# Bully-Stick alternatives?



## Sendiulino (Jun 20, 2011)

Sam is a chewer. Luckily she doesn't chew shoes or furniture or anything, but she gets maniacal when she doesn't have a chew around  

We were on rawhide twists until she swallowed a big piece and scared us all. No more of those. We switched immediately to the recommended bully-stick...

... the bully-stick *stinks*. I seriously don't want it in the house any longer. She's stank up the whole carpet with it and I have to febreeze it daily at this point. I"m going to have to bring in a carpet cleaner, in all seriousness. 

So after weeks of having it and loving it, I took it away today. Sorry Samantha.

In place of it I've given her compressed rawhide chews which she loves and which don't flake off in giant chunks.. but I admit she's still looking for darn bully stick.

Does anyone have some less-smelly suggestions on what I can give her? I heard someone mention "antlers" somewhere at one point.. I have no idea where I'd get an antler, plus I'm told I shouldn't do bones as they could damage her puppy teeth and I'm not sure if those qualify as bones or not.

And forget Nylabone stuff, she disregards the ones she has.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

Is there an area of the house, or a mat, you can train her to chew the bully sticks on?

But otherwise, I got my antler on ebay (though Soro isn't so interested in it anymore )

Soro loves raw bones (haven't had them in a while) but they're equally as messy!


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## Porphyria (Jul 18, 2011)

My dog loves spiral beef tendons. I get the Flossies brand, which is made by Merrick; I've found they don't smell nearly as bad as bully sticks. I've also heard good things about Himalayan Chews, but haven't tried one, as they are not cheap (though they are supposed to last a really long time). I've found antlers at local pet boutique s as well as Pet Supplies Plus, but I'd check online if you can't find any in your area. Some not-so-long-lasting edible chews my dog loves are the Sam's Yams sweet potato "rawhides" and Get Naked chew sticks.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I believe there are bully sticks marketed as "odorless". I can't say just HOW odorless they are, since I've never bought any, but it might be worth a try if she likes them that much. http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home...D=6367594709&gclid=CJGZiKvA2qoCFUdgTAodzW6X8A


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## luv2byte (Oct 21, 2009)

Go to bestbullysticks.com, they have great low odor ones that we order 50 at a time. Easy fix. Also, they have yak chews at their site too. Hard as rocjpk but chewable, ours love them.


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

The bully sticks I used to get for Cadence never smelled like anything. If you can, go to Tisol (I LOVE Tisol), they have stores in a bunch of locations--Main Street, Grandview @ Renfrew St, etc. Get the Venison bully sticks. They come in a clear plastic with a blue cardboard stapled on top. There are 4 sticks in each pack. I've never had a provlem with those--Cadence loves them and they don't smell.

Also, deer antlers. Cadence likes them ok, but definitely notmas much as bully sticks obviously...


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

Sounds like you're basically covered here, but I wanted to add that antlers are not like bones. They are shed naturally so they aren't cooked so they don't splinter. When your dog chews them they sort of grind away into a powder. It's hard to explain but it's not messy and it's totally odorless. I will say they aren't comparable to edible chews like bully sticks for most dogs, but they are worth having around as a safe chew. Sydney likes her plastic bacon flavored bone better, but she'll chew on the antler occasionally.


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## Sendiulino (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks guys, I'll definitely look into an antler and also the low-odor bully sticks.

Lucidity, we have a Tisol not too far from us on Gilley. I'll take a look!


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

You could also try a Himalayan dog chew. They're supposed to last a really long time and apparently a lot of dogs really like them, though I have not yet tried them on Basil. 
http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/smartlist_29/himalayan_dog_chews.html


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

Sendiulino said:


> Thanks guys, I'll definitely look into an antler and also the low-odor bully sticks.
> 
> Lucidity, we have a Tisol not too far from us on Gilley. I'll take a look!


Definitely take a look! I love Tisol, they have pretty much everything there. Puzzle games, great selection of food & treats, even a bunch of different types of premade raw. The store I used the most is the largest one (Grandview @ Renfrew, near the Renfrew skytrain station), so maybe they have more stuff stocked there. The people working there are really nice too. I could spend hours just looking around the store


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## Greater Swiss (Jun 7, 2011)

Do you ever have her outside for long periods? Just thinking perhaps the bully sticks could "stick around" (ugh, not punny) for outside times?
For those mentioning the "scent free" bully sticks, do you know if there are any funky additives or processes that they have done to make them this way? I don't find our bully sticks smell much, but still, I'm curious about how they made the smell go away!
I will also attest that antlers are great, but I've found one oddity. They get Caeda riled up (dunno if it is because they are "dead animal" or what). does anyone else have this issue?


