Bully Sticks are made from one, high-quality ingredient, they are easily digestible, high in nutrients, satisfying for your dog to chew, and chemical free.

This is my comparison of Bully Sticks Vs Rawhide dog chews.

I am a long-time dog owner and dog walker and have experience using both of these dog chews. I also used the interweb and thoroughly researched both of these treats to provide you with the best information to make an informed decision for your pooch.

Both the bully stick and rawhide are products that dogs love to chew. But bully sticks are made from one natural ingredient, whereas rawhide is made from processed cowhide, often containing chemicals and artificial flavouring.

Let’s get started with an in-depth look at these dog chews.

Product Comparison

Bully sticks are made from a single ingredient, the pizzle of the bull, not the hide. Because bully sticks are made from muscle, they are easily digestible and don’t splinter.

Rawhide is made from the inner layer of cowhide. During processing, the hides are cleaned and cut or ground. They are then pressed into chewable dog treats. Some contain flavourings to make them more appealing to pooches.

Ingredient Quality

Bully sticks are made from a single ingredient, protein. They are usually hung to dry and cooked or smoked. 

Finding locally sourced bully sticks (or at least ones made in your country) is fairly easy to do. This is great because they are not spending their time in preservatives sailing around the world.

Rawhide chews on the other hand are made from the leather industry’s leftovers. Most hides are taken directly from the kill floors of slaughterhouses and placed into high-salt brines, which helps slow their decay. 

The majority of rawhide chews are manufactured in China, and it can take weeks to months before these brined hides actually make it to the tanneries for their final manufacture.

Once the hide arrives at a tannery, it is soaked and treated with lime to help separate the fat from the skin, the hair is removed by chemical and physical efforts, and the hide is rinsed again. Unfortunately, salt brines cannot prevent decay, no matter how long they delay it. It is best to fully rinse a rawhide in water prior to giving it to your dog.

Winner: Bully Sticks

Safety

Bully sticks are made from completely digestible protein. They are difficult to break up into small pieces, so do not pose much of a choking threat.

If a bigger chunk of the bully stick is accidentally swallowed, it is broken down naturally and absorbed in your dog’s body rather than causing a blockage in their digestive tract.

Most bully sticks are free from artificial ingredients like chemicals, additives, and preservatives.

Rawhide is a choking hazard if smaller pieces are broken off while chewing and swallowed. 

Rawhide should be taken away once it becomes small enough to swallow.

Some dogs have trouble digesting the rawhide. This could cause a blockage or damage to their stomachs if there are sharp edges. Surgery may be required to remove the blockage.

Rawhide is put through chemical washes in order to create their shape and texture. As well, rawhide is sometimes bleached or coloured using artificial dyes.

Some dogs are sensitive to the ingredients used during processing, which can cause digestive upset such as diarrhea.

Winner: Bully Sticks

Health Benefits

Bully sticks are rich in protein, magnesium, and calcium.

Beef is a complete source of amino acids, which supports your dog’s muscles, brain, skin, and coat.

Bully sticks are good for dogs with allergies or sensitivities as they are free from artificial chemicals, additives, and preservatives.

Rawhide contains very little nutritional value.

Winner: Bully Sticks

Teeth Health

Bully sticks help clean your dog’s teeth, support your dog’s healthy gums and fight inflammation.

Chewing and gnawing required to chew bully sticks helps scrape away plaque and buildup on teeth.

Rawhide starts off hard and will help clean your dog’s teeth.

Over time, they become soft and lose the cleaning power they once had.

Winner: Bully Sticks

Chewability

Bully sticks last from a few days to a few weeks depending on the size and chewing power of your pooch.

Bully sticks are tasty and will satisfy your dog’s urge to chew and hold their interest.

Dogs of any breed, age, or size can enjoy chewing on a bully stick, even puppies!

Rawhide lasts for weeks or months depending on the size and chewing power of your pooch.

The lack of flavour or scent of over-processed rawhide can mean that dogs may lose interest in it quickly.

Rawhide is not good for intense chewers as they tend to gnaw through it pretty fast, increasing the chances of chunks being swallowed.

Winner: Bully Sticks

Variety

Bully sticks are available in many sizes, including braided bully sticks and curly bully sticks.

Braided bully sticks are great for an enthusiastic chewer, whereas bully rings provide mental stimulation and challenge your pooch as they chew!

Rawhide chews have a large range of sizes and a variety of flavours.

Winner: Rawhide

Quality

Bully sticks are one single natural ingredient, muscle.

Rawhide chews are made from slaughterhouse leftovers. The hides used to make rawhide treats typically travel far and wide to China where they are eventually put through chemical washes in order to create their shape and texture.

They are then shipped back to Canada, and around the world, for your dog to chew.

Winner: Bully Sticks

Cost

Bully sticks are typically more expensive than rawhide chews.

Buying in bulk may save you some money.

Larger bully sticks will last longer than small ones, so they may be your best bet for savings.

Price is usually related to quality, better quality means bigger price.

Rawhide treats are more affordable.

Winner: Rawhide

Verdict

Bully Sticks are the winner of our Bully Sticks vs. Rawhide comparison.

Bully Sticks are made from one, high-quality ingredient, they are easily digestible, high in nutrients, satisfying for your dog to chew, and chemical free.

But, bully sticks do come at a higher cost, quality isn’t cheap!

The economical choice of rawhide might be OK for your dog if they are not enthusiastic chewers and swallowing large chunks is not an issue. It is possible to find chemical-free rawhide, but again, you’ll pay for higher-quality rawhide.

For my dog, Ollie, I skip the rawhide and go for the bully sticks. They’re not his everyday chews, he has antlers for routine chewing. Bully sticks are a nice treat he receives from time to time.