Green tripe is the unbleached stomach of ruminants such as cows and sheep. The tripe reserved for human consumption is bleached and carries none of the health benefits of unbleached, green tripe.
The green color comes from the undigested grass and hay that the animals eat. The color can even be almost black or gray in some cases. The word green is used to distinguish it from the bleached tripe.
The health benefits are many, including better digestion and healthier teeth and jaw muscles. The tripe contains many amino acids that few dog foods have. It has a calcium to phosphorous ratio of 1:1 , magnesium and potassium. Complex B-vitamins, vitamins A,E,C and D, as well as Omega-3′s. It also contains Lactobacillus Acidophilus. The good stuff found in yogurt.
When combined with a raw diet or with kibble of good quality, tripe can aid in better and smaller bowel movements, healthier skin and coat and more vitality in older dogs.
Sick and elderly animals can greatly benefit by having a small portion added to a daily diet. Especially those with kidney and liver issues.The enzymes in the tripe help with kidney and liver function. Some breeders swear that the moment they added tripe to an elderly dogs diet they had more energy.
Breeders in Europe have been feeding tripe for years and years. It has just recently caught on here in the U.S. along with the raw diets. Just as a personal note, I have been feeding a raw diet combined with tripe for quite some time. My dogs have great coats, healthy teeth and don’t need bathing as often as when I fed strictly a kibble diet.
The gastric in the tripe are wonderful for cleaning teeth and the rubbery, stringy texture works a little like dental floss, getting in between those back teeth that are so hard to take care of.
Picky eating dogs will all come running the minute you take off the lid! Just be warned…the stuff smells bad, I mean really bad! This is only for the fresh or frozen tripe. You can get it freeze dried or canned, although a little of the nutrients get lost in processing. It is all still a wonderful addition to your pets diet. Please take some time and research the benefits of tripe and I believe that you will all agree that your pet should have this tasty…but smelly…addition to their diets.
