Bison vs. Beef Dog Treats and Chews
When a dog treat or chew says bison, you know it comes from either the US or Canada. The term buffalo means it's a different animal. Buffalo are native to Asia and Africa. Both bison and buffalo are in the bovidae family, but the two are not closely related.
When a dog treat or chew says beef, it can literally be sourced from anywhere in the world with a very good chance of it coming from Central and South America. We believe all beef dog chews and treats should be sourced from the US. Why? There are a fair number of unscrupulous companies that work hard to maximize profit while minimizing best practices. The standards in foreign countries are often lower and enforcement less consistent than those in the US. For example, beef from Brazil was banned from entering the US at one time because of payoffs to officials who looked the other way for cash leading to subpar and low quality product.
Ensuring high quality standards is even worse when purchasing finished treats and chews from foreign countries. Feed, humane treatment of animals, slaughter and processing practices, cooking and stabilization of products all gets murkier when it is not made in the USA.
Bison has a far simpler path to your dog's stomach. Bison treats and chews when given a choice wins out over beef for a number of reasons: bison are year-round grazers feeding on primarily grasses, not grains. They are kept healthy but not given feed lot additives to artificially boost immune response as cattle receive. No growth hormones are used. Evidence suggests that when growth hormones are used, such as in cattle, they are ultimately passed on to the consumer - in this case your beloved dog. Since there are very few bison processors in the US, traceability is much better - determining where the animal came from much easier.
Bison chews and treats are also more agreeable to dogs with digestive issues, sensitive stomachs and allergies. Due to the fact that Bison are grass/range fed and are not given growth promotants and unnecessary antibiotics, there is far less for a dog to react to in Bison dog chews and treats. Plus, from our experience most dogs simply prefer the flavor of Bison chews over Beef chews.
At GREAT DOG, we, of course, sell both bison and beef dog chews and treats. All of our products are sourced and made in the US. However, we still have a preference for bison chews and treats over beef for the reasons listed above.
Additionally, at GREAT DOG all our chews and treats are cooked in local, federally inspected, human grade facilities using only heat and natural wood smoke to preserve our treats and chews. Safety is key. We don’t use preservatives, additives, mixers, extruders or blenders to make our products.