# Bully sticks for puppies?



## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

I actually don't much like giving them bully sticks or antlers. Bully sticks smell terrible (even the descented ones) and I've heard of antlers breaking teeth. My preferred "chewies" are quickly becoming frozen beef steaks.


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## ozzy'smom (Jun 18, 2011)

My 12 week old pup loves them. They are somewhat stinky but it's the one thing I know that will occupy him when I need to few minutes to get something done and it seems to satisfy he's chewing urge more than anything else. He's not particularly interested in nylabones or a kong. We started with the short ones and then took them away when they'd get down to a few inches but after he swallowed a short end of one (he was fine) and I got sick of throwing away half of every stick we bought I just bought a 24 inch one. I try not to give them to him too often but for us they are a great treat. 

BTW, when we swallowed the short end I called the vet and she thought he'd be fine since they are digestable...and he was.


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## puppydogs (Dec 6, 2010)

Braccarius said:


> I actually don't much like giving them bully sticks or antlers. Bully sticks smell terrible (even the descented ones) and I've heard of antlers breaking teeth. My preferred "chewies" are quickly becoming frozen beef steaks.


Thanks, never thought about that. I can imagine once the unfreeze


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## puppydogs (Dec 6, 2010)

ozzy'smom said:


> My 12 week old pup loves them. They are somewhat stinky but it's the one thing I know that will occupy him when I need to few minutes to get something done and it seems to satisfy he's chewing urge more than anything else. He's not particularly interested in nylabones or a kong. We started with the short ones and then took them away when they'd get down to a few inches but after he swallowed a short end of one (he was fine) and I got sick of throwing away half of every stick we bought I just bought a 24 inch one. I try not to give them to him too often but for us they are a great treat.
> 
> BTW, when we swallowed the short end I called the vet and she thought he'd be fine since they are digestable...and he was.


Thanks, so glad to hear he was able to digest it!


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## KaMu (May 17, 2010)

Braccarius said:


> I actually don't much like giving them bully sticks or antlers. Bully sticks smell terrible (even the descented ones) and I've heard of antlers breaking teeth. My preferred "chewies" are quickly becoming frozen beef steaks.



hmmm. Now I have gone ahead and bought both these chews for just that purpose. Chewing. I plan on being prepared this time around, with a pup  I want and I think a pup needs to chew. Chew toys are ok but I don't think they hold their interest as well as say, a bully stick would. Agreed...they do smell awful but Id just overlook that if I thought the pup was getting his needed chewing through it.
I do hesitate now about the antlers.....I didn't even consider the ca/phos in them. For the amount of time they are chewing does it really make that much of a difference?

Justin, you take a regular old steak with bone and freeze it and than give to the dog? Not for a pup though right? I can just see the loose poop now!
Id be very interested in some natural and safe chews for new pups to..besides the plastic things.

Thanks OP for the topic!


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## iansgran (May 29, 2010)

I have never seen that web site before and if anyone else has bought from them I would be glad to hear about it because the bully sticks are cheap compared to what I have seen. Antlers I buy from Pet Expertise and they let you choose the size and hardness. White tailed deer antlers are the hardest and in many months Jaro who destroys things easily hasn't made a dent in them so I don't thing the calcium in them could be digested.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

Hank was probably 4 or 5 months when we started giving him bullysticks. They were great when we wanted to watch a movie in the evening. It kept him busy! 

I bought them from K9Cuisine.com

They didn't have an odor and are sold at bulk prices.


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## bioteach (Nov 13, 2010)

Thanks to all of you on the Forum we tried Bully Sticks for Nugget. I have to tell you that he absolutely loves them and chews for hours when we give him one. We buy them at Costco - a 12 pack only runs about $2.00 for each foot long stick!


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## puppydogs (Dec 6, 2010)

Update: my coworker let me try a braided bully stick. I'm assuming it's not the low odor one. Warning: it stinks!! Took me awhile to get the smell off her paws and the ground. I had to toss it.


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## Claire's Friend (Feb 26, 2007)

I would love it if Jordan would chew a bully stick, right now she prefers to chew on Mommy. We have a local company that makes them, they are orderless and about $4 each if I buy in bulk. We used them to bring Morgan out of a seizure.


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## rhondas (Sep 10, 2010)

Bully sticks are great for puppies. However, they should NEVER stink, they should be odorless. If bully sticks have an odor, they should be returned because it means there is something wrong with them. You should also make sure that they are made in the USA or from a reputable manufacturer in Brazil.
Never purchase Bully sticks or for that matter any food related product from China.

Another good option is bully straps which are actually the achilles tendons. They last as long as bully sticks and are a third of the price. Several US companies have them.


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## Deb_Bayne (Mar 18, 2011)

I got my bullysticks from bullysticks.ca and they don't smell at all or at least very little, the ones I got from the pet store really smelled bad. I also got some antlers too, Bayne loves both.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

I welcome all my puppy students to class on the first day with a bully stick. They can be great puppy pacifiers!


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## LargeBreedPup (Aug 10, 2011)

*nutrional breakdown*

Hello, first time here. Have been scouring the internet for about a month trying to find nutritional content of bully sticks. Even the manufacturer's won't help.

I let my little girl (puppy) eat bully sticks after she received a free sample from the dog store and she loved them. Took me about a week to realize I was giving my dog a treat without knowing the nutritional content. Considering she will be 110+lbs, I need to restrict her calcium and phosphorus content and keep it at a strict 1.2:1.0 ratio.

After finding this vague uncited reference to pizzles at Beijing Olympics 2008 in short - Telegraph "The pizzles, which are frozen or dried before export, are rich in protein, vitamins, calcium, magnesium and hormones and low in cholesterol."

It is strange to me that the internet is full of people raving about bully sticks for their dogs, as well as plenty of information on what an unrestricted diet can to to large breed puppies' skeletal systems, yet no one has asked what the nutritional content of these chews are.

The reason I decided to post here, is because the OP is the FIRST person I have seen concerned about the intake of their large breed pup's calcium and phosphorus.

Now the pizzles cited at "The Telegraph" are in reference to venison pizzle, but I can only assume all pizzle has similar nutritional content.

Maybe only avid runners like myself are so concerned about their dog's joints and skeletal development, but hopefully some people here care and could help me out on my search for info.

Thanks.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

LargeBreedPup said:


> Considering she will be 110+lbs, I need to restrict her calcium and phosphorus content and keep it at a strict 1.2:1.0 ratio.


Wow a 110+ lb girl! What kind of pup do you have??? Would love to see a picture of her.


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## KatieBlue'sMidnightSky (Feb 22, 2011)

All my dogs, current and previous, young and old, have loved their bullysticks -- especially the braided type. I tolerate the strong "beef jerky" smell, because I know they enjoy them so much! I think I will try the "low odor" type, but I am curious how the deodorize them?? Hope they don't use chemicals to do that. I'd rather tolerate the smell than give something that isn't good for my dog. 

The post regarding phosphorus & calcium....that is interesting, and something to consider I suppose.


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## doula1st (Aug 2, 2011)

I bought a braided one and through it away because the smell was so nasty


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## doula1st (Aug 2, 2011)

I also just bought a "Himalayan Dog Chew" at Petpros. The ingredients are: yak and cow milk, salt and lime juice. She is chewing thatnow, but i will only lether have it for about 10 minutes orso to make sure she tolerates it ok.


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## LargeBreedPup (Aug 10, 2011)

DNL2448 said:


> Wow a 110+ lb girl! What kind of pup do you have??? Would love to see a picture of her.


Cane Corso. I can post pictures, she is boots (beautiful)!


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