Puppies are fond of chewing, especially when teething. Allowing your puppies ten to fifteen minutes with a bully stick is alright.
However, a few more minutes won’t hurt if your puppy is older. Be sure not to let your puppy chew for long, as this is unhealthy.
Don’t be fooled by the innate chewing nature of puppies. Instead, control their chewing period and understand everything about their chewing habit.
Top Reasons Why You Should Control Your Puppy’s Chewing Time
For many reasons, it would be best to keep an eye on your puppy when chewing. When you treat the puppy with a chew stick, please pay attention to it.
Not many pet parents realize how serious chewing can be for puppies. While it may help ease their pressure, it can be stressful and cause other issues you want to avoid.
Some of the risks include the following:
Aggression
Giving your puppy or mature dog a bully stick can help them deal with aggression. However, things could get out of hand if you don’t control the time.
The problem with chewing for too long is that it causes aggression. Once the dog becomes attached, attempts to withdraw the bully stick cause aggression.
Choking Concern
One of the most common reasons to keep an eye on your puppy when chewing is to ensure it does not choke. Usually, puppies or dogs chew on the bully stick aggressively or long once they are attached.
When this happens, the stick shrinks and becomes smaller in size. Size reduction is dangerous as the puppy can easily choke on the small-sized bully stick.
Unfortunately, the stick could be small but large enough to cause an obstruction. It may not be an issue if the dog swallows it comfortably.
However, it is a significant issue if the bully stick obstructs the airway. This often leads to severe complications and even death.
Stomach Discomfort and Pain
Bully sticks may be digestible, but this does not make them less harmful. Puppies suffer stomach discomfort whenever they consume excess/large chunks of bully sticks.
Even though the puppy enjoys their bully stick, monitor and track the time it chews. Limit the amount of time your puppy or dog chews.
How Many Times Should You Allow Your Puppies to Chew the Bully Stick?
Puppies may need more stimulation compared to adult dogs. However, this should not be why you allow the puppy to chew on the bully stick as much as they want.
Instead, control the duration your puppy chews on the bully stick. Treat it as a snack since the bully sticks have many calories contributing to the puppy’s weight gain.
I recommend giving your puppy the bully stick at least two to three times a week. Keep the puppy stimulated throughout the week by giving it a different chew toy for the rest of the week.
Also, pay attention to the size of the bully stick. Be sure to discard the stick when it gets too small to become a choking hazard.
My expert advice would be to replace the bully stick after every three chew sessions.
But What Exactly are Bully Sticks?
Bully sticks are made of bull pizzle, something that many dog owners don’t know. The good news is that it is very safe, especially when consumed in moderation.
Manufacturers bake the ingredients under very high heat or temperatures. This ensures that the bully stick is safe and free from bacteria.
Bully sticks have a terrible or unpleasant smell because of the natural ingredients. Be careful not to go for the odorless sticks as these have been treated with harsh chemicals you want to avoid.
What are the Possible Benefits of Bully Sticks?
Bully sticks are healthy and great treats for your dogs. The sticks are tasty and healthy but also have many other benefits.
They are all Natural
Bully sticks are made from beef muscle. The ingredients are natural and easily digestible.
The bully sticks are rich in protein, making them great for your dog. It is great especially if you want to add some amino acids to their diet.
The flavors are also natural and have no preservatives or added artificial color.
They are Helpful When Teething
Puppies struggle with teething. This may be stressful for pet parents and puppies, and anything that helps is welcome.
If you do not intervene in the puppy’s teething issue, puppies easily chew and tear things around them. The puppy can chew and destroy everything, including fabric, seats, and clothes.
A bully stick can help ease the puppy’s pain and discomfort when teething. Make sure to allow it at least ten minutes when it struggles the most.
Helps Improve Oral Health
Several other ways to keep the dog’s oral health in top shape. However, you can continuously improve things by including a bully stick in the routine.
The bully stick helps keep the dog’s teeth in healthy condition. It helps with plaque, gum inflammation, and stuck food.
Over time, the dog’s breath odor will also improve. A bully stick helps with overall oral health.
Helps Curb Aggression
As explained earlier, a bully stick can help with your dog’s aggression. If you notice the dog developing aggressive behaviors, get a bully stick to help them slow down.
A safe treat is better to distract the dogs from aggressive behaviors. Just be sure to buy your dog the right size of the bully stick.
FAQs
How often should a puppy chew on a bully stick?
Try to keep the duration to a maximum of two to three days a week. You can increase the frequency if you are keen on time monitoring per session.
How long should a dog take to chew a bully stick?
Bully sticks are rigid. Muscular dogs can have 30 minutes of chewing time, while smaller breeds can take up to an hour. The bottom line is to ensure you monitor the chew sessions.
Bully Sticks are Good for All Dogs
Bully sticks are great for both puppies and adult dogs. They offer excellent dental benefits that shouldn’t be ignored.
