Become a chew expert

Vet Sourced

Practical, honest guides on natural chews — sizing, safety, and what actually keeps dogs busy.

A shiba inu lying on a hardwood dining-room floor with a plain dried chew stick between its front paws

Dried, Freeze-Dried or Raw: Which Tripe Still Has Anything Live In It?

No. The probiotic and enzyme claim belongs to raw green tripe. Freeze-dried tripe is still raw; a dried stick is not, and carries no live count you can check.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

A shih tzu sitting on a woven living-room rug scratching at one ear with a hind leg in daylight

Which Proteins Dogs Are Allergic To: The Ranked Evidence

Beef tops the dog food allergen ranking: 102 of 297 dogs, or 34%, then dairy 17% and chicken 15%. The table, its limits, and the lamb figure that gets misquoted.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

A german shepherd lying on a hardwood floor with its head flat on the boards and its teeth visible at rest

Can a Bully Stick Break a Tooth?

Yes, any hard chew can — and the tooth at risk is the big upper cheek tooth, not the fang. Veterinary sources disagree on where pizzle sits. What lowers the risk.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

A Siberian husky sitting on a kitchen tile floor looking up at a closed stainless steel refrigerator door in cool daylight

Raw Green Tripe vs Dried Tripe Sticks: What Drying Removes

Raw green tripe and dried tripe sticks are one lining at two water contents. What drying costs, what the FDA sampling found in raw, and what it never tested.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

A metal measuring cup sitting in a clear bin of dry kibble on a pantry shelf, with a cream poodle mix waiting out of focus in the doorway behind

Cutting Back Kibble on Chew Days: When It Matters

Cut the bowl on chew days once the chew tops about a tenth of your dog's daily calories. The amount to hold back, and the floor to stop at.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

A brindle great dane lying on a wide plank wood floor in a house entryway with a person's hand resting on its shoulder

Can a Bully Stick Cause a Blockage? Choking and Obstruction Differ

Yes, and length is the variable you control: a piece only jams once it is small enough to swallow whole. How choking, an esophageal lodge and a blockage differ.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

A small tan chihuahua lying on a woven rug beside a much larger harlequin great dane in a sunlit living room

The 10% Treat Rule: What Counts as a Treat and What Vets Say

Treats, chews and scraps stay under 10% of your dog's daily calories, with 90% from a complete food. VCA aims lower, at 5%. Here is what counts.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

A large black-and-tan shepherd-mix dog lying on a mudroom floor beside an empty rubber feeding mat, with rubber boots and coats by the back door

Hooves and Marrow Bones: Two Injuries Vets See Constantly

We don't sell cow hooves or marrow bones. Both are hard enough to shear a carnassial tooth, and a hollow marrow ring can lock around a dog's jaw.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

A german shepherd lying relaxed on a living-room rug with a natural dried chew stick between its front paws, a person seated on the sofa behind it

Do Bully Sticks Make Dogs Aggressive? Resource Guarding Explained

No, a bully stick cannot make a dog aggressive. It can be valuable enough to trigger resource guarding, and the research says worth is the variable.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

A pembroke welsh corgi sitting on a wooden floor looking upward, with an old dial kitchen scale on the wooden counter above it

How Many Calories Are in a Bully Stick? The Measured Answer

Roughly 15 calories per inch, so a 6-inch bully stick lands near 90. The one lab measurement, the 9-to-22 spread behind it, and how to weigh your own.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

A gloved hand gently lifting the lip of a cavalier king charles spaniel to show its teeth on a padded mat on a kitchen counter.

Do Any Natural Chews Clean a Dog's Teeth? What the VOHC List Shows

A VOHC seal means a chew beat dry food, not a toothbrush. No natural chew of any brand has run that trial — unmeasured, not failed. What chewing really does.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

A boxer lying calmly on a living-room rug with a plain natural chew between its front paws while a person sits on the floor beside it.

Can a Dog Choke on a Bully Stick? The Stub Is the Hazard

Yes, but almost only at the end, once the stub is small enough to swallow, which is exactly what the stub rule prevents. How choking and a blockage differ.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read