About a year ago, PlanetPaw’s humorous yet brutally honest viral video (shown below) made its rounds, raising a tremendous amount of awareness around a product many pet parents had taken for granted as safe.
The complete video can be viewed below:
3 Reasons To Avoid Rawhide Chews
- Rawhide chews frequently lead to intestinal blockages. This is due to the knots and rolls that the products are formed into. When these break off and are swallowed, your dog can be seriously injured or killed. In about 25% of the cases in which an intestinal blockage occurs, the dog will not survive.
- Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Chromium, and Formaldehyde have been frequently detected in rawhide chews.
- Rawhides are often treated with artificial colors (such as Red 40 Dye) and artificial flavors in order to boost the palatability to dogs. In addition, their shapes are held together with glue which is added to the product.
Now let’s be blunt: no dog chew is without it’s risks. There are, however, safer alternatives to rawhide.
5 Reasons Bully Sticks Are (Probably) The Safest Chew for Dogs
Bully sticks are becoming more and more popular and with good reason. These long-lasting treats are loved by almost every dog and they’re full of benefits. Unlike rawhide, which is made with different chemicals and some unnatural ingredients, bully sticks are full of healthy perks.
Many owners are often turned off by bully sticks when they find out they are made from beef pizzle (penis). But rest assured, they are more valuable than you might imagine. Here’s 5 reasons they’ve become so popular:
#1 – They’re Completely Digestible
Bully sticks are made from a single, natural ingredient that is 100% digestible. In fact, in the United States, the USDA regulates the production of bully sticks to ensure they’re made from all-natural ingredients and free of pesticides, dyes and chemicals. The treat is purely beef pizzle; in other words, it’s 100% meat. Bully sticks are one of the only fully digestible chew treats on the market.
#2 – They’re All-Natural & Healthy
Aside from being made from a single, all natural ingredient, bully sticks are full of other health benefits. They are very high in protein and low in fat, making them a suitable choice for dogs trying to lose weight. Because they’re low fat, you can offer them more often without worrying about adding excess fat to your dog’s diet. Beef is also an excellent source of amino acids, magnesium and calcium to promote your dog’s skin, coat, muscle and brain health. Bully sticks are much less likely to cause a blockage like rawhide because of their digestibility and they don’t splinter or break into chunks like hooves and other chews.
Related: 11 Great Rawhide Alternatives for Dogs
#3 – They Promote Canine Dental Health
Bully sticks are an excellent way to promote dental health in dogs. Since periodontal disease is increasingly common in our canine companions, combatting it can be difficult. Although they won’t replace regular dental cleanings by your veterinarian, the chewing and gnawing required to work through a bully stick scrapes off plaque and tartar before it sticks to your dog’s teeth.
#4 – They’re Good For All Sizes of Dogs
Bully sticks come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, which means there’s a perfect bully stick for every dog – whether you’ve got a 2-lb. Chihuahua or a 200-lb. Great Dane. There are regular bully sticks, braided bully sticks and extra-thick bully sticks. They also come in various twists and shapes to spice things up a little bit (mostly for the owners, as the dogs seem to love them all the same). Trial and error will determine which bully sticks are best for your dog and it will depend on how heavy a chewer your dog is and how long the treats last. They are all packed with the same health benefits regardless of shape or size.
#5 – They’re Sustainable & Good For The Planet
Bully sticks are generally sustainably sourced, depending on the company you buy from. One of the most important reasons is because bully stick manufacturers work with beef suppliers and farmers to use the entire carcass of the cattle. Since pizzle generally isn’t something anything humans want to see on their menu, they make an excellent choice for dog treats. When the cattle are sustainably and ethically raised, you’re left with a treat that’s all-natural and made from grass-fed, free-range beef; something you’d pay good the butcher good money for! By using these leftover beef products, we’re helping reduce waste and get as much use as possible out of the animal.
Today save up to 18% on our All-natural, grass-fed and free-range bully sticks – Every every stick sold we’ll donate a meal to a shelter dog!
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional.
Toledo, United States.
