Benefits of Tripe in a Raw Dog Food Diet

Tripe is the nutrient rich, edible lining of a farm animals’ stomach. Typically beef and lamb, with beef being the most common. As cows have four stomachs, this means they produce four different types of tripe which vary in appearance although, each one as nutritious as the other:

• Rumen, stomach chamber one (Blanket Tripe)
• Reticulum, stomach chamber two (Honeycombe Tripe)
• Omasum, stomach chamber three (Book Tripe)
• Abomasum, stomach chamber four (Reed Tripe)

Tripe can be prepared in different ways. Usually, the tripe you source from a butcher or from grocery stores will look white in colour. This means the tripe has been bleached and often cooked (mostly for human consumption). This process reduces the nutritional value.

The tripe commonly used for raw dog food, is ‘green’ tripe (this is what we use here and can be any of the four varieties mentioned above). This is often brown in colour and can have a green tint to it if the animal is grass fed. This tripe has not been bleached or cooked. This is the tripe you want for your dogs as it is the most nutrient rich. Tripe is actually more nutrient dense than muscle meat.

Don’t be alarmed, this is normal! Tripe is not the prettiest of products and can vary in appearance and smell. Why does it smell so bad? Because it is the lining of the animal’s stomach where digestive fermentation begins. The smell can be of little odour to incredibly pungent. So do have your nose pegs and candles at the ready around your dogs dinner time. The offensive smell often leads people to believe it is off, this is not the case. All our products are checked and tested before they leave our premises so the chances of a bad batch of tripe being distributed, is near on impossible.

‘We often have people new to raw feeding contact us regarding the look and smell of tripe suspecting it is off, this is not the case, tripe is naturally very smelly and looks strange. We will always reassure you if you ever have any concerns and hopefully the above information should give our readers some peace of mind.’ – Esther, In House Raw Feeding Expert and Customer Service Supervisor.

One of the benefits of having a strong smell is, it can entice picky eaters. Dogs who are fussy usually cannot resist the pungent smell of tripe.

Take a look at the photo below. These show how different tripe can look in colour, even when from the same animal. The three pieces of tripe below are from a fresh delivery of lamb tripe we received, all from the same batch, all perfectly safe and packed with nutrients and different in colour.

Green tripe is so packed full of goodness, it is often referred to as a superfood. It includes a great balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids which act as an anti-inflammatory. It also contains Lactobacillus Acidophilus which is a good bacteria that originates from the gut, this is why tripe acts as a probiotic too. It is rich in digestive enzymes which help to break down food making nutrients more easily absorbable. Tripe has also been used to treat chronic constipation, ease symptoms of IBS and enhance the immune system too. Due to the low level of phosphorous in tripe, it is suitable for dogs with kidney issues.

To conclude, tripe improves gut health, aids digestion, boosts immunity and is a good source of the essential Omega fatty acids. It is a wonderful addition to your dogs diet and whilst it may not be pleasant for us humans to serve up, you can be assured the nutritional benefits for your furry friend are outstanding.