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## Sendiulino (Jun 20, 2011)

We don't let her out in the back yard for very long due to wasps and Bailey (she does get to play with Bailey, a big yellow lab, but when Bailey is there there's no such thing as just letting her run around and play because the larger dog could easily hurt her without strict boundaries and supervision and constant intervention). So we typically just use the back yard for potty, and the park across the street for walks/etc.

She also is still in the "I'm going to pick up and swallow anything I see" stage. She knows "leave it" to a soft degree only, we're still working on it. There was a tree cut down in the back yard long before we ever came, and pieces of wood from that tree, tiny little pieces, are -everywhere- to the point we can't pick them all up. She digs down in the grass and finds them, then proceeds to try to eat them.

Anyway.. it's all a recipe for not spending much time in the back yard sadly.


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

I'm hesitant getting bully sticks for my guy because he'll litterally make a 6" bully stick disappear in under 10 minutes. I worry about the chance of blockage from swallowing large pieces. Recently I've been giving him pork twists from waggin' train, pork skins wrapped around liver in about 6" sticks. He'll still consume the entire thing in under 10 minutes but it looks like it breaks up in smaller pieces before he swallows them. I might just be paranoid *shrug* Also the pork twists are cheaper for me as I get a 45 pack at Sam's Club for about $13.

Probably going to check out a himilayan chew soon just to see how long it lasts him. I think there is an upscale pet store not too far from me that carries them, if not bestbullystick has decent prices.

Edit: 
Never had a change to experience a stink from the bully sticks as they are gone too fast in my house.


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

I have tried the himalayan chews and my dogs love them. I plan on getting a couple of bbs.com's variety pack, as I think it is cheaper than amazon, and I would get six instead of 2. I just got buckaro's antlers from amazon and that has kept my dogs happy. 

Yeah I also second the odorless bully sticks. I have heard tracheas are a good alternative as well, but don't know.


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

Greater Swiss said:


> Do you ever have her outside for long periods? Just thinking perhaps the bully sticks could "stick around" (ugh, not punny) for outside times?
> For those mentioning the "scent free" bully sticks, do you know if there are any funky additives or processes that they have done to make them this way? I don't find our bully sticks smell much, but still, I'm curious about how they made the smell go away!
> I will also attest that antlers are great, but I've found one oddity. They get Caeda riled up (dunno if it is because they are "dead animal" or what). does anyone else have this issue?


I think the stinky ones have some sort of smoky flavoring added, like those big smoked cow bones you get at the pet store.


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## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

I keep Himalayan Dog Chews around my house. They outlast any bully stick by weeks!


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## jkliveng (Jul 7, 2011)

yep, the odorless ones are much better.


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## Eden (Aug 7, 2011)

I have also done away with bully sticks because the smell is just too much. Some of the odorless ones are treated with chemicals to make them odorless; others claim to be chemical-free but I find that some of those start to stink after they get slobbered on. We tried raw marrow bones for a while which Oliver loved, but I worried about the bacteria issue. The best alternative for us is smoked venison bones or bison bones. We get all of our bones from Venison Joe's (http://www.venisonjoes.com) and they are fantastic. The bones are cooked very slowly at a low temperature so they don't weaken, and my dog goes crazy for them. My pup especially likes the bison knuckle bones, and they last for a looooong time. We have one that he's been working on for over 3 months now. I only let him chew it for about 2 hours at a time because otherwise he will sit there and chew it all day long and rub his lips raw! I love leaving it with him when I'm gone for awhile because I know it'll keep him busy.

I will say that the bones from Venison Joe's can be messy right at first. They're hickory smoked and still have some small meat bits on them, so until your dog chews the crispy meat bits off the bone you'll probably want to put it on a towel. After that, they're not messy at all and have no smell. I can't say enough good things about the company, either - they're a small, family-owned company and the customer service is great. One time UPS left the box full of meat bones on my front porch and by the time I came home it was full of ants, so I had to throw the whole thing away. I called Venison Joes and they replaced it all for no charge even though it really wasn't their fault. LOVE finding that type of customer service.


