Dried bull penises! Bully Sticks are a popular dog treat, supposedly healthier for dogs than dumb old penis-free rawhide, but if you check the ingredients label on a Bully Stick you’ll often just find the phrase “Meat By-product.”
Elizabeth writes:
A few weeks ago I adopted a retired racing greyhound. A beautiful, loving and well mannered dog. And like every other pet owner I’ve gone nuts buying him squeaky toys, treats, and bones to chew. Of course, having a dog is a bit like having a child so now everyone wants to tell me what I am doing wrong. Just about everyone informed me that rawhide was dangerous to dogs, that I should buy him Bully Sticks.
Sure enough, Robbie loved them but at $7-$10 each, they were a bit expensive. So I went online to try and buy them in bulk. I found them alright, plus a little more info than I needed. Turns out Bully Sticks are dried bull penises that are smoked and then cut to size. Some outifts are upfront and call them pizzles, but the larger companies that sell to Petco and PetSmart refer to them simply as beef muscle.
Now I like penises just as much as any girl, but the joy of picking up a soft, soggy well chewed penis continues to elude me.
(Photo: Getty)
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@Cyco: I just got a dog 3 weeks ago and even I knew that a bully stick was a bull penis. Also, they don’t really get soggy or very penis-like when our dog eats them. We joke that she sure loves to eat cock. I honestly don’t see what the big deal is, humans eat bull penis (I saw lots of pizzle on menus in Ecuador this summer) and even bull testicles (rocky mountain oysters). If they’re just getting tossed, might as well feed them to someone.
I don’t really like how expensive the bully sticks are, but they’re at least more digestible than rawhide. I will buy some bones the next time I go to the butcher, though.
Kudos to the OP For adopting a retired racer. There’s plenty of other “animal parts” available as a rawhide substitute. My grey likes pig/cow ears, pig snouts, and dried chicken strips. The huge dose of protein will give your dog gas, but 1 Tbs. of yogurt daily will fix that.
If it’s the “animal” part you find “icky”, try Greenies instead.
@MercuryPDX: If it’s the “animal” part you find “icky”, try Greenies instead.
no, it’s the animal “part” i find “icky”
Going to have to agree with the people that consider this common knowledge. I’m a dog owner and I know that I’m buying my dog eat, tongue, and penis in addition to the skin and bones that she loves so well. It’s cheap, it’s tough, and it’s still meat. I have no problem with it.
Also, it’s called “Bully Sticks”, which I think is a clever pun hinting at the true contents.
As for the “all you will find is ‘meat byproducts’” do you actually expect to see “chicken thighs, legs, and ribs” on your can of soup? Or do you only expect “chicken”?
“refer to them simply as beef muscle”
I would call it beef love muscle.
@MercuryPDX: Greenies are actually not a great choice… [www.cnn.com]
Plus they are way overpriced.
I’m going to be giggling all day now…tee-hee.
Wow, people give things to their dogs without knowing what’s in them? That makes me sad.
And pigbearpug is right – Greenies kill.
That poor dog is so shocked that he’s been chewing on dead penises this whole time.
@Wubbytoes: I suppose that’s better than chewing on live penises, right?
@stephennmcdonald and @pigbearpug: That CNN article is two years old, it appears Greenies has changed their formula to be water-soluble since then: [www.oes.org]
I tried to get confirmation from the Greenies website but it’s apparently too crappy to load any pages for me. Jerks.
@hexychick:
It IS just anecdotal if they just go report something that a random person told them and don’t provide a link (like yours) to prove the claim.
[www.redbarninc.com]
Bully Stick (29 calories per inch)
The Washington Post’s Gene Weingarten got part of a humor column out of calling customer service and saying he thinks the sticks are delicious.
[www.washingtonpost.com]
Well it is true what Bully Sticks are made of and they are one of the most popular treats on the market for various reasons. They are low in fat and have a very high protein content. They are save because they do not splinter and are fully digestible unlike rawhide, that is not fully digestible, and pig ears that splinter and are high in fat.
Because of all of these factors, and the fact that dogs go crazy for them and they last a long time, the price is quite high.
There are wholesalers out there, but you need to be careful of inferior product. I have had great experience with the company below.
[www.BullyStickDirect.com]
Yes, 100% correct. Bully Sticks are processed from the remains of a bull (cow) penis. They make dog treats, because they are 100% digestible, all natural, and are full of protein and low in fat. They typically last quite a long time for dogs, depending of course on the shear size and chewing habit of the dog. They dont splinter or break off in huge “chunks”, which can be dangerous for dogs that eat rawhides. Great alternative for all sizes of dogs, and very healthy! Usually come in straight, thick, braided, spiral, and crown sizes. Most popular are the 6″ and 12″……….
Ive had great luck with Gibdog Pet Supplies (www.gibdogpetsupplies.com). Great delivery, and a very competitive cost compared to that of Petco, PetsMart, Pet Supplies Plus, or any other major retailer.
I would also recommend cow ears for you dogs, another great source of protein, and low in fat. Much healthier for your dogs than rawhides!
Gidog Pet Supplies Bully Sticks – Best Prices I’ve Seen
They have 6″ and 12″ Straight, Thick, Crown, Braided, and Spiral.
Sorry…….last link was a bit long!
The correct link for the bully sticks at Gibdog Pet Supplies would be:
bully sticks
In england I see them sold as Bull’s Pizzles so it’s a little more obvious.