Are Bully Sticks Safe for Puppies?

Other People Are Reading

Definition

Bully sticks are made from bull or steer penises. Some retailers label them ",beef tendons", or ",dried muscles.", This is technically correct, since the penises of steer and bulls contain both muscle and tendons, but all bully sticks are made from animal penises. This is sometimes referred to as the bull's ",pizzle,", with bully sticks being labeled as ",dried pizzle.", As a rule of thumb, if an edible dog chew is long, brown and looks suspiciously penis-like, it's probably part of a dried bull penis. Owners repulsed by this can choose braided bully sticks, which don't resemble the organ they're made from.

Bull in field (John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images)

Types

Bully sticks come in various sizes for all types of puppies. They may be plain, braided or twisted into rings. A complete dried bull pizzle is 30", to 40", long. Most bully sticks have been cut into sections, but whole dried bull pizzles are available in some stores and online.

Some bully stick manufacturers stand out by using natural preservatives only. This is more healthful for your puppy. Others even use penises that come from free range cattle or organically raised cattle.

Source