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Bully Sticks - good or bad?

Nik

Well-Known Member
So one of my dog trainers had advised us that bully sticks were one of the best treats for our puppy and that raw hides were very bad. Then one of my coworkers told me that his vet had told him that bully sticks were really bad for dogs. Any thoughts on bones, bully sticks etc? There is just so much conflicting information out there that it makes it difficult to know what the right thing to do for my puppy is. I do know that he needs something to chew on otherwise he starts chewing on stuff like the wall, us, our other dog, whatever he can find and locate which certainly isn't good for him either. In the yard he constantly finds sticks which I constantly take for him. He just wants something in his mouth all the time so I try to find things that acceptable for him to chew. We have plastic chew toys and kongs. He has zero interest in those. He does like bones and bully sticks though.

Any thoughts? Should bully sticks enter our ever increasing not allowed list?

At PetSmart there are also several natural bones in the bully stick section and we pick those up for him too. He actually has been chewing the same one for over a month (he does not have constant access to it, only when we allow) so it doesn't seem that he consumes them, just a lot of chewing.
 

scorning

Well-Known Member
I think it depends on how aggressive of a chewer your dog is. My foster English Mastiff was a very aggressive chewer and would swallow large chunks of stuff, so he wasn't allowed to have rawhide or bully sticks. He got very large raw bones, only when supervised, or stuffed kongs.

My Doberman is an aggressive chewer but doesn't swallow large chunks. She gets bully sticks, only when supervised, or raw bones. I give her raw bones unsupervised if I am going to be gone only a couple hours (less than 3). She has a sensitive stomach so we avoid stuffed kongs.

My Dane puppy is just a medium chewer, he looses intersted relatively quickly and doesn't swallow really even medium pieces. He gets bully sticks and raw bones unsupervised. He never seems to finish a stuffed kong, so I avoid those since its a lot of work to clean them out if the dog doesn't get most of the filling.

In general, I don't give rawhide because my mastiff foster got large pieces stuck in his throat several times that I had to pull out. I think the risk of choking is too high.
 

Jakesmum

Well-Known Member
We give bones and cow hooves for Jake to chew on. We've also bought water buffalo horns for him. When he was little I did give him a bully stick, but he went through it so fast I was worried about him choking on it so I don't give them anymore. I know there was one story on here recently that the pup swallowed a piece and had to have surgery to remove it before it caused problems.
 

irina

Well-Known Member
Yes, I remember that story as well. I was going to try bully sticks, but decided not to after that story. Ours chews raw bones, elk antlers, water buffalo horns and stuffed kong.
 

Ginurse

Well-Known Member
The whole bully stick thing scares me. There was a poster here who had a puppy who had to have surgery to remove said stick (Irina's post above).

I took the advice of some posters here who suggested deer antlers. My pup loves them, and I have been getting a much larger size than suggested for my pup. So far, they are expensive, but last many weeks, and he really enjoys them. I don't put it in his play area unless I am watching, because these big guys can gulp and cause some damage?
 

Nik

Well-Known Member
He's not as aggressive a chewer as my 14yr standard poodle. the standard poodle I can't leave with bones because he will try to devour them. Diesel seems to just chew on them and they last awhile. It does seem like there is some pretty compelling evidence against them though. Thanks for all of the input! It can be confusing when you hear different things from different sources that you would think were experts (ie my trainer).
 

Max's mom

Well-Known Member
You have to see what works for your pup. My lab swallows them and pig ears darn near whole. He gets none!
Max likes them, but he is unpredictable with gulping, so I stopped giving them.
We use fresh (Frozen-raw) bones and they chew heavily on them! I use horns, I don't know from what animal, but I get the biggest/curliest and thickest (heavy) ones that I can find. They splinter a bit, but if they split too much, I use plyers and pull off the split part and give it back. We don't use antlers anymore because they get small after a while and they are really expensive here. Max almost choked on one and I went into stupid panic mode, reached my hand abruptly into his mouth and he clamped down on my finger. (Tooth through my fingernail).
I have rubber tractor tires (small) and very thick horse rope tied in knots (tractor store in horse section) and the bones and horns. Max does not chew things he isn't supposed to and never has. I do allow him to gut his stuffies but that's "permitted" destructive behavior and so once he is done, I just clean it up.
Down side, my house looks a wreck!
 

Brinsdad

Well-Known Member
My bully love his bull horn and as he seemed to like wood we got him a root can't remember what it's from lol but it's ment to look and taste like wood but is safe for them to chew as it don't splinter


No love like a bully love
 

twood71

Well-Known Member
Bad experience with bully sticks for my 13 month old Mastiff.

I gave him a bully stick 3 times in 2 weeks to try, each time he choked on it, it was pretty bad, the last time was painful and scary for him. So no won't do them again or recommend.

I hear animal antlers are good for chewing and can last a while. they're not cheap tho, I haven't got any yet.
 

NYDDB

Well-Known Member
Bully sticks are the only chew I give my boy (free-range/grass-fed.) But, Mateo is a slow chewer, doesn't gulp or swallow anything big. A 12" bully stick can last him a few weeks to a month; he just picks it up and chews an inch or two if he's bored, then walks away, or falls asleep.

Never had a negative experience with them.
 

KMD

Well-Known Member
I've never tried bully sticks - I started on dried tendons, which my girl will chew on happily until she finishes them. She's not an aggressive chewer, but she is certainly persistent.
 

voidecho

Well-Known Member
Our boys love them, but Jack will try to swallow them after they're down to about 6 inches, so I attach a small table vice to the very end of the bully sick to keep him from swallowing it.

The article above doesn't affect my opinion at all. Yep, they have calories and they could probably find those levels of bacteria on vegetables at the grocery store.
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
I agree with scorning - dog chew option very dog-dependent.

Denna got bully sticks (long 12-24" ones) when she was smaller... as she got bigger, she decided she needed to EAT them, so she'd only chew them enough to soften them up and swallow them... so she stopped getting them.

She does enjoy antlers (I'll soak them in chicken broth to make them more interesting), and also loves the Himalayan Yak chews. She has a few "wreck" bones (ultra hard cow leg bones, i.e. the ones sold at pet shops)... but we try to give her more raw bones to chew (like big knuckle/joint bones), so she doesn't feel a need to chomp on the harder smoked or cooked bones that we have lying around...I really should toss those out...
 

renasmith

New Member
Bully sticks are a type of dog chew made from the pizzle (or penis) of a bull. They are generally considered safe for dogs to chew on, and many pet owners find them to be a tasty and long-lasting treat.
One potential downside of is that they can be high in calories and may contribute to weight gain if given to dogs in excess. They can also be relatively expensive compared to other types of dog chews.
In terms of safety, it's important to supervise your dog while they're chewing on a bully stick to prevent them from swallowing large pieces that could cause a choking hazard or intestinal blockage. It's also a good idea to choose bully sticks made from high-quality, antibiotic-free sources to avoid potential health concerns.
Overall, bully sticks can be a good option for dogs as long as they're given in moderation and with appropriate supervision.
 
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Ophelia

Member
There are various opinions regarding the safety of bones, raw hides, and bully sticks for dogs. While some dog trainers may recommend bully sticks as a safe chew treat, some vets may advise against them due to potential choking hazards or digestive issues.

Bones can also pose a risk of choking or intestinal blockage if the dog swallows large pieces. Additionally, cooked bones can splinter and cause injury to a dog's digestive system.

Raw hides have been known to cause digestive issues and can also pose a choking hazard if they are swallowed in large chunks. It is important to supervise your dog while they are chewing on any type of chew treat and to always provide plenty of fresh water.