# Are bully sticks safe?



## SandyPuppy (Aug 8, 2009)

Sandy was having problems with rawhide. I did not know that rawhide isn't digestible. She would chew off chunks and swallow them, then throw them back up. For two days there was blood in her vomit because of the rawhide. 

I found bully sticks last night. The guy at the pet store said they are made from tendons and are digestible. But then he also said that he found a large piece of one in his dog's poop. That tells me it is not digestible. 

So are they really safe?


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

The general consensus is that they are safe, though I know some people who won't feed them. 

I, personally, do give them to my dog. I supervise her with them, however, and usually give her the twisted or coiled ones so it's not as easy for her to bite off big pieces. I do believe they are digestable, at least moreso than rawhide.


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

Tee hee.. Tendons.  But yes, they are generally considered safe and digestible.


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## SandyPuppy (Aug 8, 2009)

Thank you 

I'm glad I chose the coiled one then.


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

Binkalette said:


> Tee hee.. Tendons.  But yes, they are generally considered safe and digestible.



Hehehe Tendons ...yeah sure!....well I guess some could be ...not the ones we get LOL

I give them to my guys because they love to swallow rawhide....I still keep an eye out and if I see they get down to a small pice I throw it out


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

Bully Sticks are the thick (usualy an inch across and half an inch wide) Bull penis', the Curled ones are Bull Tendons I'm not sure what tendon but I think it's somewhere in the leg.


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## croll326 (Jul 25, 2009)

HAHA Tendon?! Suuuuuurrreee. My dog loves them but they get white and gross when he chews on them. They are outside chew treats because I dont want that nasty slime on my new carpet.


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## Bikhi Akhbar (May 26, 2009)

little Bikhi gets a 3 inch bully stick every day. i supervise her while she is eating it but there has never been a problem. poo is just fine.


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## misty073 (Mar 31, 2009)

My dog came to us eating rawhide and would throw up after she ate it too. This made me research them (finding out how bad they are for dogs) so we started giving bully sticks and have not had any problems with them. I have bought tendons and my dog can eat a $3.00 stick in 10 min  (I have even bought "bully sticks" that are actually tendons but labled as bully sticks.) A bully stick lasts alot longer for us (although I find them some what stinky LOL)

The groomer where we used to buy our dog food from said not to give them bully sticks because they are not differnt than raw hide and I may as well be giving her an old leather shoe to eat  but she seems to fine with the bully stick (although she doesnt get many maybe 1 a month or so?)and I really need sometimes for her to just sit down and be "busy" and she cant eat raw bones in the living room LOL.


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## Leroy&Lucy'sMom (Mar 2, 2009)

pugmom said:


> I still keep an eye out and if I see they get down to a small piece I throw it out


Yup, usually you need to remove the last small piece (bout an inch), otherwise your dog will puke it up in the wee hours. Bully sticks are wonderful natural/fully digestible (as long as they chew it and not swallow it whole) chew that lasts the longest out of all natural chews. 

The tendon chews don't last very long.


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

croll326 said:


> HAHA Tendon?! Suuuuuurrreee. My dog loves them but they get white and gross when he chews on them. They are outside chew treats because I dont want that nasty slime on my new carpet.


the one she bought IS a tendon and NOT a penis. there is a difference between Bully Sticks and Bully Tendons.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

Keechak said:


> the one she bought IS a tendon and NOT a penis. there is a difference between Bully Sticks and Bully Tendons.


Are you sure Erin?

http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/page_2051_21/thick_curly_bully_sticks.html

I don't really know the difference, so I'm not doubting you, but I've just always seen them all lumped together in one category.


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

MissMutt said:


> Are you sure Erin?
> 
> http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/page_2051_21/thick_curly_bully_sticks.html
> 
> I don't really know the difference, so I'm not doubting you, but I've just always seen them all lumped together in one category.


I am sure that there is a difference between bully sticks and bully tendons The tendons are typically much flatter and shorter (although the bully sticks can be cut to make them shorter)

There are probably some people (like you showed) who curl their bully sticks but I've never seen it in any of the sticks I buy all the curled ones I buy are leg tendons.

here are the tendons I buy http://www.dogcatsupply.com/store/products/15051.html?pid=106

and here is a typical bully stick that looks like the kind I buy
http://www.dogcatsupply.com/store/products/14500.html?pid=412


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

Keechak said:


> I am sure that there is a difference between bully sticks and bully tendons The tendons are typically much flatter and shorter (although the bully sticks can be cut to make them shorter)
> 
> There are probably some people (like you showed) who curl their bully sticks but I've never seen it in any of the sticks I buy all the curled ones I buy are leg tendons.
> 
> ...



Maybe its the name that is throwing everyone off....I think that Bully Stick is a brand name....The link you provided says the ones you buy are Merrick Flossies


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

pugmom said:


> Maybe its the name that is throwing everyone off....I think that Bully Stick is a brand name....The link you provided says the ones you buy are Merrick Flossies


the ingredient list in Flossies says "Beef Tendon" 

I'm just saying there is no need for these people to be giggling, she didn't buy a Bull Penis, she bought a Beef tendon as she stated.

