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-   -   Bully Sticks - Salmonella?? (https://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/general-yorkshire-terrier-discussion/238601-bully-sticks-salmonella.html)

Brewfilek 12-14-2011 03:48 PM
Bully Sticks - Salmonella??
 
Hey all!

i have a question about bully sticks.

i often see them mentioned in threads, and how much yorkies love them.

I asked my vet about them and he advised against any bully sticks, pigs ears or hoofs because i run the risk of salmonella poisoning.

He said the gets monthly emails where vets in North America trade information on heath issues. He told me he gets at least one email a month about a dog getting salmonella poisoning from the sticks/ears/hoofs!

I know everyone on here cares so much about their little ones, so i wasn't sure what to think about this.

i live in British Columbia, Canada, so i'm not sure if they have different regulations or techniques on this sort of thing.

He mentioned that any dog treat that notes to "wash hands after handling" runs the risk of salmonella.

i'm confused!!
any thoughts?!?

Jeri Cunningham 12-14-2011 03:50 PM
Our Chelsey got sick from Bully sticks. The best c
hew treat is carrots my dogs love them and they are healthy.

Brewfilek 12-14-2011 03:58 PM
Brew LOVES carrots. They are the one food item he never tires of.

I swear he was a bunny in his past life. He gets sick of all his kibbles/treats/soft food if i feed too often. But bring on the carrots, snap peas and green beens!!!!

Britster 12-14-2011 04:06 PM
I think there's certainly a risk of salmonella when feeding treats such as bully sticks, pig ears, etc. I wouldn't feed pig ears, they gross me out because they are always slimy and stuff, plus they are pretty fatty.

With that said, dry dog kibbles are pulled for possible salmonella all the time. So it's all about what risks you are willing to take.

Pay attention to where you get your bully sticks from and their country of origin. I'd never get bully sticks that have been sitting out in the pet stores like Petsmart, etc - they are not wrapped up, you never know where they have been, they typically smell terrible, etc. I prefer to order from places like bestbullysticks. There's a few brands I trust, I believe Moo! makes bully sticks and each are individually wrapped, but they are more expensive.

DJDB 12-14-2011 04:17 PM
I'm with Britster. Buy the individually wrapped bully sticks from the higher end stores. My b/f came home with this pack of bully sticks that are "made in Canada". Oz didn't even get to finish one because it smelled like urine. Seriously GROSS (and the package DID say wash your hands after handling!!!! YIKES!!!). However, I buy the ones from Oly's, which are individually wrapped, and while they have some odor, it's not nearly as bad. I'm not sure of the brand but they're made in Brazil. I don't know... I'm so torn on the whole thing because I don't know if they're bad but at the same time Oz NEEDS something to chew on. He hates carrots. :(

107barney 12-14-2011 04:39 PM
I recently had an issue with bully sticks growing mold that I bought for a GE gift. Needless to say I got a refund and dumped the rest instead of giving them as a gift.

Nancy1999 12-14-2011 04:45 PM
You could always microwave them for a minute and allow to cool before giving to you dog.

Ellie May 12-14-2011 06:32 PM
I agree with your vet. I think it's important to remember that as much as people online are a great resource for what does and doesn't work for their Yorkies, they don't have access to the cumulative reports of vets in journals and such that are reporting these products to be a danger. And also, it's the opinion of a lot of owners that salmonella isn't a major concern for dogs. this is not correct.

Soggy bully penis is bound to grow some nasty stuff as well as soggy pig ear, etc. Bullies have also tested positive for MRSA and clostridium seems to be a big one with them. We don't have them in the house.

Micah my love 12-14-2011 07:24 PM
I only bought them one time :eek:

DJDB 12-14-2011 07:58 PM
Ellie May has some good points.

Lovetodream88 12-15-2011 06:54 AM
Everything has some kind of risk. I try to buy made in the US ones and get them at a good place. Dog foods have recalls a lot anymore too and I'm not gonna stop feeding her dog food just try to be a bit picky about what I feed her. Without bully sticks Callie's teeth would not be in such great shape even though I brush them and there is no way she would survive being in her play pen so long after surgery. I still think even with that risk they are much better for dogs then rawhide and things made in china.

Yorkiedaze 12-15-2011 02:20 PM
Bully sticks are not healthy at all. Can you just imagine what all they have to spray on these things to keep them from rotting on the shelf. I would never give my girls such a horrible thing. I give them beef femur bones to do their chewing on and I make their little bone shape crunchy snack. I home cook and they also get apples for snacks as well as dried fruits. I've never, nor will ever give raw meat.

