# Becareful with Bully Sticks!



## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

WARNING- DON'T READ WITH BREAKFAST!

Yesterday morning I was up really early to work on lesson plans. DH came upstairs and said Dora got on his pillow and vomited bile all over ituke: (sorry had to include that!) At the time I told him last night with agility we didn't get home till really late and Dora was given a lot of treats so I didn't feed them dinner. It isn't like Dora to do this but it also isn't like Dora to skip a meal. So I took them and put them in their crates with breakfast thinking that is what she needed. I came back and Dora had threw up her breakfast within minutes. When I went to clean it up, there was a piece of bully stick in it that had to be at least 3 inches long. I try to only give them the bully sticks while I can watch but have never had an issue with choking or anything like that before. My DH said he gave one to Belle last night when I took Dash and Dora to agility. So not sure if she got the rest of it last night or that morning! Dora has never done anything like that before... I am just glad it didn't turn into a blockage. I didn't give her anything else for breakfast as we wanted to make sure she was okay and by dinner time she was fine-starving and bouncing around the kitchen every time we went in it!:frusty:

PS-these were the 6" straight moo bully sticks.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Wow! It's a good thing that she threw it up and it didn't get further into her digestive tract! Glad she's doing fine, and thanks for the warning!


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

Thank you for the insight. They have always scared me and I waste more money by throwing them out when they are barely half way done. The same with flossies. I know Evye ate the whole thing last night because the small leftover was no where to be found and I'm in a panic wondering how big was the piece she swallowed. They are a great chew treat but I'm just as worried about them as I am the things I will not give them for this very reason. Glad it turned out okay and hopefully now Dora's belly is feeling much better.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Glad to know Dora is back to normal. I gave up on the Bully sticks, could not find one that did not have a very strong smell. My girls get flossies more than anything, they smell but don't last as long.


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

Sorry to hear about puke mess, but I am glad to hear Dora is okay.

I got the Moo brand braided bully sticks a couple of months ago. I give them to chew for about 10 minutes every two weeks or so while I supervise. But I have noticed that Lizzie and Benji start coughing or making sounds like "clearing their throats" during or after they chew it. I didn't feel comfortable hearing it. I didn't think much of it though but about a week ago, I noticed Benji clearing his throat more and more and Lizzie was making whizzing sounds after chewing them just for 10 minutes. I decided not to give them the bully sticks anymore and stick to my proven Merrick's Flossies. They loved those bully sticks very much, but now after hearing Dora's scare, I feel better about my decision. So thanks for sharing your story!

Sharlene, I cut up the Merricks's Jumbo Flossies in half and I pound them a little to straighten them. I noticed my puppers do better when they don't chew the entire flossie.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

SO glad to hear Dora was able to uke: up the bully! could have been scary. thanks for the warning.


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## DorothyS (Aug 11, 2009)

As a special treat, we give our guys greenies, but to make them last longer, we stick them into a kong. The small size greenies jam pretty firmly into the hole of a small kong, and while the pups can eat the part sticking out, the rest is trapped inside, keeping them busy for quite a while. Eventually, after they've made a good effort for some time, I poke the rest out for them, but it does keep them occupied for a good half-hour or so.

I like the greenies as they don't seem to clog their insides and of course, there is no smell.


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

I was about ready to place another order for the bully sticks.....I'm thinking now I won't.

Poornima, pound it as with a meat pounder? They just seem so inflexible but will definitely try it.


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## marb42 (Oct 19, 2008)

That's pretty scary - glad Dora is okay. It really makes me worried to feed bully sticks now.


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## Rita Nelson (Jul 13, 2009)

Thanks for the reminder that I have to watch my canine baby just like I watched my human babies.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

ama0722 said:


> When I went to clean it up, there was a piece of bully stick in it that had to be at least 3 inches long.


Been there, done that! I make sure I always stay tuned in while they have any chewies now because I had that happen too! I put up any leftovers once they are done chewing so they can't get into trouble with them later when I'm not around. I've also had them urp up smaller chunks. I like to give the Flossies in hopes the curly ones will keep them from swallowing such a big piece.

Glad Dora brought it back up and hopefully she feels better now!


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

Evye's Mom said:


> I was about ready to place another order for the bully sticks.....I'm thinking now I won't.
> 
> Poornima, pound it as with a meat pounder? They just seem so inflexible but will definitely try it.


I guess a meat pounder would work. I just pound it with a hammer on the twisted portion. Benji has a small mouth so he can't chew if it is too twisted and hard.


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## tabby2 (Jan 19, 2009)

How scary (and gross, for poor Jim). I'm glad Dora "handled the problem" and is okay. I've never given BJ and Abby the bully sticks because I was afraid that Abby in particular would try to scarf it down. They get flossies instead, but I still watch them and take the flossies away when they're about 2/3rds chewed up. Better a little wasteful, I thought, than have a digestive tract problem.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

I just wanted to share as I have never had this type of issue with Dora (or Belle or Dash) before and I would have never thought it was a bully stick. Mine do play the game of who got the best chew but I have never seen them try to swallow it to keep another from getting it. I don't know why Dora did that but it scared me. Let's just say all future bully stick time will be highly supervised! Just as Jim will be a light sleeper when Dora moves to his pillow for quite awhile


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

We have the same game here..."hey, yours is bigger than mine"....and Evye the worst perpretator. I always had this question, would she dare swallow it just so they can't get it? So an eye opener for me....CLOSE supervision. Darn it as this was my peace and quiet time.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Galen chews on her Flossie’s for hours, Smarty chews for a few minutes them guards it until I take it away. Smarty hasn’t figured out she keeps getting the same Flossie. LOL


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## Chasza (Dec 10, 2008)

Dorthy,

Please make sure they are chewing those greenies very well. My terrier boy swallowed a good sized hunk of greenie. I know that b/c the hunk came thru completely undigested. That was the last time they got those treats.


