaws can't move side to side like a humans can, mastication is a no go.

Secondly, the reason for chewing is to aid in digestion, which in humans is accompanied by our saliva. A dogs saliva does nothing to break down the food, it is there just to make the food slide down his/her throat. A dogs gastric juices are also more acidic than a humans.

So it is quite normal, sadly, for them to literally wolf down what you give them and not think twice about it.

Reactions: 1

monicaei

· #9 · Nov 27, 2011

Ours love bully sticks, but there is a definate difference in quatilty. The big box pet stores charge premium prices for 6 inch sticks that last a few minutes. Ordering online is your best bet. I don't want to violate the terms of service (mods, delete this if it does) but bestbullysticks. Com. Is way cheaper and a better product. Our puppy can chew for hours on a good bully. Our adult male can gnaw for a good hour on one. Love a good bully stick!

Reactions: 1

ssgharkness020147

· #10 · Nov 28, 2011

Ripley! said:
This is what I found on Best Bully Sticks:
Bully Sticks can also be smoked, in a traditional smoker, to remove moisture and if done with wood, a smoked aroma can be imparted on the product. Our sticks are cleaned and sorted in a refrigerated facility to ensure safety. The bully sticks are then hung vertically from racks and cooked in an oven to ensure that they are bacteria free and safe for dog’s consumption.
So I'm wondering why so many are fans of bullies if they are also cooked in some way like a bone.

The last couple I bought were made by a sausage maker, they make them in the same smoker at the same time they make stuff for human consumption. Are you concerned with a dog being able to digest them, or that they could hurt a dog like a cooked bone?

Reactions: 1

Ripley!

Discussion Starter · #11 · Nov 28, 2011

Are you concerned with a dog being able to digest them, or that they could hurt a dog like a cooked bone?

Yeah, I'm wondering what makes them so different then cooked bones if the bully sticks are also cooked.

mmctaq

· #12 · Nov 28, 2011

Ripley! said:
Yeah, I'm wondering what makes them so different then cooked bones if the bully sticks are also cooked.

Bones is bones. Bully sticks is meat. It ain't the same thing.

Reactions: 3

Ripley!

Discussion Starter · #13 · Nov 28, 2011

So it's like jerky

MeadowCat

· #14 · Nov 28, 2011

A bully stick is a dried bull penis. It isn't cooked, it's more like jerky. I feed bullies on occasion, more for a treat than for anything else. I am very picky about the bullies I buy. A small one doesn't last long at all, but I have a local store that gets local bullies and I've found some that are actually very, very thick. Those can last quite a while and I use them when I want some down time from the dogs

We also feed raw knuckle bones to keep their teeth in good shape.

Reactions: 2

sonterra2002

· #15 · Nov 28, 2011

Ripley! said:
I know the recommendations of no cooked/baked/smoked bones, no rawhide, no weight barring bones (which are shoulder bones weight barring?). But why are bully sticks ok? The ones I've given my chihuahuas have been quite stringy after they have chewed on them for awhile. And would seem to cause choking with an aggressive chewer. Ripley has never had one but I recently got one for her. What about rib bones? And are cows the only species to get bones from or are lamb and pig ok? Maybe it's based on the dogs size/breed?

The father of my dog died after eating a bully stick quickly and it perforated his gut. They operated to try and save him, but he died a few days later of complications.

Reactions: 2

GrdnDelite

· #16 · Nov 28, 2011

We give bully sticks as a treat, supervised, but take them away when they get down to about 4".

Then we give the nubs to people with small dogs.

Reactions: 2

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