What is a Bully Stick?
A bully stick is a dog chew that can be given simply as a reward or treat, or to help clean teeth and satisfy your dog's natural urge to chew. Bully sticks are made from 100% beef. More specifically, beef penis or "pizzle."
Chew treats are a great way to satisfy your dog’s chewing instincts, and bully sticks are among the best available options, offering numerous health benefits. Single-ingredient treats made from beef muscle, bully sticks are easily digestible for most dogs, and they don’t splinter like some other chew treats. Bully sticks contain high-protein beef free from artificial chemicals, additives, and preservatives. They’re also a good source of amino acids to support your dog’s brain, body, and coat.
Another benefit of bully sticks is the teeth cleaning that comes with chewing them. As your dog gnaws through the tough treat, plaque and buildup are scraped away from their teeth before it gets a chance to build up. While you should still brush your dog’s teeth, bully sticks provide extra dental care in between cleanings.
While some dogs breeze through biscuits in seconds, bully sticks take longer to work through, allowing your dog extended chewing time. What’s more, bully sticks come in multiple shapes and sizes, offering options for breeds of all sizes and preferences. Braided bully sticks are better for heavy chewers, while bully stick rings are an option for a more challenging chew. Lastly, bully sticks have a long shelf life, staying fresh for up to three years.
This depends on the size of your dog and the size of the bully stick. Definitely not more than one per day, but possibly less. The calories from bully sticks (and other treats) shouldn't make up more than 10% of your dog's diet.
Compared to similar chews made from rawhide, bully sticks are very safe since they're easily digested and won't cause blockages. However, we'd still recommend at least loosely supervising dogs when they're chewing bully sticks.
Since they're made from 100% dehydrated bull penis, bully sticks have a distinctive natural odor. However, you can find low odor or odor free bully sticks that are washed and dried in a particular way to reduce the natural smell.
Bully sticks are made from high-quality beef muscle — more specifically, they are made from a bull's penis. In a good bully stick, the bull pizzle should be the single ingredient. Bully sticks ingredients are free from artificial chemicals, additives, and preservatives.
Bully sticks are safe for dogs and offer several health benefits. The beef that makes up bully sticks is a complete source of amino acids, supporting your dog's muscles, brain, skin, and coat. They are also great for your dog's dental health.
Yes! It is OK to give bully sticks to puppies. As long as your puppy can chew hard treats and eat hard food on their own, a bully stick is a great option for puppies. They provide the same health and dental benefits to puppies and adult dogs.
While bully sticks have many benefits, they should not be given more than recommended — no more than oce a day. For most dogs, two or three times a week is a good schedule for treating your dog to a bully stick.
Bully sticks are one of the more expensive natural dog treats. Given their popularity, demand often exceeds supply. Consider that each bull can only produce a few bully sticks. The beef sourced is also high-quality.
We love Sancho & Lola's Bully Sticks, which are made in FDA-approved facilities in Texas and Nebraska from grass-raised beef farmed in North and South America. Our other choices for best bully sticks include Cadet Bully Sticks and Best Bully Sticks.