rawhide and bullysticks

[sakirby]

so, i have heard the reasons why not to feed rawhide. how is a bullystick different? i know some of you that don't feed rawhides, feed bullysticks. are all dried body parts bad to give oscar? i only ask because i want to get oscar some bullysticks but, i don't understand why they are ok, and rawhide and pigs ears and such are not?

there is a building being built about three apt. down from me and all the construction guys sit on a stoop at the end of the block at noon to eat their lunch. they LOVE oscar. and oscar LOVES them. i never have seen him so excited. he DRAGS me over there every day when we are coming home from the dog park. and he never wants to leave them. anyway, the point of this story is that they gave me some treats for him today. one of the guys ran somewhere and came back with two rawhides and a bag of treats called "seductions!" :lol: i almost died. i thanked them and thought it was really nice but, oscar can't eat it :) plus, the seductions are adult dog treats that advertise that they "lessen the foul odor in dog's stools" too funny. they have a "crunchy outside, and a green, creamy inside" ICK!!! so, that is what brought about the rawhide question. i just thought the construction guy story was the best. i wasn't sure if they were trying to seduce me or oscar with the seduction treats that make his poop smell good. :lol:

[Carolyn]

Hi Sharon. I think the difference is that most rawhide chewies seem to be in large pieces that our dogs chew on until they are soft and then try to swallow them whole. Bullysticks are long and narrow and they are able to chew off pieces as they go. Like some have said....bullysticks should be thrown away once they get to a size that they can attempt to swallow.

I have no idea what these "seduction" treats are.

How sweet that these construction guys like your baby. :p

Carolyn

[Carolyn]

Sharon...I forgot to address pig's ears. My vet (also my brother) told me NOT to give pig's ears. Most dogs love them but they are greasy (don't want them on MY carpet) and they are just not good for them. I tried a pig ear once with one of my dogs (can't remember which one) and it made him/her sick. Carolyn

[adora's mom]

I guess you can compare rawhides to a sponge - when they are dry, dogs can chew off small pieces, but when they get into the digestive system, they expand and can cause blockages. They are not completely digestible.

Bully sticks are more like beef jerky - all protein (ewww...) and digestible.

We don't do pig ears or greenies either after several trips to the vet from stomach problems (all Beckham). Our vet said they basically turn in to paste in the digestive system and cause blockages that way, plus pig ears are high in fat. The combo of high fat & difficult digestion is an easy way to get pancreatitis. Not fun!

Those construction guys are too funny! That is very sweet that they gave Oscar those treats. The "seduction" ones are hilarious - what a thing to give someone. I would have cracked up right when he handed them to me :lol:

[EmD, MD]

Ha! The construction guys around here love Penny also. So do the parking garage guys, the falafel guy, the doormen, the coffee guys... :D

[gmacleod]

I don't ever feed rawhide or pigs ears, not just because of the choking hazard they present, but because of the problems they cause in respect of bacterial poisoning (those things are mostly dried skin - otherwise known as leather) and the bits that are swallowed sit around in the dog's gut for a very long time before finally being passed. Since dogs digestive systems aren't designed for that but for the very fast processing of meat/bone, they are susceptible to getting food poisoning from them, the mildest symptoms of which are vomitting and diarrhoea.

But rawhide and pigs ears are also go through several rounds of chemical "cleansing" to get the hair off and to dry them out. There's no way in the world I'm giving my dog a bit of chemically-treated leather to chew. I don't want him ingesting poisonous chemicals like that. So I stick with nice raw bones.

Anyone know what is used to treat/dry bully sticks?

[franp]

From what I understand/been told; bullysticks are smoked to dry them out.There are no additives or chemicals.

The process is similar to making beef jerky.This is also what is used to make the other products that Lesly described.

I have asked at dog shows and also called the companies that I have purchased from to question them.In addition, I try my best to buy from companies that "manufacture" here in America. Most of the rawhide (which I would not use anyway) comes from South America and China; places that are more "casual " with what chemicals they allow in processing.

[gmacleod]

LOL - I'm just going to take your word for it :)

I started a google search for information, but gagged when I got as far as "smoked for your dog's pleasure"... :eek:

[LinoD]

so, i have heard the reasons why not to feed rawhide. how is a bullystick different? i know some of you that don't feed rawhides, feed bullysticks. are all dried body parts bad to give oscar? i only ask because i want to get oscar some bullysticks but, i don't understand why they are ok, and rawhide and pigs ears and such are not?

there is a building being built about three apt. down from me and all the construction guys sit on a stoop at the end of the block at noon to eat their lunch. they LOVE oscar. and oscar LOVES them. i never have seen him so excited. he DRAGS me over there every day when we are coming home from the dog park. and he never wants to leave them. anyway, the point of this story is that they gave me some treats for him today. one of the guys ran somewhere and came back with two rawhides and a bag of treats called "seductions!" :lol: i almost died. i thanked them and thought it was really nice but, oscar can't eat it :) plus, the seductions are adult dog treats that advertise that they "lessen the foul odor in dog's stools" too funny. they have a "crunchy outside, and a green, creamy inside" ICK!!! so, that is what brought about the rawhide question. i just thought the construction guy story was the best. i wasn't sure if they were trying to seduce me or oscar with the seduction treats that make his poop smell good. :lol:

this is funny...the construction guys love your dog...i think there's a little more too it ! ;) i have no doubt that Oscar is really cute, but im betting that the construction guys, find you just as cute for them to be going to all this trouble...

sorry, im just thinkin like a guy here... ;)

[LinoD]

...and what size bully sticks is everyone giving there pup's ? 6" or 12" ?

thanks !

[sakirby]

haha. linod...i suppose they could like me too. it is sad, i have actually had to stop going by them because oscar gets so excited. he pulls and pulls and pulls and then he pees once he gets to them because he is so excited and probably confused. i don't want him to learn to pull too much! anyway....i give oscar the 12" bullysticks. just because it takes him longer to munch on them and it allows me to hold onto them for him. i know i know...GROSS. but, sometimes he won't chew on them unless i hold it for him. it is worth it because i can watch a show at he will chew on it for like an hour! hehe.

[adora's mom]

9 or 12" for Adora :)