Home › Bully stick vs beef tendon: the same brands, side by side
Bully stick vs beef tendon: the same brands, side by side
Bully sticks and beef tendon chews are both beef chews, but they're made from different parts of the animal. Five brands in our directory sell both, so this page puts each brand's bully stick next to its tendon chew and quotes what the pages say about ingredients, origin, calories and shelf life. Where a page is silent, we say so. We don't pick a winner; your vet can help you choose for your dog.
Last checked 2026-10-28 · page updated 2026-10-30
Each brand's bully stick and beef tendon chew
Quoted from each brand's product page, checked 2026-10-28. "Not stated" means we found nothing on that page about it.
Watch: Bully stick vs beef tendon: what the labels say (1 minute)
A 1-minute summary of the table on this page (brand pages checked 2026-10-28/29). Information, not veterinary advice. Narration is computer-generated. Watch on YouTube · Nibbables on YouTube
Read the video transcript
This beef tendon page says Made in the USA. Scroll down to its FAQ, and the same page says these chews are sourced in Colombia.
Most people treat bully sticks and tendons as the same beef chew. They're not. All five brands' bully sticks list beef pizzle. Pupford's tendon lists beef Achilles tendon, and Nature Gnaws' tendon wraps add beef gullet.
If you buy tendons because you want them made in the USA, read past the badge. Pupford's page shows Made in the USA, and its FAQ says sourced in Colombia. Redbarn shows Made in the USA with globally sourced ingredients, and lists country of origin, Paraguay.
Some pages just say it plainly. Sancho and Lola's Closet says its flexor tendons are made in Colorado. Pawstruck says made in Paraguay.
And which lasts longer? We found no study that measures it. Sancho and Lola's even says its USA beef tendons will not be long-lasting for larger dogs. Pupford says it depends on your dog's size and chewing.
Supervise every chew and ask your vet. All eleven chews from five brands, quoted word for word with sources, are at nibbables dot com.
Bully stick vs beef tendon: what's the difference?
They're made from different parts of the animal. All five brands' bully sticks list beef pizzle (Redbarn: “Beef Pizzle.”; Sancho & Lola's Closet: “SINGLE INGREDIENT: 100% Beef Pizzle and nothing else.”). Their tendon chews list tendon or beef instead: Redbarn “Beef Tendon.”, Pupford “Beef Achilles Tendon”, Sancho & Lola's Closet “Single ingredient - beef.” Not every tendon chew is tendon alone: Nature Gnaws' wraps list “Ingredients: Beef Tendons, Beef Gullet”.
What lasts longer than a bully stick?
We found no study that measures how long bully sticks or tendons last. Brand wording varies even within one brand: Sancho & Lola's Closet calls its flexor tendon “Our toughest Tendon” but says of its USA Beef Tendons that they “Will not be long-lasting for larger dogs”. Pawstruck says its tendons' “firm texture provides hours of chewing satisfaction”, and Pupford answers its own “Will this last my dog a long time?” question with “It depends on your dog's size and chewing tendencies.” How long any chew lasts depends on its size and on how your dog chews.
Do beef tendons or bully sticks have more calories?
Most of these pages don't say, and the ones that do use different units. Redbarn lists “Calories: N/A” on both its pages. Pupford gives “About 170 kcal per chew” for its thick tendon (“These chews are about 3-5 inches long.”) and “Metabolizable Energy: 2,625 kcal/kg” for its skinny bully stick (“These chews are about 6 inches long.”). Nature Gnaws gives “About 70 calories per chew” for its 6-inch bully stick, and Sancho & Lola's Closet lists “3400 kcal/kg” for its USA Beef Tendons. A per-kilogram figure doesn't tell you what one chew contains, so these numbers can't be lined up directly; our bully stick calories guide covers the published study that measured bully sticks.
Are beef tendons made in the USA?
Some brands say so and some name other countries. Sancho & Lola's Closet says its flexor tendons are “Made in Colorado.” and its USA Beef Tendons are “made from American-sourced beef”. Pupford's tendon page shows “Made in the USA”, but its FAQ answers “Where is this chew made?” with “These chews are sourced in Colombia.” Pawstruck states “Made in: Paraguay”, and Redbarn lists “Country of Origin: Paraguay” while the same page also shows “Made in the USA with Globally Sourced Ingredients”. Nature Gnaws' wraps page doesn't state a country. Read the exact quote on each card before you buy.
The same five brands, side by side
Pawstruck, Redbarn, Pupford, Sancho & Lola's Closet and Nature Gnaws each sell both a bully stick and a beef tendon chew, so the table puts each brand's pages next to each other. Pawstruck and Redbarn give the same shelf life for both their chews (“36 months”). Pawstruck's bully stick page names six possible countries and its tendon page names one (“Made in: Paraguay”).
What veterinary sources say about tendon chews
The AKC's edible chews article has a section headed “Tendons and Other Animal Parts” and describes “Backstrap and other tendon chews” as “low in fat and high in protein and collagen.” Today's Veterinary Practice lists both bully sticks and tendons under “Other body parts” in its group of “Animal-derived products that have undergone minimal processing”. Neither source ranks one over the other here; ask your vet which chew suits your dog.
What each brand says about supervision
Each brand's tendon page asks you to watch your dog except Redbarn's, where we found no supervision line. Pawstruck says “we always recommend supervision while feeding your pet any treat or chew.”, Pupford says “Please monitor your dog whenever giving them a dog chew.”, and Nature Gnaws says “Always supervise your dog while they are chewing and provide plenty of fresh water.”
The same page also shows the line "Made in the USA with Globally Sourced Ingredients". It lists Calories as N/A and Shelf Life as 36 months. Both sizes showed as sold out when checked.
The page's FAQ answers "Where is this chew made?" with "These chews are sourced in Colombia." It states "About 170 kcal per chew" and "These chews are about 3-5 inches long."
Sancho & Lola's Closet: 6-Inch Standard Charcuterie Style Bully Sticks - No odor-Made in the USA
Ingredients (as listed)
SINGLE INGREDIENT: 100% Beef Pizzle and nothing else.
Made-in claim
CHARCUTERIE: Made in the USA.
Sourced-from claim
Sourced and Made in the USA
Rawhide-free?
They will never contain any rawhide.
Size / dog guidance
LIGHT CHEWERS: our 6" Standards will average .75-1.1oz in weight and are great for small dogs, medium dogs, puppies, and older dogs.
Supervision note
So, we recommend monitoring your pup when you notice they are chewing on anything.
Options on the page
Standard 10-Count
Standard 20-Count
Standard 40-Count
Note
"Sourced and Made in the USA" is in the page title; the product description says "Made in the USA". The rawhide line is from the founder's note on the page, about all of the brand's chews.
So, we recommend monitoring your pup when you notice they are chewing on anything.
Guaranteed analysis (brand label)
Crude Protein: Min 78% * Crude Fat: Min 7.0% * Crude Fiber: Max 2.0% * Moisture: Max 13%
Options on the page
8oz bag
16oz (2 x 8oz bags)
24oz (3x 8oz bags)
Note
The page says "Hoping to have these delicious Tendons back in stock mid November or sooner" and describes "Various shapes and sizes (9" -11"). Approx. 7-8 Tendons".
these grain-free, gluten-free, and rawhide-free chews
Size / dog guidance
perfect for power chewers and teething puppies of medium and large breeds
Supervision note
Always supervise your dog while they are chewing and provide plenty of fresh water. · remove any small, broken, or splintered pieces, and be sure to choose the appropriate size chew.