# Bully Sticks???



## Averyismypei (May 24, 2010)

Hello, I was wondering how many of you give you dogs Bull Sticks. I have recently heard a lot that they are becoming popular but I don't know much about them other than they are made from dried bull penis...yum yum! Bleh gross! But what is the appeal to them? Do your dogs like them much? Where do you buy them from? Thanks for any info.

I have a shar-pei and a chihuahua so I am always looking for new healthy treats for them. Preferably grain free as they are both on the raw diet. So any suggestions would be great. Thanks


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## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

I buy bully sticks fromhttp://www.bestbullysticks.com .

I like the bully stick knotted bone, because it takes Aidan 3 days to finish it. The thicker the sticks are, the longer they last.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

They are terrific chews. I don't get them any longer as Max isn't a frantic chewer like Sassy used to be. Buy the longest ones you can find as the short end can be swallowed without enough chomps in it and might not be digested. Some stink more than others so don't buy a large supply until you have figured out if the smell is okay with you!

I bought them locally first time and online in bulk after that.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

I always purchased from bestbullysticks but recently found bullysticksfordogs.com and it looks good too. 

But yeah, I get the odor free ones because I can't stand the smell of most regular bully sticks. They are too expensive in the stores, sometimes I see a 6" stick for $5. That's kind of ridiculous. So buying online in bulk seems to be the best thing.

But they are 100% digestible unlike rawhides, etc. But do take away when they get down to about 2"... that's what I do anyways, for fear of choking.


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## TeddyG (Aug 1, 2011)

We've gotten them from Best Bully Sticks, too. The pup loves them, but the 10-y-o gets bored with them. So lucky pup in our house. I like that they source them to be as natural/chemical free as possible. Can't stand the thought of someone bleaching a lower quality stick when there are ways to keep them germ-free without the chemicals. Sign up for the emails-they send out coupons periodically. Even w/o the coupons, they're lots cheaper than buying them in the stores. I second the thicker they are/longer they last comment... Our Ridgeback mix pup can go through a 6" regular one in a few hours (good to keep him busy when we leave sometimes). But the 10" ones (or are they 12, can't remember) take him a lot longer!


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## luv2byte (Oct 21, 2009)

Oh yeah....heaven on earth for my dogs! Bestbullysticks.com is a regular in our house. We order 50 at a time. We also order the himalyan yak chews at the same time so they have variety. Fantastic service and they have true low order sticks, which I highly recommend.


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## +two (Jul 12, 2011)

RoughCollie said:


> I buy bully sticks fromhttp://www.bestbullysticks.com .
> 
> I like the bully stick knotted bone, because it takes Aidan 3 days to finish it. The thicker the sticks are, the longer they last.



Can you send me the link for the knotted bone you use?


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## +two (Jul 12, 2011)

+two said:


> Can you send me the link for the knotted bone you use?


and wow... this website is pretty great.


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## Fuzzy Pants (Jul 31, 2010)

My pup loves bully sticks. She also loves dried tripe but I haven't gotten any of those in a while because they stink even more than the bully sticks. Next I want to get an antler to see how she likes that.


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## JulieK1967 (May 29, 2011)

My puppy loves bully sticks. I think, however, certain brands give her very loose stools. I mentioned this to my vet who advised me not to give her any bully sticks at all until she's at least 2 years old. Same for antlers, bones, basically anything hard. His concern is that a young dog's adult teeth are still developing and they're quite brittle. A crack or chip could cause an infection that can cause the dog to lose the tooth. I feel terrible taking them away from her now because she's looking to chew and a Kong just isn't cutting it. Has anyone else ever been told that there's a concern with tooth development and bullys?


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## Fuzzy Pants (Jul 31, 2010)

Julie, I think what your vet told you is poppycock. Vets don't know everything and unfortunately some of them are motivated by money. I think a dog that had never been given anything to chew/never had its teeth brushed would probably need its first vet teeth cleaning by the age of two. Bully sticks aren't even really hard when compared to bones or antlers and they soften up a bit even further when chewed on. I've had vets suggest giving rawhide which dogs can't digest and can lead to a blockage and some very expensive vet bills. Listen to your vet to an extent but then do your own research. Hell, I question my own doctors when I go in with the flu virus or allergies and they try to prescribe me antibiotics.


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## JulieK1967 (May 29, 2011)

Fuzzy Pants said:


> Julie, I think what your vet told you is poppycock. Vets don't know everything and unfortunately some of them are motivated by money. I think a dog that had never been given anything to chew/never had its teeth brushed would probably need its first vet teeth cleaning by the age of two. Bully sticks aren't even really hard when compared to bones or antlers and they soften up a bit even further when chewed on. I've had vets suggest giving rawhide which dogs can't digest and can lead to a blockage and some very expensive vet bills. Listen to your vet to an extent but then do your own research. Hell, I question my own doctors when I go in with the flu virus or allergies and they try to prescribe me antibiotics.


Thanks so much for the response. I'm not sure my particular vet is trying to sell me anything or set me up for future dental care since he's encouraging me to brush Molly's teeth however, I do think that he's extremely conservative. While she was still going through her inoculations, he also had me keep Molly out of public until her 4th shot was established, 10 days after she got it at 17 weeks. The rescue group we adopted from thought that was extreme and had assured me that she'd be fine to go out after her 3rd shot. On that issue, I went with the more conservative advice but for this, I agree with you. My research hasn't revealed anything negative about bullies and teeth at all.


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## maggie3kais (Aug 19, 2011)

I give my puppy bully sticks, and he loves them. The problem is he can go through a 6" braided one in about an hour or two, so he doesn't get them that often. I have a hard time getting him to chew on his nylabone or rope toys or anything else for longer than 2 minutes lol. What are some other good bones or chews to give that would last him longer? He's getting fed kibble so I don't want him to eat his bully stick or treat and not eat his food. What would be good bones that would compliment his diet?


