Bully sticks?

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Hello! I was wondering what makes these expensive little sticks so appealing to puppies! We only give Yeti a bully stick while he's being brushed because it calms him and takes his mind off the fact that he hates being brushed. It was thinking how I wish he loved his bone as much as he loves his bully stick which made me wonder if anyone knows what makes these so good!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

We have quite a few discussions about bully sticks in The Food Group, including the best sources for good prices on odorless made in America bullies. Did you know they are bull "pizzles"?

[Stella]

Ha ha, I heard a member of staff in my local pet store trying to explain what one was the other day! She just described it as muscle, I was dying to interrupt and say it was a penis, but thought better of it!! I guess she is correct in calling it muscle!

[Barbie]

I don’t buy bully sticks anymore because they’re high in calories and harbor dangerous bacteria (including E. coli, MRSA, and C. diffcile). Dog owners are warned to immediately wash their hands after handling a bully stick. They’re definitely not safe around babies, small children, or pregnant or lactating mothers. Though none of that applies to me, Zeus has occasional GI issues and I suspect a slight autoimmune deficiency.

Upon birth, Zeus and all of his siblings contracted sarcoptic mange. The pups underwent 5 months of treatment with high doses of ivermectin (the active ingredient in heartworm preventative medicines). I don’t know if this might have caused his permanent GI issues or affected his immune system, but I definitely won’t give him anything that is known to contain dangerous bacteria.

I don't want to scare you, but please do read about the dangers of bully sticks. BTW, it's a ritual at my house that Zeus gets a Busy Bone after being brushed (and that's the only time I give him one). Once a week, he even stares at his brushes (reminding me to brush him) because he wants a Busy Bone.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, I don't want to scare you, but Busy Bones contain some really awful and potentially dangerous ingredients, including the chemical preservatives and coloring agents BHA, BHT, Red #40, Yellow #5 and Yellow #6, all of which have been linked to auto-immune diseases and/or cancer, and poultry by-products. You can read about these things here:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/?page=badingredients

We have lots of recommendations in the Food Group for healthy treats, all of which are made and sourced in North America (Purina outsources their ingredients from China). 

[Barbie]

Thanks, Karen. I'll have to read that tomorrow. Unless there's some hard proof of potential danger, I'd rather not take those away from Zeus because he's been on them since he grew teeth at the rescue. He sooo loves them and is an extremely picky Dood. They've never upset his stomach or caused any other issues, and he won't eat anything that he suspects is bad for him. He's like his own dietician and nutritionist, LOL. But, I'll definitely read that article tomorrow. Thanks again!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

But you did say that "Zeus has occasional GI issues and I suspect a slight autoimmune deficiency." :)

The fact that BHA & BHT are banned from use in most countries speaks volumes to me. 

From the article: 

"Butylated Hydroxysanisole - a white, waxy phenolic antioxidant, C11H16O2, used to preserve fats and oils, especially in foods.

Banned from human use in many countries but still permitted in the US. Possible human carcinogen, apparently carcinogenic in animal experiments. The oxidative characteristics and/or metabolites of BHA and BHT may contribute to carcinogenicity or tumorigenicity."

[Barbie]

Karen, thanks again for posting that link. :0) Unfortunately, it was last updated 4/5/07. For those who were unaware, BHA and BHT are synthetic antioxidants, one or both of which (according to the FDA, 12/16/14) are commonly found in multivitamins, essential oil, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, active dry yeast, margarine, shortening, vegetable oil, olive oil (only when heated), dry breakfast cereal, diced/mixed/glazed fruits, rice, bread, crackers, snack foods, dehydrated potatoes, preserved or dehydrated meat, powdered milk, chewing gum, and other food and non-food products.

There’s much controversy whether BHA and BHT are safe. Some researchers (including the FDA’s independent researchers) believe they’re safe in low doses, but harmful at high doses, and others think they’re safe in low doses, but much more beneficial at high doses. Because there’s no factual evidence to support any of those claims, the FDA decided to limit the amount of BHA and BHT that is used in products.

Based on the lack of evidence and since Zeus only gets 1 mini Busy Bone 4 times a month, I really don’t see any harm in it. I’m sure others will disagree, and they’re certainly entitled to their own opinions. I do encourage everyone to make their own educated decision whether to use products containing BHA or BHT.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

For me, it comes down to there being no reason at all to use artificial or chemical preservatives in any pet food or treat when there is a perfectly safe and natural preservative, vitamin E, being used in hundreds of better quality pet foods and treats. I know too many people (including members here)  who lost pets in the 2007 recalls, and more whose pets were made permanently and seriously ill more recently with the chicken jerky from China. I'm just not willing to take the risk. As you say, it's a personal choice.  

[Amanda Marshall]

Karen, 

What kinds of treats would you suggest trying for a puppy doodle? 

Thank you! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It depends on the age of the puppy, what kind of diet he's on, (grain free? what kind of protein?) and what the treats are being used for: training treats, (which need to be tiny because they get so many in a short time), treats for going potty outside or for cooperating with something they don't like, or chew treats. We really do have tones of information on all of this in the Food Group, as well as lists of recommended treat brands. 

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Thank you so much for the info! I love that they keep him occupied for a more than a minute so I suppose I'll start a search for a healthier alternative that he likes just as much!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You might consider beef tendons. Be sure to only purchase those that are made and sourced in North America, like these: https://www.chewy.com/natures-logic-beef-tendon-dog-treats/dp/10563...