What are bully sticks made from?
Bully sticks are made from a single ingredient, 100% beef. The beef they are made of comes from a bull’s pizzle or penis. Yep. In many parts of the world, humans actually eat this product for the same health benefits that our dogs enjoy from bully sticks - bully sticks are low in cholesterol while high in protein, vitamins and minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Check out our article,
How Many Calories Are In A Bully Stick
, to find out more nutritional information on our bully sticks, how to calculate the daily calories your dog may need, and how bully sticks may fit into your dog’s diet.
How are bully sticks made?
Bully sticks are made from 100% beef, more specifically, the bull’s pizzle or penis. The process begins with the bull’s pizzle, typically 24”-36” long. The raw pizzle is trimmed of fat and cut down the center to release fluids and then the bully stick is washed in a tub or tumbler of clean water to separate any remaining residue and fluids from the raw pizzle. The smell of bully sticks comes from these fluids (or the raw material not being fresh or stored properly), so this cleaning process is a key step. In the next stage, the raw pizzle is cooked in an oven (some manufacturers that we don’t use will air/sun dry rather than using an oven) for several days at a relatively low temperature to remove moisture and kill bacteria and turning the bully stick from its pliable raw material to its hard, stick finished form. The bully sticks are then cut into pieces, often of varying sizes, generally to 6” and 12”. Having fresh raw material, proper cleaning practices (without chemicals or anything other than water), and the proper cooking times and temperatures are critical to making high-quality, all-natural bully sticks with minimal odor. If you want to learn more about our process in making our bully sticks, check out our article,
The 5 Fascinating Steps to Making a Bully Stick
. Our bully sticks are 100% all-natural and made with no chemicals, but to learn more about one chemical that is being used by some in the industry, sodium metabisulfite, please see
What Are Bully Sticks Made of? Beware of Sodium Metabisulfite
.
When should I give my dog a bully stick?
How long do bully sticks last?
The shelf life of a bully stick from the time it is produced is 2 years making bully sticks not only a long-lasting product once your dog gets a hold of one, but also beforehand. Any bully stick you receive from Bully Bundles will have at least 18 months of shelf life remaining.
Are bully sticks safe?
Yes! Bully sticks are a 100% digestible dog chew that are made from just one ingredient, beef. Our bully sticks are baked in an oven to kill off bacteria, contain no pesticides, preservatives, or chemicals whatsoever, are produced at a human-grade facility and are USDA and FDA approved. Unlike some other bully stick companies, Bully Bundles does not use sodium metabisulfite, which can reduce the odor of bully sticks and achieve what some believe is a more desirable color, but is deemed unsafe in meat products by the FDA. With the proper practices (using fresh and safely stored raw material, cleaning and trimming of the raw material, and using the appropriate cooking times and temperatures), sodium metabisulfite is not needed to produce truly low odor bully sticks. To read more about sodium metabisulfites in bully sticks, check out our article,
What Are Bully Sticks Made of? Beware of Sodium Metabisulfite
. Additionally, bully sticks do not have the same risk of breaking into sharp pieces - and potentially lodging in your dog’s intestines - that many other popular dog chews have, such as rawhide or antlers. Nevertheless, as with any dog treat or chew, when feeding your dog a bully stick, make sure he has plenty of water available. Keep an eye on your dog and remember that bully sticks are not intended to be swallowed in large pieces. While most dogs don’t, if you are concerned about your dog trying to swallow the last couple inches of the stick, you can use a bully stick holder to prevent that. Check out our article,
Bully Stick Holders: The Ultimate Guide
, to learn about which bully stick holders we found to have the strongest hold and to help you decide which bully stick holder might work best for your dog. You can also purchase a Bully Grip bully stick holder, one of the options that tested best for us, from our
non-subscription shop here
.
Can puppies have bully sticks?
Yes, bully sticks are safe for puppies! Because puppies may have more sensitive stomachs, you can ease them into bully sticks by letting them chew on the bully stick for a little before removing it to see how their stomach may handle it. As with any dog treat or chew, when feeding your dog a bully stick, make sure they have plenty of water available. Keep an eye on your dog and remember that bully sticks are not intended to be swallowed in large pieces. While most dogs and puppies don’t, if you are concerned about your dog trying to swallow the last couple inches of the stick, you can use a bully stick holder to prevent that. Check out our article,
Bully Stick Holders: The Ultimate Guide
, to learn about which bully stick holders we found to have the strongest hold and to help you decide which bully stick holder might work best for your dog. You can also purchase a Bully Grip bully stick holder, one of the options that tested best for us, from our
non-subscription shop here
.
Are there any creative ways to use bully sticks in an enrichment plan?
Yes! There are many ways you can incorporate bully sticks into your dog’s enrichment plan. For some easy ways to add bully sticks into your dog’s life, check out our article,
7 Ways to Increase Mental Stimulation for Your Dog Using Bully Sticks
.
Can I buy just one bundle at a time?
Absolutely. To buy just one bundle (or multiple bundles without a subscription), please visit our Non-Subscription Shop
here
(bullybundles.com/shop). Feel free to order from here as often as you'd like!
Do you sell bully sticks wholesale or in bulk?
Where do you ship?
We ship anywhere in the world. Shipping in the US is always free.
What carrier will be used to deliver my bully sticks to me?
Most shipments will ship via USPS (United States Postal Service). Larger shipments will ship via UPS (12" bully sticks - bundle of 15, 30, or 60, or 6" bully sticks - bundle of 60 or 120 - or possibly if you order multiple different items in the Non-Subscription Shop).
If you are international your shipment will ship via USPS no matter the order.
How long will it take for my package to arrive from purchase?
3-7 business days if you are in the US. 1-3 weeks if you are outside the US.
How much does shipping cost?
Shipping in the US is free and always will be. For international shipments, we only charge you what our incremental cost is to ship outside the US. This cost depends on what country you are in and what size bundle you have ordered. Please see below for pricing detail:
USA
Free, always.
Canada
6" - Bundle of 6: $7
6" - Bundle of 10: $12
6" - Bundle of 15: $11
6" - Bundle of 30: $9
6" - Bundle of 60: $23
12" - Bundle of 5: $11
12" - Bundle of 10: $7
12" - Bundle of 15: $14
12" - Bundle of 30: $23
Rest of the world
6" - Bundle of 6: $11
6" - Bundle of 10: $19
6" - Bundle of 15: $18
6" - Bundle of 30: $16
6" - Bundle of 60: $44
12" - Bundle of 5: $18
12" - Bundle of 10: $15
12" - Bundle of 15: $25
12" - Bundle of 30: $44
How do I reach customer service?
Simply email us at woof@bullybundles.com.
We will respond on business days within 24 hours of your inquir
y (but hopefully much quicker than that).
Why am I being charged sales tax?
We are based in Chicago, Illinois and the state of Illinois requires us to charge sales tax on all orders shipped to an Illinois address.
