Poodles Rule

I bought Teddy a big bag of bully sticks recommended by this site (thank you!!) He LOVES them, and I love that he can be entertained by something longer than 30 minutes. My question is, can these be harmful to his tummy? I've been giving him one every couple days, and he finishes them pretty quickly. I just want to make sure they're easy to digest and won't be causing problems.

WestCoastSpoo

One every couple days is about what Huxley gets (until we run out) They are completely digestible and a single ingredient protein so I think they're a great chew-treat and I'm glad your pooch enjoys them! It used to take Huxley FOREVER to finish one, but now it's only a few minutes before they're gone!

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cookieface

Do you allow your pups to chew until they've eaten the entire stick? I've read that if the stick is too short it can be a choking hazard.

spoowhisperer

That's the bummer about these expensive treats, the end portion seems wasted. I used to throw away the last 2 inches more or less, worried about choking. NOT gonna take any chances, but killed me to waste what I've paid for.
So...what I do now is, stuff that last bit into one of their tough chew toys, a kong type. This way the dogs know where the treat is, they can taste and smell it but can't really get to it! They will drag these toys out of their toy bin on their own and work at it when they need to be busy. Then when its gotten old or whatever, I can take a needle nose pliers and pull it out and throw away.

peppersb

The only problem that I've had is that my dogs sometimes swallow the last bit of the bully stick whole and then they throw it up. For that reason, I buy the longer ones and I try to notice when they get really short and throw away the last 2 inches or so.

I just got this from bestbullysticks.com:

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While supplies last

liljaker

Peppersb: Sunny does that too, although has not thrown it up. I do try to grab the little piece so he doesn't choke (not sure if he would though). Anyway, I have, instead, been getting the bullies that looked like barbells, with a knot at each end, or the pretzel formed ones. Less of a tendency to get little pieces.

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sarpoodle

This is where I've been buying ours from too. The web site has some information about bully sticks in general, and they recommend limiting the dog to one a day because they are an actual source of dietary protein as previously mentioned.

I get the 12 inch bully sticks in the 50 count bag for about $107, so that works out to a little more than $2/stick. Local pet stores, such as Petsmart, are crazy expensive by comparison.

These things are a total blessing! It takes Saydee about an hour to get through a 12 inch one. She loves them so much, I use them to do some obedience with first, just to earn it. Among other things, I'll have her do a down and then a stand, and when she stands she springs up so fast, all 4 paws come up off the ground. It's hilarious.

Greg

PoodlePowerBC

I buy them at Bestbullysticks.com as well. I never take it away, they chew it down to the end, and if Russell does swallow some, it hasn't been an issue. Being a raw fed dog, it's no bigger than some of the bones he's swallowed, and it all comes out the same in the end

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Walk with someone who will accompany you willingly, preferably a dog.

Siskojan

I bought a massive 30" one - cost about $15 and I let Sisko chew it for 30- 40 mins a day. He had got it down to about 12" over several days and then he started with slimy poop (but he had had cheese as well and may be lactose intolerant the vet thinks) He could nibble and pull little dried strips off the bully stick. He hasn't been well since he boarded for a few days and has since had his horrible bad week full of stress culminating in bloat. The bully stick was so good for his teeth, but I'm a bit apprehensive about letting him have the rest of it.

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and Janet

mom24doggies

I found bully sticks at Costco for I think $23.99 for 12, 1' sticks. An awesome deal, considering that most places charge $3 for 6"! They also had chicken jerky treats that were an awesome price but I can't remember it now; the ingredients are good though, just chicken, salt, and vegetable glycerin. My dogs are in heaven!

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"Love is the emotion that a woman feels always for a poodle dog and sometimes for a man." ~George Jean Nathan