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## Tofu_pup (Dec 8, 2008)

+two said:


> and wow... this website is pretty great.


Yea, it's in my favorites tab now.


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## katielou (Apr 29, 2010)

maggie3kais said:


> I give my puppy bully sticks, and he loves them. The problem is he can go through a 6" braided one in about an hour or two, so he doesn't get them that often. I have a hard time getting him to chew on his nylabone or rope toys or anything else for longer than 2 minutes lol. What are some other good bones or chews to give that would last him longer? He's getting fed kibble so I don't want him to eat his bully stick or treat and not eat his food. What would be good bones that would compliment his diet?


Raw bones.
Beef ribs
Chicken or turkey necks and backs
Raw pigs ears
Pigs feet

Its fine if he doesn't eat his kibble meal after a treat. If you are feeding him a healthy treat i normally just skip the next meal anyway don't want to overload a puppy belly.


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## +two (Jul 12, 2011)

How long does a bully stick last? I get the regular 6" ones and they last _maybe_ 20 minutes, max! I am reading about 2 hours and that would be awesome if any kind of chew would last 2 hours. A turkey neck is gone in 5 minutes once they actually start eating it....


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## Tofu_pup (Dec 8, 2008)

+two said:


> How long does a bully stick last? I get the regular 6" ones and they last _maybe_ 20 minutes, max! I am reading about 2 hours and that would be awesome if any kind of chew would last 2 hours. A turkey neck is gone in 5 minutes once they actually start eating it....


I'm lucky to get 45 minutes out of a 9" bully stick with Kaki. Kennedy can make the same length bully last for 2-3 days...assuming Kaki doesn't get it.


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## jkliveng (Jul 7, 2011)

the ones that are braided or round or twisted and what not last a lot longer than the straight ones, otherwise same here maybe 30min max if there are other distractions.

anyone gotten these?


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

My dogs go through bully sticks pretty often as well, sometimes they will make 1 last a few days, and sometimes I give them one, and within a half hour the whole thing is gone. Thumper has been pooping out partially digested bully sticks, so I have to start taking them away once they get too small, I know they can digest them, but I think they are clogging him up a bit so I don't give them as often, I switch each day to get somethign different, and now bully sticks are only in the evenings when I can keep a close eye on him. I buy elk/bison/beef marrow bones, bully sticks, and now i'm tryin antlers too. I have a nylabone as well, and find that if you soak or boil it in some chicken or beef stock it is more inticing to chew.


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## maggie3kais (Aug 19, 2011)

Thanks I'll have to get some of those for him. Hopefully he'll like them and keep him entertained a little longer. So is it ok to just switch a different type every day? Or should he only be getting them a few times a week so he's still getting a good amount of food?


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

maggie3kais said:


> Thanks I'll have to get some of those for him. Hopefully he'll like them and keep him entertained a little longer. So is it ok to just switch a different type every day? Or should he only be getting them a few times a week so he's still getting a good amount of food?


Well in my opinion a teething puppy should have stuff to chew on all the time. Ok, maybe not 24/7, but they love to chew and if you can provide them with stuff to chew on as often as possible so they aren't trying to chew on your furniture or shoes, then you should try to give what you can, when you can. Like i mentioned, only give the bully sticks when you can supervise, becuase they can chew them down small enough to become a choking hazard, so make sure you take it away. I dont even allow my puppy to chew the whole thing in one sitting anymore.. I let him chew it for 15 minutes, take it away, then give it to him later on.

At this point, I'd really recommend finding a peice of antler. They sell them at pet stores here, so I imagine you should be able to find them down there. I got one the other day for the first time, and I can leave it with my puppy all day long, unsupervised, its basically like bone, but he can't even put a dent in it, doesn't splinter and isn't a choking hazard. The marrow bones are pretty good for this too.. I have been able to give marrow bones unsupervised (as long as they are raw) and they don't splinter either, my puppy will gnaw on them forever long after he's gotten the marrow out of them and they are great for cleaning the teeth.

If you get yourself an antler it should last you a very long time, so you can use it daily - then maybe give him a marrow bone or another kind of raw meaty bone every other day, and try bully sticks in the evenings when your relaxing at home, or, i also use them for long car rides to keep him occupied for short periods but while I can keep an eye on him as well. 

The nyla bone is also very safe and I usually leave this for him in his kennel at night, doesn't chew on it a whole lot but atleast its there to suffice his chewing needs if necessary. You could try all kinds of things for flavouring the nylabone a bit if you decide to use it, but the broth seems to work temporarily lol


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## houla (Oct 9, 2011)

When the bullystick gets to the point where it's a choking hazzard, I clamp a vice-grip on the end really tight. I've never seen my dog chew a large chunk off of one, she chews them down from the end. This allows her to chew it down to a nub.


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## Tofu_pup (Dec 8, 2008)

That's not a bad idea.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 4, 2011)

We have a local dog food/supply store here that sells a pack of 10 bully sticks for $15! They are about 7 inches long and fairly thick so they last my puppy awhile. My friend has a small rat terrier/chihuahua mix so we split a pack. You just can't beat $1.50 a piece!


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## +two (Jul 12, 2011)

kathylcsw said:


> We have a local dog food/supply store here that sells a pack of 10 bully sticks for $15! They are about 7 inches long and fairly thick so they last my puppy awhile. My friend has a small rat terrier/chihuahua mix so we split a pack. You just can't beat $1.50 a piece!


That is an awesome price! If I go to the store where I buy my kibble, the bully sticks are around $5-8 a piece! (I think they are 12") At the other local stores, they aren't much cheaper. Tyler loves bully sticks, like, more than anything. I just can't afford them!


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