We always hear about the positives of tripe, yet find a lot of dogs, especially when new to raw, just cannot seem to tolerate it. This blog explains the Good & the Bad to help you to make an informed buying choice.
What is Tripe?
Tripe is the stomach lining from a grazing animal such as a cow, deer, buffalo or sheep.
Sometimes, tripe is advertised as being "Green Tripe", this doesn't mean it is physically green to look at, it simply means it is raw & unprocessed. It will contain pre-digested plant matter as well as amino acid and gastric juices, which in this form, are very beneficial for dogs.
NOTE: White tripe, often found in a supermarket or some butchers, should never be fed to dogs. It is cleaned and bleached.
What are the benefits of Tripe for dogs?
Healthy Tripe can aid digestion.
Healthy Tripe is a great source of essential fatty acids (omega 6 & omega 3)
Healthy Tripe contains all 10 essential amino acids for dogs.
Healthy Tripe also contains potassium & B-Complex digestion.
What are the negatives that surround tripe?
The focus needs to be on healthy tripe. Tripe from an animal that is not so healthy will be higher in histamine.
When this lower quality tripe is fed, it can instigate allergy-like reactions in our dogs.
Tripe, whether healthy sourced or not, will carry a pungent smell. Dogs love it but humans often struggle to overcome the smell of it.
Poorly sourced tripe can be extremely high in fat.
Do we recommend feeding tripe?
YES!
As always, we recommend variety in the diet and this includes using different cuts of the animal so includes tripe.
However, we do recommend strongly that tripe is fed occasionally, not in every meal. Tripe does have it's benefits however over-feeding tripe or feeding poor quality tripe can lead to a build-up of histamine within the body which may result in allergy-like symptoms.
These allergy-like symptoms can include:
A gurgling tummy
Excessive wind
Yeasty smell from feet or ears
Itchier skin
Skin reddening
Hives
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
What makes a Healthy source of green tripe?
Sourcing tripe from animals that have been fed nothing apart from grass & mothers' colostrum all of it's life (this is called grass fed & finished) will mean a much healthier animal as many animals are fed other foods to fatten them up as this increases the farmers pay on the day of market.
Also looking at the welfare of the animal, was it wild? Was it pasture raised? Or was it kept in a barn most of its life?
The final aspect is to consider the usage of medications. The more medication an animal receives, the more impact this may have on its gut health.
NOTE: we do not recommend tripe being used during the first 3 weeks transition to raw due to the issues the histamine may cause
If you are not sure if something you feed contains tripe, be sure to check the ingredients breakdown on the packaging or ask the supplier or manufacturer.
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