Quote:
Originally Posted by bjh  This is the thread I read where the Bully Stick was actually tested by the vet: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...dangerous.html
Dogs can easily get a bacterial stomach infection from a number of things. If you leave dog food sitting out too long then bacteria can grow on it and make your dog sick. From my past experiences I am very careful what treats I give mine. I have had to many different store bought treats give my dogs loose stools so I just stick to those that I know work and will not upset their stomach. |
In that particular thread where the chew stick was tested, it didn't mention Bully Sticks, but said that is the smoked variety and "had expired 2 months ago" and the vet thought it had spoiled. There are all sorts of chew sticks out there and the ones that I've read about causing problems are made in China. Although later in the thread people mention Bully Sticks by name and say they got sick after chewing on it for 10 minutes, but in that case it wasn't tested. When something like this is reported, sometimes people aren't always careful with the facts.
The case I'm referring to the test results showed the bacteria that caused the problem was a very common bacteria that is often found in a dog's mouth. I don't sell Bully Sticks or any dog treats for that matter, I'm only posting this because Joey loves them so much. They are one of the few chews out there that are one hundred percent digestible, and these chews have been shown to be excellent in preventing tartar, which as you may know, is a huge problem for Yorkies. Sometimes these reports can blow up so big without all the facts being known. Like I said before, in the cases of multiple dogs there could be difficulty. The bacteria responsible is one that is in a dogs mouth at all times, if the dog chews on the toy or Bully Stick or anything for that matter, and this doesn't ever get a chance to dry out, bacteria will grow. Bacteria need moist conditions in order to grow, if the surface is allowed to dry, the bacteria dies. That's why multiple dogs come in the mix because this might lead to a surface never drying. If you are concerned, all you need to do is dip the Bully Stick in a glass of water with a tablespoon of bleach added. Allow the sticks overnight.