Bully sticks: A lesson to chew on - NOT

[Buster Brown]

Buster has always loved his bully sticks. He does not eat anything else hard as he never liked the antler chews or the Himalayan dog chews so bully sticks must be the culprit. I made sure to use Free Range Eco Natural Bully sticks which are free from antibiotics, steroids, harmful additives or hormones and always the thin ones. Well I have learned a hard lesson and Buster Brown is the one who has paid the greatest price. He lost the crowns on three teeth just behind his canine teeth, they were literally cracked off with the roots exposed. Buster had to have the left over parts and roots removed and the holes sutured. Plus 2 back molars had to be removed because they were loose. So Buster lost five teeth and I am out just under 1800.00 because of chewing on Bully sticks. I feel so bad that I put him through so much pain.

[ColesMommy01]

Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry that happened! How is he feeling?

[Tink04]

Oh no, poor Buster! I hope he is feeling better, don't feel bad, you were just giving him a treat that I'm sure he loved. Tink sends kisses

[SirTeddykins]

Not your fault - you weren't to know!!


I'm sorry it happened but I'm glad it was something which could be fixed.


I've never used bully sticks but thanks for letting us know what can happen...I'll warn my mom, too.


Sorry you had to go through this x

[Magnus]

I tend to check M/Z's teeth often to make sure there's nothing going on and luckily, I haven't had any issues. They both chew on bully sticks and it has helped with keeping their teeth clean.

With that said, I don't think I'd give bully sticks to Zoey if it was just her. And she only takes bully sticks that Magnus's been chewing on. It's already soft so maybe that's why I haven't come across any issues?

Poor Buster.... I hope he recovers quickly.

[DBlain]

I am so sorry that happened, the poor little guy, did this happen all at one time or was it something that progressed. I am so conflicted on this, but I remember Taylor posting that Callie broke a tooth on a bully also. What did the vet say, what condition did he think the other teeth were in. It makes me wonder if it would have happened with lot of other hard things, like even milk bones some I have given Lola to chew are quite hard. In one respect hard things to chew on is good for keeping their teeth clean and Lola is the only yorkie that I have had that will chew on things like milk bones or bully sticks and her teeth are in great shape while my other pups were always getting their teeth cleaned and teeth pulled. I hate hearing this because now I am even more conflicted then before.

[107barney]

I've been saying and saying for a long time on this forum that this stuff cracks teeth. I'm sorry that he went through it, but glad you had the $ to get him cleaned up. He will hopefully enjoy good oral health in the future.

[Lovetodream88]

I'm sorry. I have been trying to warn people about them since Callie broke her tooth.

[107barney]

Originally Posted by DBlain

I am so sorry that happened, the poor little guy, did this happen all at one time or was it something that progressed. I am so conflicted on this, but I remember Taylor posting that Cassie broke a tooth on a bully also. What did the vet say, what condition did he think the other teeth were in. It makes me wonder if it would have happened with lot of other hard things, like even milk bones some I have given Lola to chew are quite hard. In one respect hard things to chew on is good for keeping their teeth clean and Lola is the only yorkie that I have had that will chew on things like milk bones or bully sticks and her teeth are in great shape while my other pups were always getting their teeth cleaned and teeth pulled. I hate hearing this because now I am even more conflicted then before.

I think they are too hard for small jaws. The dentistry clinic I take my dogs to actually say bully sticks are fine for chewing. I think some of them are very hard. Here is their view, Frozen Carrots as a Doggie Chew Treat?

[gemy]

I don't use bully sticks, but I do use knuckle bones for the big dogs. Do you know why Frozen Carrots. I use unfrozen carrots and broccoli and even cauliflower for treats. Green Beans and sweet potatoes too.

[Doodlebug]

Thanks for posting this. Good info. Im sure it will help others.

[107barney]

Originally Posted by gemy

I don't use bully sticks, but I do use knuckle bones for the big dogs. Do you know why Frozen Carrots. I use unfrozen carrots and broccoli and even cauliflower for treats. Green Beans and sweet potatoes too.

Frozen large carrots as a chew as opposed to a treat. I tried it and my carrot was not big enough so I was nervous about choking. I asked about that and he told me it has to be a big thick sort of carrot the the dog could gnaw on. One of mine is a real strong chewer so I would not do it with him but Teddy and Winston liked the idea of frozen carrots and frozen sweet potatoes. They kind of nibbled like rabbits. The vet dentist is also a fan of crunchy treats to get saliva flowing.

[gemy]

Thanks Cathy. Makes Sense. I could use the big carrots frozen for my wee one, but not my biggies.

[maxdog]

Ouch!! Thank you for the info.

[yorkietalkjilly]

I'm sure sorry to hear your poor Buster had to have such pain and surgery for broken teeth! That's awful that that happened but when we see them enjoying something so much, it's hard to know what's the right thing to do or what is harmful and what isn't. Ever since Callie broke her tooth, I've vowed to stay away from Bully sticks even if I think Tibbe's tummy could take them, which I doubt it could. I'm sure sorry this happened but so thankful you shared this thread as a warning.

Tibbe chews a bit on his flat rectangular chewies but he's not a hardcore chewer as my tiny Jilly was. She demanded things to chew on and chew she did! If left alone with one, she would work on one until it was gone - all in her. I had to remove them after a half hour to keep her from making her gums sore after one time finding blood on one of her chew sticks! After that I gave her limited chewing time and softer toys and she totally destroyed the toys with her teeth, working on them as if she were duty bound to rip them apart. Thankfully Tibbe enjoys playing with and hiding his chewies much more than chewing on them, which he only occasionally does. Now I'm for sure keeping him away from all Bully sticks!