Can Bully Sticks Cause Diarrhea? What You Need to Know?

Love Pet, Pet Health

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August 11, 2024
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Bully sticks are often given to dogs to keep tartar from building up on their teeth, but it also allows for the release of endorphins and keeps the dog healthy and happy.

A lot of pet parents have noticed that when their dogs chew these sticks, they get diarrhea. If you’re in the same boat and you’re wondering if bully sticks themselves can cause diarrhea, the answer is yes, they can.

The thing is that it doesn’t have to be this way. If you buy your bully sticks from a reputable vendor, you shouldn’t have this problem.

What Are Bully Sticks and Why Are They Used?

Bully sticks are also called pizzle sticks or bull pizzles, and they are made out of bull penises. Because they are tough to chew on, they are excellent at getting a dog’s teeth clean and free of tartar.

To make the sticks, the bull penis is stretched and twisted and then dried, usually through dehydration. They can also be baked or smoked instead.

Bully sticks are highly digestible, which means that you don’t have to worry about digestive issues such as intestinal blockage, but they are also high in calories.

Because of this, most vets recommend giving your dog these sticks once or twice a week at the most. Finally, bully sticks often smell bad, so as a dog owner you should be prepared for that.

Can Bully Sticks Cause Diarrhea?

Because of what bully sticks are made of and how they’re made, they can sometimes contain harmful bacteria such as salmonella.

Because of this, your dog may get sick and even suffer with diarrhea, especially if they’re still a puppy. Keep in mind that bully sticks are intended to be a treat and not a meal, and puppies should be introduced to them gradually.

Most bully sticks come in pieces that are 6, 12, or even 30 inches in length, and if you buy them from a reputable company, it is unlikely they will make your dog sick.

To keep yourself safe, you should also make it a habit to wash your hands thoroughly after each time that you handle these sticks. Bully sticks consist of mostly protein, so they are very nutritious.

One of the things that you’ll want to watch out for when giving your dog bully sticks is the size of the stick.

Puppies can choke on bully sticks if they are too small, so if you notice that the stick is getting smaller, you might want to take it away from your dog and throw it away. If they do swallow it, do not worry because the pieces are highly digestible.

Do Bully Sticks Cause Other Problems?

In addition to diarrhea and choking, bully sticks can cause other problems, such as allergies. If your dog is prone to allergies, they should not be fed bully sticks.

If you do feed them bully sticks, look for anything unusual such as irritation of the skin or odd or erratic behavior. Either of these might mean that they are allergic to beef, which means no more bully sticks for them!

To avoid choking, make sure that the bully sticks you give them are rather long and thick. This makes it much harder to choke on them.

Bully sticks that are short or thin because they’ve been chewed on a lot can be much easier to choke on when a dog has them in their mouth. If you use common sense, your dog should be all right with the bully sticks you give them.

Should You Give Your Corgi Bully Sticks?

To be sure, there are pros and cons of giving bully sticks to your dog, but if potential diarrhea is the only thing that you’re concerned about, just remember that if you buy the product from a reputable store, you shouldn’t have any worries.

Just do some research on the various companies, keep in mind the tips we’ve offered, and you should be able to make the right decision.

When it comes to bully sticks, you certainly do not have to give them to your dog, especially because they should only be given to them as an occasional treat and never a main meal.

If your main goal is to help keep your dog’s teeth clean, you can easily use other teeth-cleaning products. That being said, if you do your due diligence, finding safe bully sticks won’t be a problem.

If you do give bully sticks to your dog, keep in mind the following tips:

  • If your corgi is a puppy or has never had bully sticks before, be sure and introduce the food to them slowly
  • Store them properly in between uses, which means storing them in a resealable plastic bag in a cool dry place
  • If you end up with half-chewed pieces, store them in a resealable plastic bag and put them in the refrigerator

Only you can make the right decision about bully sticks, and once you have the information you need, it’s a lot easier to do this in the end.

Conclusion

Bully sticks are great for a dog’s oral health as well as their mental health. They should only be given these treats up to three times a week, and you’ll need to make sure that they come from a reputable store that sells only high-quality products.

If they don’t, your dog might get diarrhea and maybe even other problems.

When giving your dog bully sticks, make sure that they are long enough so that the dog doesn’t choke on them, and throw away all smaller half-eaten pieces.

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