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

I've heard that Greenies are a serious choking hazard. I gave one to Gryff only once. I hated the smell. 


I'm glad Dora's okay.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

As I sit here typing this, my troops are having a rather loud argument about flossies. Cagney, who is the gentlest soul, stole Bailey's Bully Stick and he sat right in front of her barking the whole time she worked on it. I went over and tried to get it out of her mouth. She growled at me (first time in her life) and wouldn't relinquish it. So poor Bailey had to watch Ruby and Milo thoroughly enjoying theirs. Then, when Ruby came back from her run outside, Milo had hers firmly in his grip. She sat barking at him and jumping toward the other end, testing to see how far she could go. Boy do they love those things.


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## Phoebs (May 28, 2009)

I buy the longest ones I can find, since there is always ~4+ inches wasted. My kids convinced me to buy a "full sized" one.... it's 3 feet long. That one will last a long time with no choking hazards! But we have to hide it when company comes over.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Aren't they just crazy with the Flossies? My Crested girls have minimal teeth (normal for Crested's) and will chew the Flossies forever managing only to make the end wet and floppy. Marley isn't at all interested in eating his but hides it and then takes Rufus' right away. He'll try to get to the girls' Flossies later once they have the end soggied up good. I have to keep taking things back from Marley. Rufus' won't eat his unless he has a safe place from Marley--like behind the recliner where he can hide out, so I have to set him up with a little bed. Then he can finish off the whole Flossie in under 10 minutes! :brushteeth:


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## DorothyS (Aug 11, 2009)

I agree that greenies can be a potential choking hazard, which is why the dogs only get them when we're able to watch them. The dogs don't seem to be able to bite off large chunks when they're imbedded in a kong. 

I find the bullie sticks quite scary as Pixie managed to swallow a 3-inch piece. However, she must have digested it since there were no issues with vomiting or digestve upsets.

I guess with any chew item, vigilence is key!


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## Redorr (Feb 2, 2008)

Remember the distinction - although it didn't happen for Dora  - that at least bully sticks and flossies ARE digestible. Rawhide is not! So looks like the lesson is: supervise the sticks, ban the rawhide.


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## Lilysplash I (Jul 19, 2007)

I have found this thread to be very informative and also an interesting insight into the personalities & interactions of the pack. Stuey is the oldest but Sadie controls all the bones. I have to sneak Stuey one who will take it and Sadie won't bother him if he he is engaged. Sometimes I feel that Stuey is intimidated by Sadie and will not chew anything.

The funny thing is at the kennel, the owner said that Sadie pretty much just follows Stuey around. He is her security in the 'outside world'. I have observed this as well.


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

ICK! Maddie would soften the bully sticks and then try to choke down the whole thing when she was a puppy, so we stopped giving them to her. Couple of times I had to pull them out of her throat (EW!)

Roscoe likes to bite teeny tiny pieces off and toss them around more than he likes chewing on the actual bully stick. He's getting pretty good at decimating them though, so I think as he gets older we're going to have to use bully sticks just as once in a while treats rather than something he has around to chew on all the time. (chewing one right now!! lol)


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

This is why I stopped feeding bully sticks about a year ago. I found Bogart and Brando would strip the bully sticks and swallow. Besides bones, I only feed Merrick Flossies as items to give them to chew. Unfortunately they only last about 10min. I usually cut them in half and give half each.


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## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

Ummm, how scary, Amanda! Jackson has a very long bully stick as I write this. He only gets one occasionally, and I put it up each night. I do think the "scarfing" does happen a lot more with multiple dogs and their survival instinct. I always put up all the chew treats when another dog comes over, and the only thing Jackson ever seems to devour are the flossies. Thanks for sharing . . . I will be sure to make sure and throw away the smaller piece of the bully when it gets shorter.

My neighbor just spent over $2500 at the vet's after her poodle ate a sewing needle! I can't even imagine, but some dogs just eat everything. She's very lucky that the needle had not penetrated the stomach lining, and she says she hasn't sewn in ages and has no idea where he found it. They are like toddlers!


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

I will be very vigalent for the next few days. Evye just swallowed a GOOD sized piece of a flossie. I was right in the same room and saw it was getting too small for my comfort. I got up to take it away. She saw me coming and swallowed it !!!!


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

Evye's Mom said:


> I will be very vigalent for the next few days. Evye just swallowed a GOOD sized piece of a flossie. I was right in the same room and saw it was getting too small for my comfort. I got up to take it away. She saw me coming and swallowed it !!!!


:grouphug:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Evye's Mom said:


> I will be very vigalent for the next few days. Evye just swallowed a GOOD sized piece of a flossie. I was right in the same room and saw it was getting too small for my comfort. I got up to take it away. She saw me coming and swallowed it !!!!


This is Kodi's new trick when he has something he knows he shouldn't and sees you coming. It's a VERY scary trick! We'll keep our fingers crossed.


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

It is scary. And it makes me want to ban Flossies and bully sticks. They are like crack cocaine to her.


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## Mom2Izzo (Jul 1, 2009)

SO glad Dora is OK. I have given my dogs bully sticks one time and that was the LAST time. Izzo did OK with his but Cassie, not so much. She had horrible diarrhea all over my dd's room and it stained. Took me a long time to get the stain and smell out. NEVER again.


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