So my Dad phoned me today because he was listening to the Howard Stern show and they were discussing bully sticks and mentioned a few "negative" things about them. They said that they are very high in calories and some have a very high bacteria content and allegedly have been linked to dog deaths. I searched online and this article was the first result.

Now, I know that they are high in calories, and Odie doesn't eat very much of one at a time. A bully stick usually lasts her a good 2 weeks to a month before it even gets small enough to take away. The article I posted mentions that they're made of penis, which of course I already knew. The thing that worries me is the bacteria content. Is this a real threat? Is this any different from feeding raw? Is a dog digestive system designed to deal with these types of bacteria?

What do you think?

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I have no idea about the bacteria. But Toby is like Odie and one bully stick lasts weeks, and he's never been sick. So I don't think I will worry about it. But I would like to hear others' opinions.


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Well the MRSA is what really caught my eye, that is really bad, with us handling them and a dog injesting them, they could get that inside and it would be way to late, it spreads to fast and too easy. My dogs won't get anymore of them, I don't like the smell of them anyway. They lived without them before I heard of them, and I don't give it to them that often at all. Mine are going in they trash.

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Ike born Aug 15 2012

Good link Krystal....interesting.

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Rubia -y mi perrito que Rico

I suppose there could be a risk, just as there is a risk of bacterial contamination in kibble or any food/treats that are fed to our dogs.

I store them in the freezer. Take one out, let Brody have it for awhile, then when he loses interest, it goes back in the freezer. If there were bacteria, the freezing process would halt them.

I suppose it is a case of buyer beware and know that there are risks. To me, the risks are less than other comparable treats such as rawhide or compressed corn dental sticks. My favorite chew will always be a fresh raw bone as the safest and best recreational chew.

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"Having heard all of this, you may choose to look the other way.....
but you can never say again that you did not know." William Wilberforce 1759-1833

We dont offer them either, I bought them once and the smell told me there was something not right!
We offer other things for chews (my two are not big chewers anyhow)

My dogs really enjoy baby carrots!

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The stench alone was enough to make me swear off these things for Butterbean, but now I guess I have an "official" excuse, too! She likes pig ears better anyway, and they don't make her breath stink so atrociously.

I never thought of carrots, I am going to try them, thanks for the idea.

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Ike born Aug 15 2012