Brewfilek 12-15-2011 02:26 PM
Thanks so much for the responses. i'm glad i have stayed away so far. I just didn't want the little turkey to miss out on anything!

he's lost his baby teeth other then his 4 canines which are now starting to double up, so i was tempted to get one for him to chomp on. (he's got a nylabone but you know how it goes with our babes, one toy is never enough)

Nancy1999 12-15-2011 05:07 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yorkiedaze (Post 3760260)
Bully sticks are not healthy at all. Can you just imagine what all they have to spray on these things to keep them from rotting on the shelf. I would never give my girls such a horrible thing. I give them beef femur bones to do their chewing on and I make their little bone shape crunchy snack. I home cook and they also get apples for snacks as well as dried fruits. I've never, nor will ever give raw meat.
Merrick Bully sticks don't use any artificial preservatives" and don't "spray anything on them. They use a time honored drying process, and this renders food safe to eat. Another good thing about bully sticks is that they are 100% digestible, and that makes them safer than many alternatives. Saying things like "not healthy at all", and these are "horrible things" is overstating the matter. Yorkies are known for rapid tartar buildup, and bully sticks can help with that. Joey's been eating them for 5 years now and he's still getting excelllant checkups for his teeth. I think this is due in part to the bully sticks.

Ellie May 12-15-2011 05:51 PM
Whatever Merrick does to make their bully sticks safe is lacking, imo. They have so many recalls. They are obviously doing something wrong. They also can't even really tell you maximum % fat on their treats, but I guess that's another thread.

They are digestible. JMHO, the bacterial risk in animal products are overlooked and concerning.

If they work for your pups, great. I'd just say as with anything, ask your vets about whether or not they are an acceptable chew. They are the ones that read incident reports from chews and such. And they are the ones that will have to fix problems caused by any chew you choose.

Nancy1999 12-15-2011 06:08 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ellie May (Post 3760453)
Whatever Merrick does to make their bully sticks safe is lacking, imo. They have so many recalls. They are obviously doing something wrong. They also can't even really tell you maximum % fat on their treats, but I guess that's another thread.

They are digestible. JMHO, the bacterial risk in animal products are overlooked and concerning.

If they work for your pups, great. I'd just say as with anything, ask your vets about whether or not they are an acceptable chew. They are the ones that read incident reports from chews and such. And they are the ones that will have to fix problems caused by any chew you choose.
Merrick has had recalls on their dog food, but I've never seen one on their bully sticks, have you? They are processed a totally different way. Again, if someone is concerned with bacteria, a simple way to eliminate any would be to microwave it for a minute.

Lil Sis 12-15-2011 06:13 PM
my three got very sick from bully sticks.. I won't give them again.

My favorite treats are veggies and Sugarmamma's treats.

Lovetodream88 12-15-2011 08:29 PM
This is what bestbullysticks.com says about there bully sticks and I do not think they are unhealthy and bad and such


Quote:
Bully Sticks are made differently from vendor to vendor. Some inferior manufacturers sun-dry their bully sticks to remove moisture from them. This method is not preferred because the temperature can vary in drying and the product is exposed to the elements. Bully Sticks can also be smoked, in a traditional smoker, to remove moisture and if done with wood, a smoked aroma can be imparted on the product. Our sticks are cleaned and sorted in a refrigerated facility to ensure safety. The bully sticks are then hung vertically from racks and cooked in an oven to ensure that they are bacteria free and safe for dog’s consumption. Hanging the bully sticks vertically removes most of the moisture from the product and the longer that they are dried the less odor they have(odor in different vendors products varies due to moisture

Lovetodream88 12-15-2011 08:33 PM
I think one of the things everyone needs to remember is although the main thing in bully sticks is the same different places do them differently and not all are the same.

Britster 12-15-2011 09:04 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lovetodream88 (Post 3760639)
I think one of the things everyone needs to remember is although the main thing in bully sticks is the same different places do them differently and not all are the same.
This is very true!

One time, a long time ago, I bought one from Pet Valu and they were so gross. It smelled terrible, first of all, and I remember how quickly Jackson consumed it and it was just sooo not worth the price.

Also, the Red Barn ones always grossed me out too. One was kind of slimy-ish feeling and I remember it kind of got stuck in Jackson's throat! :eek:


Never had any issues with bestbullysticks.com - they gave me the fat content right away on their live chat thing, they gave me calories per inch, how they are made, etc, etc.

I think you need to know where they are being made, where the meat/tendon is coming from (what country), where it's being manufactured, and how they produce the product.

DJDB 12-16-2011 09:40 AM
I'm happy you guys posted the link to bestbullysticks. I think from now on I will order Oz's from there. :D


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