How To Clean Your Bully Buddy and Keep Bully Sticks Fresh for Longer
A bully stick holder and safety device, like the Bully Buddy, can provide hours of entertainment and healthy stimulation for your dog - whether he likes to chew a bully stick quietly in his favorite corner, or toss it playfully around the house.
As with any chew holder or toy that gets slobbered on by your dog, cleaning it on a regular basis is a must!
Save yourself from sticky, smelly, bully stick fingers
Naturally, bully sticks become coated in your dog’s saliva as he or she chews them down. Saliva, combined with the sticky residue from the bully stick, can drip down and create a film on the bully stick holder that you might not want to touch (understandably so) and that, over time, gets icky and attracts dirt.
Time to wash! Here’s how to clean your Bully Buddy to keep it fresh for your pooch:
- Remove all debris and visible dirt with a quick towel wipe. Get the large pieces of food and dirt off before disinfecting.
- To disinfect, soak the Bully Buddy for 5-10 minutes in warm water and soap. Pro-tip: You can also use warm water and white vinegar if you are uncomfortable using soap on your dog’s chew products.
- Rinse the Bully Buddy under cold water and shake it to remove any excess water that may have gotten into its crevices. Then lay it flat to dry on a clean towel.
The Bully Buddy is 100% BPA free and dishwasher safe
You can put the Bully Buddy on the top rack of the dishwasher and run the machine on the hot cycle without any detergent. This method uses extremely hot water and high water pressure to sterilize it. Another advantage to washing the Bully Buddy in the dishwasher, especially during the first few months of use, is that it can help loosen up the orange tightening right, making it easier to twist and tighten when securing a bully stick.
Don’t worry about cleaning your Bully Buddy after each use - that is excessive. Cleaning it once or twice a month is enough to ensure the longevity of the product and keep your dog safe.
Properly store your dog’s bully sticks
Storing your bully sticks properly will ensure optimal freshness each time your pup is ready for a chew session.
Bully sticks themselves have a long shelf life. At Bow Wow Labs, our bully sticks are safe to eat up to a year after the purchase date. However, storing bully sticks in an air-tight container at room temperature will ensure they hold on to their moisture longer, which is partially why dogs love them so much.
Keeping bully sticks in a sealable, stay fresh jar is a great way to not only keep them as fresh as possible, but also conveniently accessible. If your dog doesn’t finish a bully stick in one sitting, you can store the half-chewed stick in the sealable jar to prevent bacteria from growing on it.
To keep half-chewed sticks fresh even longer, try storing them in the freezer. Not only will this keep bacteria at bay, but it will turn the bully stick into a longer lasting treat.
Related Resources
Why Dogs Love to Chew + How to Encourage Good Chewing Behavior
Can Bully Sticks Make My Dog Sick? Understanding the Health Benefits and Risks of Bully Sticks
What to Do If Your Dog is Choking - How to Recognize the Signs and Perform the Heimlich Maneuver
Photos by - Mike West
