# Beef Trachea...how much? + Ordering Online



## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

So I went to the store yesterday and picked up some beef tracheas for Quill to chew on, since bully sticks are so expensive, high calorie, and he's started going through them like they are nothing. My wallet was afraid!

I stuffed them (one banana, one peanut butter, and one mixed) and froze them last night. I gave him one this morning and he's making pretty quick work of it! He's turned into quite the little chewer. It's terrifying for me since it makes treats and toys hard to find and keep! I guess I'm wondering how much he can eat in a day. Is it bad to eat the whole thing? Should he eat half and then have it put up until another day? I can't find anything online about it and have never given tracheas before. He hasn't had a bully stick in awhile, but when I was giving them he never finished them this quickly (though I'm sure now he would destroy them) so it wasn't an issue!

Also, I noticed I can get them online for even cheaper. Is there any downside to getting treats online? I figure if I buy a bunch of different treats at once it would save quite a bit! Also, what are your favorite online places to order, if you do order online?


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## Hector4 (Sep 16, 2013)

What size was the trachea? I give my med - large dogs a 12 in. Tracheas are greasy so if you have a smaller dog, I wouldn't give more than 6 in to prevent any upset stomach from the grease. Best prices are from valuepetsupplies.com or bestbullysticks.com. 12 inches are about $1.99 from bestbullysticks.com each and the 6 inches are about $0.80 each from valuepetsupplies.com if you buy in bulk like 50 or 100 I think. I buy in bulk all the time and never had a problem with the products.


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## doodlebug124 (Oct 31, 2015)

Trachea vary in calories depending on how much fat are on them. I've seem some with little fat and others with a lot. Bully sticks are about 80% protein and 1% fat, while trachea fat content can vary widely (Barkworthies about 7%, Red Barn over 20%). 

Most bully sticks are about 100 calories per oz. Barkworthies 7% fat bully sticks are also listed as 100 cal/oz. So anything with a lot more fat are going to be a lot higher calories since fat is more than double the calories per gram than protein.

Treats shouldn't be more than 10% of a dogs daily calorie intake. How much your dog can eat of a trachea (plus the stuffing you put in it) will depend on his size and activity level.


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## Hector4 (Sep 16, 2013)

Okay well I guess my post didn't get approved and already emailed a mod. That's okay. The website bestbullysticks has 12 inch tracheas for 1.99. Valuepetsupplies has 6 inches for 0.80 cent each if you buy in bulk at 50 or 100, can't remember for sure. My med-large dogs get 12 inches. Small dogs should only get half of a 6 inch. These things are greasy so I wouldn't recommend anymore than what I give as they can make the dog fat or have upset stomachs. I buy in bulk often and never had a problem with the quality of the products.


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## sandgrubber (May 21, 2014)

Watch out for trachea. They may induce hyperthyroidism:attention:. See: 
https://thesciencedog.wordpress.com/2015/10/29/got-gullet/


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## Marvel (Sep 26, 2015)

sandgrubber said:


> Watch out for trachea. They may induce hyperthyroidism:attention:. See:
> https://thesciencedog.wordpress.com/2015/10/29/got-gullet/


Thanks for that information. Very interesting article, and good to watch out for. Although I would conclude that someone NOT feeding raw (and therefore not risking additional hormones), and only providing trachea as an occasional treat, would not have to worry. In order to induce hyperthyroidism, you would need to feed a fair amount of the T4 hormone, consistently. As a human who suffers from hypothyroidism, I know how long it can take for the hormones to kick in. Even if it acts faster in dogs, I can't imagine a bit of it fed every so often would be enough to cause issues, though I can research some more to be sure.

Thanks for the advice! He's a 20-ish lb 3 month old puppy. I gave him the 6 inch trachea, and he only ate half yesterday. I think we'll stick with halves for now and balance it with his kong. And good to know ordering online is a good option!


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## doodlebug124 (Oct 31, 2015)

A large number of unwrapped trachea come through my cash register and I've never seen anything that looks like any sort of tissue, besides fat, attached to them. I normally stock Bravo tracheas, but I've ordered them from bestbullysticks when I've been in a pinch...they have a weird smell to them. Not that the Bravo ones smell like roses, but sales definitely go down when I have the BBS brand in stock.


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

Have you checked out a site called "My Pet Carnivore"? It has AWESOME prices on a variety of meats, if my dog could tolerate raw, that is what I would do.


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## Kritter (Jan 28, 2015)

I buy the roasted beef trachea from chewy.com and my husband cuts them up into sections of probably 5-6 inches. There are no organs attached. They are greasy so I feed them outside, and I would not feed more than 1 or 2 per week myself.


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