“What Is The Stink On Green Tripe”

What is green tripe you might ask and why do I care.  Well, you should care because your dog certainly does. The short answer to the question is green tripe is the lining of the stomach (one stomach with four chambers) of ruminant animals and are the only mammals that have tripe. Bovines, bison, moose, elk, deer, goat and lamb are great examples of ruminant animals.

If you are the nerdy type, you will like this next paragraph. Everyone else can skip it.

Ruminants are “Classified as hooved, cud-chewing animals with four-chambered stomachs, ruminating animals are the only mammals with a tripe, or a stomach lining specialized to digest plant material. When ruminating animals eat hay, grass and other plants, much of what they consume remains unchewed. The unchewed portions pass into two stomach chambers (the reticulum and rumen) where it is regurgitated, mixed with saliva and re-chewed. Once this mixture is swallowed, it passes through the other two stomach chambers where digestive enzymes, amino acids and various gastric juices further break down the material.” [1]

And yes, tripe does stink.   A LOT!!  But to your dog, it is an olfactory delight.  My Golden, Harriet, loves it and is the first thing she goes for on her plate.  Now that we know what green tripe is and where it comes from, how does feeding this stinky, human gagging stuff benefit your dog. There are many benefits, so let’s dig in.

As I mentioned, tripe is the lining of a ruminant’s stomach and is counted as a muscle meat, not an organ. It is rich in digestive enzymes, which aid the digestive process by breaking down food and making nutrients more accessible. Next, tripe is full of probiotics, the beneficial bacteria that help support gut health (ie. lactobacillus acidophilus) Tripe is aso a great source of amino acids which are the building blocks for protein.  However, tripe lacks the amino acid tyrosine, which needs to be gotten in raw meat.  Tyrosine, I have just learned, is important to keep the pigment in the fur of dark colored dogs. Could that be the reason that dogs go gray so early?  Tyrosine is necessary in order for a bitch to produce a healthy litter.  I will be looking into tyrosine some more.  Tripe is also rich in minerals and protein.  Tripe is outstanding for muscle development & joint health. It is important to note that we are talking about the lining of and not the contents of the stomach chamber.  According to wolf expert David Mech: “The vegetation in the intestinal tract is of no interest to the wolves, but the stomach lining [tripe] and intestinal wall are consumed, and their contents further strewn about the kill site.” [3]  Tripe is easy for most dogs to digest and is soothing to the digestive system. If you have a dog with an upset tummy, IBS or leaky gut, tripe is a great option and your dog will benefit greatly from it.

An analysis of a sample of the packaged frozen tripe was performed by Woodson-Tenant Laboratories, Inc. in Georgia. The results were what many people had speculated but never proven with scientific fact.

The calcium:phosphorous ratio is 1:1, the overall pH is on the acidic side which is better for digestion, protein is 15.1, fat 11.7 and the essential fatty acids, Linoleic and Linolenic, in their recommended proportions.

Also found was Lactobacillus Acidophilus, the intestinal bacteria that helps to balance the microbiome in your dog’s gut. Frequently depleted by stress, illness or antibiotics, lactobacilli in dogs helps pre

vent recurring diarrhea. Having this bacterium in your dog’s gut is very important. I have seen microbiome reports from dogs who had zero levels of this bacteria in their guts. Getting these dogs on green tripe was life changing for them and their owners. 

“Green tripe for dogs is a wonderful, nutritionally sound food. It offers almost a perfect calcium to phosphorus ratio, an ideal omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids ratio, and helps boost a dog’s immune system. Raw tripe is high in protein, iron, manganese, selenium, choline, B3, and B12, making this stinky food a great addition to your dog’s fresh diet.” [2]

The nearly perfect balance of calcium to phosphorous is mostly seen in bone. Green tripe is a great option for dogs who can’t eat raw bones, such as elderly dogs and dogs who have lost a lot of teeth or have none! Tripe also has a balanced ratio of omega 3 & 6 fatty acids.  These are things like EPA and DHA.  Owners who have added green tripe to their dogs (and cats) diet, have seen improvement in coat, teeth, energy, poops (helping both diarrhea and constipation) as well as general health. Since tripe is so easy to digest, the energy normally used to digest kibble can be used by the body for other functions.

In 2001, a woman named Mary Voss started a company named “Greentripe.com” She had been feeding her Afghan Hounds tripe for years and saw such huge benefits to her dogs that she wanted to share it with other dog owners. She has been the catalyst to bringing tripe to the attention of American pet owners. Below I have linked her article “No Guts, No Glory” and a link to a brief youtube video that Dirty Jobs did with her in 2008.

I hope I have inspired you to feed tripe to your dogs. Tripe can be added to your dog’s regular meal at about 15-30% of the total meal. I prefer to see it on the higher end. Remember that it is muscle meat so cut back on other meats and remember to put in those organs and bones.

Happy stinky trails to you and your dogs.

Dirty Jobs Fun with Tripe – YouTube

No Guts, No Glory…another chapter in feeding green tripe! by Mary C. Voss | Put the Pen to the Paper (wordpress.com)

[1] doggysdigest.com

[2] raisingyourpetsnaturally.com

[3] David Mech “Wolves: Behavior Ecology and Conservation” 2007