What is Green Tripe?
Table Of Contents
So if you landed here, you may be wondering what is all the hype about Green Tripe? We are glad you found us, we would like to explain what it is and why its good for your dog. We first want to give a heads up. Raw green beef tripe does both look and smell nasty, however dogs love it! Some people actually eat the processed version of it, gag!
The green version of tripe is the unprocessed stomach lining of an animal that has been butchered for food. It is the nutrient rich part of an animals digestive tract. Tripe has a few different names depending on the animal that it is sourced from. The one commonly fed to dogs comes from Cows. It is often referred to as honeycomb tripe. Since the tripe comes from animals that are herbivores it usually has a green tint to it. It is called green because it has not been bleached or processed. The processed version of trip looses its green tint through bleaching and scalding with hot water.
The green or unprocessed tripe is the kind that should be fed to dogs. The processed tripe, which is usually white, is just like any other muscle meat. It is very well know that wild dogs and wolves consume most of their prey, including the digestive tract. The green tripe for dogs is loaded with the bacteria and enzymes that helped the harvested animal break down its food. Most of these do not exist in the dogs gut biome. It has been said these vital nutrients play an important role in the dogs digestion.
What are the Benefits of Green Beef Tripe For Dogs?
1 to 1 Ratio Calcium To Phosphorous
The unprocessed tripe has a good balance of calcium to phosphorous. According to the IVCjournal, tripe is found to have a ratio of nearly 1 to 1 calcium to phosphorous. Why is this important? Well for dogs with kidney disease, the food needs to have less sodium, phosphorous and protein. The lower phosphorous makes tripe a good raw food for dogs with kidney disease.
Helps Maintain Healthy Microflora In The Dog
One of the most important things contained in raw tripe is the healthy bacteria from the host animal. Consuming these bacteria can also help the dog maintain its own digestive flora.
The healthy bacteria in the dogs digestive tract also boosts the dogs immune system. The acidity of a dogs stomach usually kills pathogens like Listeria, Salmonella, E.coli, Yesenia, and Campylobacter. Any remaining pathogens can be starved out by the healthy bacteria.
Now it is true that some of this bacteria will die when exposed to oxygen, however some of it does remain. Eating green raw tripe is almost like giving your dog a probiotic. However, there is not an easy way to determine how much the tripe provides. The best way to get a regulated amount of probiotics for your dog is to use a supplement.
Contains Essential Minerals and Vitamins
Raw tripe that is still green contains many of the essential minerals that a dog needs to consume daily. Here are some of the main minerals that are found in the raw product:
- Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium, Zinc, Copper, Selenium
The unprocessed version also contains the following essential vitamins:
- Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B12, and Pantothenic Acid
What Is The Difference Between Green Tripe And White Tripe?
The main difference between the green and the white tripe you see at the grocery store is the process used to prepare it for human consumption. One of them is highly processed while the other is not. The processed version has most of the benefits for the dog removed.
Can you guess which one is processed? Hint – we want to feed our dogs the darker one!
Well, if you guessed the white tripe, you are correct. It is made fit for human consumption through a few different processes. Usually, it is placed in a large machine with warm to hot water and continually agitated to remove all of the loose particles of food. Once the food is removed, it is then soaked in tap water. Next, they remove the dark lining and either cook or pickle it after cutting it into smaller pieces. The green version is not for human consumption, so it is left untouched. Essentially it is straight from the animal. Usually it is rinsed off with water and that is it. The green version has a strong odor, which dogs happen to go nuts over. This is great for dogs especially ones that are picky eaters.
Are There Any Precautions That Should Be Followed With Tripe?
The raw tripe should be treated like any other meat that is used in raw food for dogs. Just like any other raw meat, children should not be allowed to handle it until they understand proper hand washing hygiene. The prep area should be kept clear of any items that should not come in contact with raw meat. Once the handling of the tripe is complete, the surface should be disinfected. Extra care should be taken in households with small children. I can’t stress this enough that children should not handle the raw meat.
There is one other very important thing to be aware of with raw tripe. There is the possibility of a tapeworm in the tripe that can lead to an infection in humans. please see below for more information on this harmful parasite.