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## abi88 (Jul 2, 2008)

Sendiulino said:


> Does anyone have some less-smelly suggestions on what I can give her? I heard someone mention "antlers" somewhere at one point.. I have no idea where I'd get an antler, plus I'm told I shouldn't do bones as they could damage her puppy teeth and I'm not sure if those qualify as bones or not.


Antlers are AWESOME!! As are raw bones(the RIGHT kind! NO weight baring bones from large animals!) They are GREAT for teething!



Nargle said:


> You could also try a Himalayan dog chew. They're supposed to last a really long time and apparently a lot of dogs really like them, though I have not yet tried them on Basil.
> http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/smartlist_29/himalayan_dog_chews.html





CoverTune said:


> I keep Himalayan Dog Chews around my house. They outlast any bully stick by weeks!


My boys go NUTTY over Himalayan chews!! I mean BATTY CRRRAZY!!! (I can NOOOT wait for my co-op to open our "buy cheaper" database again!!)


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## shaunna (Jul 14, 2011)

Thanks to this thread, we just picked up our first "antler" for chewing today. Scooter loves it!


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

Okay.. this might be an ODD question... but does anyone know what a Himalayan dog chew tastes like? Does it taste like cheese? Basil is very picky when it comes to chews, but I personally eat a large variety of cheeses and Basil likes them all. If they taste just like cheese then maybe Basil would like them.


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## abi88 (Jul 2, 2008)

Nargle said:


> Okay.. this might be an ODD question... but does anyone know what a Himalayan dog chew tastes like? Does it taste like cheese? Basil is very picky when it comes to chews, but I personally eat a large variety of cheeses and Basil likes them all. If they taste just like cheese then maybe Basil would like them.


It *smells* like a slightly sweet milk with a little added lime! (If you would like when I order them......I can PM you with what it tastes like! I wouldnt have a problem with that as long as its fresh!!)


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

abi88 said:


> It *smells* like a slightly sweet milk with a little added lime! (If you would like when I order them......I can PM you with what it tastes like! I wouldnt have a problem with that as long as its fresh!!)


Lol, I have tried several of my dog's treats in the past before they got chewed on (NOT bully sticks, though!! Hehehe) but I would be ever so grateful if you would be my guinea pig and tell me what they taste like when you order some fresh ones! :biggrin1:


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## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

Nargle said:


> Okay.. this might be an ODD question... but does anyone know what a Himalayan dog chew tastes like? Does it taste like cheese? Basil is very picky when it comes to chews, but I personally eat a large variety of cheeses and Basil likes them all. If they taste just like cheese then maybe Basil would like them.


They certainly SMELL like cheese and really.. they ARE cheese, so.. lol.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

Can anyone with a 20ish pound, not that heavy of a chewer tell me how long they lasted for you and what size you've used? I've been thinking about getting them but I always decide they're way too expensive. I was also thinking about getting the large size just so it might last longer.


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## Sendiulino (Jun 20, 2011)

I just found out that the website you've all been promoting doesn't ship to Canada. Urgh.. and I was gonna buy from it, haha.


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## abi88 (Jul 2, 2008)

Nargle said:


> Lol, I have tried several of my dog's treats in the past before they got chewed on (NOT bully sticks, though!! Hehehe) but I would be ever so grateful if you would be my guinea pig and tell me what they taste like when you order some fresh ones! :biggrin1:


I have tried EVERY SINGLE one of my dog's treats other then bully sticks!!LOL 
And I didnt get the chance to try these, husband tore them open and gave them to the boys last time...this time I told him that I get to give them...so Ill get to try them first!LOL



kafkabeetle said:


> Can anyone with a 20ish pound, not that heavy of a chewer tell me how long they lasted for you and what size you've used? I've been thinking about getting them but I always decide they're way too expensive. I was also thinking about getting the large size just so it might last longer.


If you mean the Yak chews then, Brody, our Pug/x cat get thru ANY bone that the other two can...in TWICE the speed. Leo's Lg(which he "swapped" for his Md) lasted him nearly a month with getting it for 30 min(and a couple days for a hour..but those werent on purpose!)


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