Beware of Bully Sticks

[sanjibasenji]

Sanji (six months) this morning at 5:30 am (!) threw up two remaining pieces of two bully sticks. I don't know -- maybe others do -- if these would have dissolved in his intestines if he had not vomited, or if, as has happened to dogs who swallowed chunks of raw hide chews, surgery would have been required to remove them. I haven't decided whether to discontinue Bully Sticks, which he loves, or just to keep and eye on them when they get 4-5 inches long and take them away. Not sure if the risk is worth it... Your experience?

[tanza]

I take them away when they get small.... 2 to 3"..... I have not had issues doing that.

[Zande]

I have never given them to any of my Basenjis. They get large fresh bones from the butcher every Friday. Beef rump bones which I remove the fat from and saw into more manageable pieces.

[DebraDownSouth]

I am too tired to find the post, but it's simple. Rawhide can and does kill dogs. At a significant rate. Why risk it? Penises are much less dangerous as long as you chech th source so not contaminates, get bigger to avoid choki g, take away if nearly small enough to swallow.

https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2018/11/dangers-of-bully-sticks-popular-treat-can-carry-bacteria-and-add-calories/

https://www.vetinfo.com/are-bully-sticks-for-dogs-safe.html

[sanjibasenji]

That's what I've realized. Thanks for confirming.

[sanjibasenji]

@zande
I think this is best. I'm going to look into this more seriously.

[sanjibasenji]

@debradownsouth said in Beware of Bully Sticks:

Penises are much less dangerous

Depends on what you're doing with them!

I don't understand why they don't call them "bully dicks"!

[DebraDownSouth]

@sanjibasenji lol thanks for the laughs.

[sanjibasenji]

@zande said in Beware of Bully Sticks:

Beef rump bones

Do you get them once a week because they consume the entire bone in that amount of time? Or for a different reason?

[Zande]

@sanjibasenji Different reason.

The butcher is only in the village once a week, on a Friday.

[sanjibasenji]

So, I suppose then they consume the bones within a week, and that's why you go each week...
Sanji can consume a 1 ft bully stick in a day, but usually its a few days.

[JENGOSMonkey]

@tanza said in Beware of Bully Sticks:

I take them away when they get small.... 2 to 3"..... I have not had issues doing that.

Same here. I usually cut a 12" in half, let them eat half and pitch the last quarter. Funny thing is they usually growl at me in protest when I approach to take the last 3" away. Never happy. Always a good show.

[sanjibasenji]

@jengosmonkey said in Beware of Bully Sticks:

Never happy. Always a good show.

Would love to see a video of that!

I was surprised that Sanji would bear his teeth so much and do that Basenji nostril-snarl sound (is there a name for that?) when tired and didn't want me to pick him up or touch his feet.

But just to test the waters, I proceeded to see if he'd actually bite hard. He didn't. He did grab my hand firmly in his mouth for a second or two, just to say "I don't like that thank you."

My response was to be nice and say, "OK, I get it. You don't like that. OK, you're a good boy anyway, and I'm not mad at you for communicating" and I pet him gently. That really helped our rapport. Built more trust.

[Zande]

@sanjibasenji on the contrary. The kitchen looks like grave robbers have been busy. And old bones can be found all around the place. I pick them up each evening and put them in their toy box. Whence they are removed next day and redistributed around.

I go each week because we need meat for ourselves. Steve's steaks are legendary, but so is his lamb, Gammon, fresh chickens and pork. It's all locally sourced. Queues extend around the block. Which is why I go very early in the morning

[tanza]

@jengosmonkey - You should do the reward exchange when taking away something from them.... exchange with a high value treat for the bully stick

[Zande]

@tanza In other words - TRADE !

[JENGOSMonkey]

I usually just open a back door and say "SQUIRREL!" They almost always drop what they are doing and race out the back door. Redirection is good. Logan always seems to know it's coming as you approach. He starts griping while he still has his back to you.

[tanza]

@jengosmonkey - This is why a "trade" is better. They learn if they give up what the have for another high value treat it is good... and then send they out to look for critters.. LOL

[elbrant]

@jengosmonkey said in Beware of Bully Sticks:

just open a back door and say "SQUIRREL!"