ALL NATURAL Premium Free-Range Bully Sticks and Chews

We believe many health issues arise from preservatives, sugars, heavy processing, antibiotics, growth hormones, and harmful insecticides and chemical fertilizers in food production. For that reason, we are always looking for the best treats for our canine family. And, in our quest to find the best bully sticks available, we learned some important albeit expensive lessons!

We knew that it was important to find a free-range, grass-fed protein product, and initially ordered Bully Sticks from Top Dog, a new company on the market. However, we were upset when we found the sticks to not be odor-free. So, we tossed them out and went with the Free Range Dog Chews Company, as they advertise having odor-free products. Placing the minimum $300 order, we were now happy, as indeed, these Bully Sticks were odor-free.

Unfortunately, that happiness was fleeting as further research about issues related to odor and also irradiation came to light. It turned out that the odor-free quality was the result of chemical processing, and that radiation was utilized as well. However, Top Dog did not employ these methods, our original purchase from them actually having been the smarter one after all. Although a costly learning experience, we can now feel confident that we are providing the best treats of this kind for all of our canine friends.

BULLY STICKS 101
All Bully Sticks are not created equal. The first thing to consider when purchasing bully sticks is the country of origin. Most of the bully sticks found in major pet stores are from India or other parts of the world outside of South America. The living conditions of people and livestock in these countries is less than appealing, and as such, Top Dog only sells product from free-ranging South American cattle. These cattle are considered to be “green cattle” as they are given NO hormones, NO antibiotics, NO steroids, and they are fed NO feed. These cattle typically graze freely on open, wild grass fields, and drink from fresh springs and streams. They grow slowly and naturally, fed NO corn to make them big and fat. Many ask why not buy bully sticks from North American cattle. The reason for this is that most of the cattle in the US are kept in feedlots and encouraged to grow at a much faster rate (via growth hormones) than that of free-ranging cattle.

Another difference between bully sticks on the marketplace is whether or not they are vertically drained and then baked. It is much cheaper to sun dry bully sticks and other natural treats, but
it is much riskier as potential diseases and bugs can enter the product much more easily. All
of Top Dog's treats and chews are baked—which is more expensive—but this allows for the quality of the product to remain quite high.

All-Natural Bully Sticks are truly different. Most of the bully sticks on the market are irradiated—Top Dog's are not. This is due to the fact that irradiation actually destroys nutrients and creates new chemicals in food (learn more about irradiation here). All of Top Dog's products, that are exported from Brazil, are first inspected by the country's Ministry of Agriculture in accordance with international sanitation standards. Since 1990 Brazil has not registered a single case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease), the European Union classifying Brazil as being among those countries with the least chance of developing the disease. Top Dog products are then evaluated by both the FDA and USDA, approved without problem or disease.

Who says size doesn't matter? For safety reasons, we only recommend chews 12 inches in length, and in the highest width possible. Many companies advertize bully sticks, using various descriptors, such as. standard, thick, very thick, jumbo, and/or premium. Top Dog Treats honestly does stand behind their name, and has guaranteed us that premium thick bully sticks will be just that. When their Premium 12" Thick sticks are ordered, they are hand-picked to guarantee quality and size consistency.

To the dog, the whole world is a smell. Although our furry pals love stink, we tend to want to mask what we believe are offensive odors. But, a totally natural product will automatically retain an associated odor. Bully Sticks are an all-natural beef product and as such should have some odor to them. If you ate a banana or even a steak, the expectation is that it would smell like a banana or a steak, and if it didn't, you'd certainly be suspect. Many manufacturers currently selling bully sticks wash their products in peroxide and other chemicals which are not healthy. However, the result is a product that has no smell at all. We prefer to offer products which are truly all-natural, and as such, they are going to have a slight odor.

SAFETY can never be stressed enough! We only recommend and sell chews that are thick and 12 inches in length, despite the size of the dog. While some dogs are slow and methodical chewers, others can be quite aggressive when greeted with such a treat. It is always important to remember that you MUST supervise your dog when utilizing this, or any kind, of chew. We keep our Alfie in the same room with us and watch him as he slowly chews and softens and ingests his chew. When it gets to about 4 inches in length, we take it away and toss it out. In that way, we do not need to worry about him ingesting a large piece.