What is Hydatidosis? Why is it important to be aware of it?
Hydatidosis is caused by a tiny tapeworm called Echinococcus Granuloses. This tapeworm causes a cyst inside its host called a hydatid cyst. A few months after the initial infection, this cyst will have thousands of new tapeworm heads. These tapeworms do not cause much of an issue with dogs. However, they are very good at spreading the infection to their owners.
Hydatidosis is caused when the tapeworm infection is transmitted to a human. These tapeworms can and will infect a human’s liver, lungs, kidney, sometimes bones and other organs. It can be very serious and difficult to treat. It also can take years to show up that they are infected.
So why is this important? The Hydatid cysts are often found in animals’ organs that get consumed by dogs. Once the dog gets infected, the tapeworm has an easy path to humans. The dog can pass large quantities of the worms in the fecal matter. This could get onto the dog’s fur which in turn gets touched by their human owners.
What meat is at high risk for Hydatid Cysts?
The highest transmission from animal to dogs comes from sheep. It is not recommended that you let your dog eat sheep tripe unless it has been inspected and cooked to kill the tapeworm pathogen. This problem seems to have a high concentration in areas where farms raise sheep. The older sheep are often harvested for food and the remains are fed to dogs. Once the dog eats the infected meat, the cycle continues.
How can you limit exposure of this hydatid tapeworm?
Only buy meat that comes from an inspected source or butcher. After the animal is harvested, the meat should be inspected for cysts. Any of the animals that do have the cysts should not be consumed by the dogs. It is best to buy only from a reputable butcher that have the meat inspected by proper officials. It is best not to buy meat from a local farmer unless they have proof that their meat is inspected for the tapeworm and other issues.
What can you do to kill the tapeworm?
These tapeworms can be killed by both heat and cold. Cooking of the tripe is a sure proof way to kill any tapeworms that might exist. The other method to kill the tapeworm is to freeze the tripe at -20 degrees for a period of at least 10 days. They cannot survive cold temperatures.
How Much Tripe Should a Dog Be Fed?
Some dogs have most of their diet as tripe, however if you are following the BARF model you should not do this. The Barf Diet for dogs says that the meal should contain about 70% muscle meat for adult dogs and 63% for puppies. If you haven’t guessed, Tripe is considered muscle meat. Tripe can be used a a main ingredient to hit the specified muscle meat but it should not be the only thing you feed your dog or puppy. The amount of tripe you feed your adult dog should be limited to around 10% of the dogs daily muscle meat requirement. It is always best to source the protein from a variety of different animal parts so you can get a good wide spectrum of balanced vitamins.
Is Raw Tripe Safe For Puppies?
Yes raw tripe is typically safe for puppies. It is also used by many breeders that are transitioning their puppies to a raw diet. Since the tripe has a good balance of calcium to phosphorous it makes it an ideal muscle meat for puppies.
Summary of Tripe
Raw tripe especially the green kind is an excellent muscle meat to feed raw fed dogs. It has a highly balanced calcium to phosphorous ratio which is great for dogs with certain ailments such as kidney disease. In the unprocessed form, the tripe contains vitamins, minerals and some beneficial bacteria that will act almost like a probiotic for the dog. This unique meat can be used to start puppies off on a raw diet or can be incorporated into a picky dogs meals to bulk up on healthy calories. Just a word of advice, only buy green tripe from butchers that have the meat inspected. If you suspect it has not been inspected, freeze the meat for at least 10 days at -20’C to kill the possible tapeworms pathogens. Use safe handling precautions like you would with any other meat! Clean the surfaces after cutting up the tripe. Store it in containers that do not allow exposure to other food or surfaces. Do not allow the tripe to defrost on the counter, always defrost inside the refrigerator.
Where can you get tripe for your dog?
- Website: Amazon sells both canned and dried treats for dogs that are made from green tripe.
- Farmers Market: Your local butcher may have tripe available, just make sure it is from inspected animals and preferably cow.
- Ethic Markets: Some ethnic markets may also carry tripe, it is most likely going to be the processed version though.
