Bully Sticks?

[diane silver]

Has anyone given their pup Bully Sticks? From what I've read online, they are supposed to be very good in terms of not splintering, etc. I'm just wondering if they are safe or recommended for young puppies to satisfy their chewing/biting needs and if that might be an appropriate substitution for our skin?

[KC]

We did, and they were fine in terms of chewing duration, non smelliness and not splintering, but I am fairly sure they gave Milo diarrhea. What works for us are pigs ears made out of chicken that our local pet store sells, and he loves them, and they don't bother his tummy the way the bully sticks do. On the note of bully sticks, be sure to ask for the non-smelly kind. The smoked ones STINK! I think the ones that we found least smelly were Carolina Prime or something like that.

[Lynda Kamrath]

I give the bully sticks to the dogs outside and allow them 20 minutes to chew on them (I actually put on a timer). Then I take them away and store in a ziplock bag until the next time. The dogs love them, but some of them do smell. They are usually good for about 3 chews or about 1 hr. per stick. Asked my vet about the digestibility of them and she said she has taken many things out of the stomachs of pups but never rawhide or animal products chews. Apparently they do digest, eventually. We prefer bully sticks to leather chews or pigs ears, but they all are good use of animal byproducts and make good chewing exercise for the dogs.

[Pam Pieroni]

My Simba loves bully sticks, but when he got three digestive infections with diarrhea and some vomiting, the vet said to lay off the bully sticks. He'd found that labradoodles don't always do well with them. I now let Simba have the bully stick maybe twice a week for only fifteen minutes. So far, so good, I know now he can't tolerate too much of it. Same with the CET chews the vet sold me. Too much and he gets loose stools. Seems the best thing for my doodle is his kibble, dried chicken and some biscuits.

[Becca & Lucy]

Went and got one for Lucy. WOW she LOOOOVED it. It smelled SO BAD! I let her chew on it for about 45 minutes. I had to chunk it. She would not stay on her blanket and I do not want my house smelling like that. Maybe it could be a pretty day outside treat. I honestly could not take the smell. I also use vanilla buffalo ears. Our trainer said they where okay for puppies. I watch Lucy close. If any part gets too soggy, I cut it off. I don't want her to choke. She does like the bully sticks better. I will keep looking for something that she loves. She is a chewer for sure!