Beef Tendon isn't slang for penis XD


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

Keechak said:


> the ingredient list in Flossies says "Beef Tendon"
> 
> I'm just saying there is no need for these people to be giggling, she didn't buy a Bull Penis, she bought a Beef tendon as she stated.
> 
> Beef Tendon isn't slang for penis XD


I don't think anyone is poking fun at the OP so I don't know why it matters if people think its funny......and obviously "beef tendon" is not slang for Penis ...but as far as I can tell all Bully Sticks are Bull Penis so if you think about it....bully stick is kinda slang for Bull Penis ...the Title of the post is "are Bully Sticks safe?" and the OP states she bought a Bully stick ....so I can see why some people think its a little giggle worthy

I think you may have missed the point I was making about brand names......I understand that what you bought was bull tendon.....but my point is that its not called a "bully stick" its a "Flossie"


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

pugmom said:


> I don't think anyone is poking fun at the OP so I don't know why it matters if people think its funny......and obviously "beef tendon" is not slang for Penis ...but as far as I can tell all Bully Sticks are Bull Penis so if you think about it....bully stick is kinda slang for Bull Penis ...the Title of the post is "are Bully Sticks safe?" and the OP states she bought a Bully stick ....so I can see why some people think its a little giggle worthy


Just a pet peev of mine, she did say tendon in her post but not in the title. I had a huge argument with one of my family members about this. They insisted that I was holding a Bull penis in my hand and they thought it was hilarious and I finaly was able to show them it wasn't. I know it sounds stupid.


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## Labsnothers (Oct 10, 2009)

Either way, my dogs don't get any consumable chews including the Nylabone consumable ones. Too easy to quickly gnaw down to a dangerous size or break off a chunk. 

I don't even let the worst of the chewers have Gumibones.


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

Labsnothers said:


> Either way, my dogs don't get any consumable chews including the Nylabone consumable ones. Too easy to quickly gnaw down to a dangerous size or break off a chunk.
> 
> I don't even let the worst of the chewers have Gumibones.



My guys wont touch a Nylabone ...too boring ...I have at lest 4... all different flavors laying at the bottom of the toy bin


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## Labsnothers (Oct 10, 2009)

Many dogs aren't interested in a slick, new Nylabone. I think they are putting the nubby texture on more of them now. I think it is part of the reason so many dogs like the hard to find dinosaur ones. The ultimate is the Souper Size Galileo Nylabone. It is about 7 inches long and 3 inches around. It has the slick surface. They are more attractive if you rough up the surface with sand paper or by rubbing it on a concrete floor. Another technique is to jam a Nylabone into a Kong creating what I call a twofer. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.


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## SandyPuppy (Aug 8, 2009)

pugmom said:


> Maybe its the name that is throwing everyone off....I think that Bully Stick is a brand name....The link you provided says the ones you buy are Merrick Flossies


I guess "Bully" is the brand name, they have "Bully sticks", "Bully spirals", and Bully other stuff. I bought the "Bully spirals". 
I don't know if only the "sticks" are penis tendons, or if the "spirals" are also. Or if the "spirals" are the leg tendons. But they are all labeled "Bully" something. 

I don't really care as long as they are safe 
The pups love them.



pugmom said:


> My guys wont touch a Nylabone ...too boring ...I have at lest 4... all different flavors laying at the bottom of the toy bin


My pups LOVE them, but they devour them within a few minutes so they really aren't worth it to me since they are pretty expensive.


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

SandyPuppy said:


> I guess "Bully" is the brand name, they have "Bully sticks", "Bully spirals", and Bully other stuff. I bought the "Bully spirals".
> I don't know if only the "sticks" are penis tendons, or if the "spirals" are also. Or if the "spirals" are the leg tendons. But they are all labeled "Bully" something.
> 
> I don't really care as long as they are safe
> ...


Bully sticks and Bully spirals can both be Penis....but I know that there are some products that say they are are tendon, or steer muscle, and some that just say digestible USDA beef?......do you know who makes it?....Maybe Red Barn?


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## SandyPuppy (Aug 8, 2009)

pugmom said:


> Bully sticks and Bully spirals can both be Penis....but I know that there are some products that say they are are tendon, or steer muscle, and some that just say digestible USDA beef?......do you know who makes it?....Maybe Red Barn?


yes, red barn.


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## michelleboston (Feb 25, 2009)

Thanks MissMutt for recommending BBS.com--Bailey loves bully sticks but was going to put me in the poor house if I kept paying $5-6 each for them. I found thick 12" sticks on there for $ each--yaaaaay!!


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

FYI - I checked with Merrick customer service and the rep said the Flossies are indeed bull penis even though the package says "beef tendon."


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

winniec777 said:


> FYI - I checked with Merrick customer service and the rep said the Flossies are indeed bull penis even though the package says "beef tendon."


Thanks Winn that was cool of you ..I guess we can all feel free to have a little giggle now with out guilt LOL


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

winniec777 said:


> FYI - I checked with Merrick customer service and the rep said the Flossies are indeed bull penis even though the package says "beef tendon."


You have more guts than I to get on the phone or send an e-mail and ask that question. LOL

I figured they were the same, though.. I can't picture a company like Merrick, popular in so many pet stores, blatantly putting "BULL PENIS CHEW" on their packaging. I have a feeling it'd scare away customers..


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## aphioni (Nov 11, 2008)

anyone ever tried a reindeer antler? Beemer ddn't show much interest- maybe it was too smooth? but he loves the cow tendons. we don't do bully sticks- he goes thru them too quickly. the thick, wavy, long tendons last him a week or more, but we take them away after 30 minutes of active chewing on it. no digestion issues at all.

we stopped rawhides when we saw him swallow a huge chunk whole. and the slim IS nasty.


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