How many bully sticks is too many?

[Esther and Joey]

I kind of already know the response I'll get - "it depends on your dog". But i'm wondering how safe bully sticks are and is there really a limit on what is too many? 

Joey LOVES bully sticks. She's not a destructive chewer nor a high energy dog. She's just chill and bully sticks are what keeps her company while being calm. She goes through at least one 12" stick a day. As she's getting older, she's going through them faster in a day (multiple sticks), thus my question of how many is too many.

Should I limit her to 1 stick a day? Is that even too much?

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Joey sounds a lot like Tara. She is not a heavy chewer at all but loves, loves, loves her bully sticks. She is a mini and we buy standard thickness bullysticks for her. She goes through one to one and a half  12 inch sticks a week. We buy them in bulk by the pound. What thickness are you buying for Joey? Perhaps if you gave her thicker sticks they would last longer and cut down on the actual amount that she is consuming. We buy Tara's from Best Bullysticks.com and like the odor free variety.  They offer a thick stick (although I see they are out of stock right now) that look like they would last quite a while. I have also heard that the braided sticks last longer than the straight sticks.

http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/listitems_159_8?

The things I would consider are :

1. Are the sticks affecting her in any noticeable way such as loose poops, etc.?

2. Are you reducing the quantity of nutritionally balanced dog food she eats because she is filling up on sticks?

3. What is the quality of the sticks she is eating? Are they chemical and preservative free, etc.? If not then they could be very harmful in such large quantities.

4. Consider if you want the expense of giving her sticks daily or more often. Many people I know give them to their dogs as a treat and not so much as a staple.

For myself I would not be comfortable with Tara eating any more than her one to 1 1/2 sticks a week. But of all the "chewy" type treats they are probably one of the best if they are of good quality.

What does Joey do if she doesn't get a stick?  What do you think she would do if you cut her back to one or two a week?

[Esther and Joey]

Thanks for your thoughts Ricki. We get our bullysticks from bestbullysticks. She goes through 1+ BRAIDED 12" sticks a day.....That's incredible that Tara does the same amount in a week! If I didn't give her bully sticks, I think she'd pace or find something else to get into. The bullysticks have been useful when we're eating dinner or when people are over, or when we go out (to someone's house or a place where I need her to occupy herself).

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

OMD!! You have a serious bully stick addict on your hands! LOL!

I think that in many cases compulsive chewing is a sign of the dog not getting enough exercise and using chewing as a release for pent up energy. Do you think this could be the case with Joey? I think it might be if she will pace or find something else to get into if she doesn't have a stick to chew.  I notice with Tara that the more exercise she gets the less she chews on her sticks. I think because she is calmer and sleeping more.  You might experiment with increasing Joey's exercise (this can be physical or mental) and see if there is a change in her need to chew.

I also like Karen's suggestion of trying antlers or some other longer lasting chew that doesn't have to be ingested. Bestbullysticks carries antlers I believe. But I have to be honest, I tried them with Tara and she wants nothing to do with antlers. Some dogs love them though!

After seeing how many sticks Joey is actually ingesting I would encourage you to try to cut back her volume if you can do so without her becoming destructive in other ways. Good luck!

[David E]

My two had a distinct preference for the flat moose antlers over any other kind. You might try a different type to see if it makes a difference.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

True, sometimes the flatter ones with more of the marrow exposed are more appealing to the dog.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

David where do you get your moose antlers?

[David E]

There is a high quality local pet store franchise around here called Bark.

They are getting smaller and smaller and more expensive however, so I was starting to look online for a better source, so I'll be interested if someone finds one.

I think you can get split antlers as well, which expose a lot more of the marrow. I think that's what they prefer which is why they like the moose ones. It could be that moose taste better of course, who knows!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

http://antlerchews.com/ has moose antlers. Not sure of their prices.

http://antlerpantry.com/ has great prices and service, but they don't have moose antlers, only elk.

 

 

[Esther and Joey]

it can't be lack of exercise. i take her on a long walk / dog park combo for 2 hours each morning (it takes 30 min to walk to the dog park, she plays for 30+ min and then we walk back home 30 min). she has training class once a week and we have training sessions every morning and night. she gets fed using puzzles. i also take her to an indoor dog swimming pool every 2 weeks. there is NO way that she's not getting enough physical and mental exercise. that's why i was curious about her bully stick addiction to begin with. the reason why i go out of my way to make sure that she's exercised and mentally stimulated is because she's crated during the work day for 8 hours total. but even then, i come home after 4 hours to walk her and exercise her for an hour before crating her again.

now i'm questioning my routine....this morning, i left her in her crate without a bullystick....i hope she's ok without...i guess my real issue is, i don't know what to leave her in the crate with when i leave. i don't wan't to do peanut butter cause it's high in calories and too much gives her the runs. what else can i leave her with?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Can you try putting some of her kibble into a kong or one of the food-dispensing treats?

Otherwise, I'd give the antlers a try.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

How old is Joey? It seems that will all the exercise she is getting she would primarily sleep while you are gone! Tara has always just slept when we are not home-even when she was young. (I set up camera's to watch her! Neurotic doodle mom!)

It sounds like Joey is a higher energy doodle than Tara or perhaps she might be suffering from some separation anxiety when you are not home. Do you think that might be the case?Does she chew when you are home?

I think I would give the antlers a try too because I don't think a kong or food-dispenser would keep her continuously occupied during the  two 4 hour intervals when she is crated.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I would not be comfortable giving more than one or two bully sticks a week. I haven't looked into the calorie content, but they are all animal protein, so there has to be a fair amount in a 12" bully. That's a lot of extra calories and protein for the purposes of chewing and occupying a dog. Ricki's questions are good ones.

I've learned that we don't always know when something we're giving a dog is harmful until harm has already been caused.

So it's hard to say how many bully is too many, but I think moderation is always a good idea, with food or anything else. 

Have you tried giving her antlers? There are several discussions here in TFG about them, they are safe, very long lasting (the dogs don't really "eat" them so much as wear them down over time), good for keeping teeth clean, and won't add extra calories to her diet.