Bully sticks promote healthy puppy growth
Bully sticks* are a healthy, highly-digestible chew treat that breaks down easily in your puppy’s stomach. Bully sticks are actually beef muscle and are extremely high in protein and low in fat—offering a natural chew that supports the needs of your puppy’s growing body. Chewing on bully sticks will not only occupy and delight your puppy for extended time spans, but because they also provide all of the essential amino acids a dog needs, it will support the growth of her muscles, skin, coat and brain, too.
Bully sticks are also good for your puppy’s oral health. Chewing on bully sticks provides a natural way to remove the biofilm that appears in the mouth and eventually turns to plaque if not removed. By keeping plaque at bay, you are proactively preventing gum disease too! Finally, chewing encourages saliva that is rich in lysozyme and keeps oral pathogens (bad bacteria) in check.
May Get Stuck on the Throat or Stomach
Bully sticks become a choking hazard when they become small enough to swallow. They can accidentally get jammed in a puppy’s throat.
Although pizzle sticks are highly digestible, ingesting large pieces of them causes severe blockage in the stomach. Both scenarios are horrifying for both puppies and dog owners.
For this reason, always keep an eye on your puppy while he chews on a bully stick. Take it away from him once the chew treat is reduced to a small size.
Some companies have lenient rules regarding the sanitary production of pizzle sticks. This increases the risk of having contaminants in these chew treats.
In 2018, the FDA made a major recall of thousands of bully sticks due to Salmonella contamination.
In 2013, research showed that 3 out of 36 bully sticks contain different types of harmful bacteria. These include Clostridium difficile, Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Escherichia coli.
Healthy dogs are not in danger of bacterial contamination since they have a strong immune system. However, puppies are at high risk as their bodies’ defenses are not fully developed.
What’s more, some bacteria can be passed on from pets to their humans. Young children, sick, and elderly people are more vulnerable to bacteria contamination.
Thus, pet parents should be careful in choosing bully sticks for their puppies. Always choose the ones made by a reputable company that manufactures its dog chews in a hygienic establishment.
Be sure to sanitize and wash your hands after handling pizzle sticks too. Do not forget to clean areas and items where the dog chews came into contact as well.
Bully sticks are often made from beef, which is one of the most common allergens in dogs. If your puppy suffers from this condition, it is not advisable to give him beef bully sticks.
Fortunately, there are alternative pizzle sticks in the market. These are beef-free as they are made from bison. However, note that bison bully sticks tend to be more expensive and have a stronger natural odor.
Dog owners may be scratching their heads and wondering, “Are bully sticks safe for puppies even if they have all these dangers?” Yes, they are. In fact, pizzle sticks are safer compared to other dog chews.
Most of the bully stick side effects mentioned above are easily avoidable if you are cautious in choosing bully sticks for your pup. Above all else, always supervise your pet.
A study was made about the calorie content of dog bully sticks. It is found that an average 6-inch bully stick has around 88 calories. This amount is already excessive for small and medium-sized dogs.
Many dog owners ask, “Can my puppy have a bully stick every day?” No, it is a bad idea to give your puppy a pizzle stick every day.
If you do so, expect him to gain extra pounds. So let him chew bully sticks 2–3 times a week at most.
How many bully sticks can a puppy have? As a rule of thumb, give your puppy no more than 1 bully stick per day. Be sure to reduce the portions of his remaining meals to cut back on calories.
How to introduce your puppy to bully sticks
A lot of pet parents rave about bully sticks for dogs. They’re safe and highly durable chews that dogs just seem to love. They offer a number of benefits, too; for example, they help to improve dental health, as the chewing action removes plaque and tartar buildup. They’re also a great way for anxious dogs to relieve their stress and they provide your pet with a safe and fun activity that will prevent him from getting into mischief. While these 100% beef muscle treats offer definite advantages, it’s extremely important that you understand how to introduce them to your dog – especially a puppies – to ensure that they are enjoying their bully sticks in a responsible way. If you’re offering your puppy a bully stick for the first time, here are some tips that you can use to introduce it to him so that he learns how to use it properly and safely.
1. Find the Right Bully Stick
First things first: make sure that you are offering your pet a superior quality bully stick that is appropriately sized for your puppy’s small mouth. Nature Gnaws is a highly reputable manufacturer of these beef muscle treats and offers several options that are ideal for puppies, including their small bully sticks and their braided bully sticks. The former option measures 5 to 6 inches in length, the perfect size for larger breed puppies, and the latter measures between two and four inches long, which is ideal for small breed puppies. Plus, the Nature Gnaws bully sticks are made out of 100% all-natural, grass-fed, free-range beef and contain absolutely no hormones, preservatives, or other harsh chemicals that could potentially harm your pooch.
2. Slowly Introduce the Bully Stick
You shouldn’t have any issues with your pup taking the bully stick; most dogs just love them and will happily take them out of your hand. However, with that said, you do want to make sure that you only allow him to have it for a short period of time; no more than five to 10 minutes is recommended. The reason? – These chew treats are packed with protein, which is a vital nutrient that all dogs need and will help to foster the development of strong, healthy bones in your growing puppy; but, ingesting large quantities of protein at one time can be difficult for a puppy’s still-developing digestive tract to handle, so he could end up with a belly ache, or could even vomit or suffer from diarrhea.
A bully stick is made of what?!? (and other interesting facts)
Bully sticks for dogs seem to be all the rage, but did you know what they really are? Beef or steer pizzle (penis)! So many people have no idea, and while it might be something that grosses you out, your dog certainly won’t complain. So maybe you’re thinking, why would you want to buy something like this? What are the benefits for your dog? And are there any risks?
In this article, we will explore both the benefits and the controversies of this unusual treat, so you can make an informed decision whether it’s a good choice for your dog.