# Green Tripe--Yes or No?



## LindaP (Jan 14, 2010)

Hi All!

About to place a raw order with the wholesaler. What say you all about green tripe? Worth getting? I know there's mixed feeling about this.


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

If you can get real, raw, unbleached tripe, I say go for it, but be prepared for the smell!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Not worth getting in my opinion. Its not necessary at all in a carnivores diet, but there are some who swear by it. So you have to ask yourself if that is something you think is necessary to feed your dog.

But to answer your question, my opinion is no because wolves don't generally eat the lower digestive tract of their prey and that is what I base what I feed my dogs.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

I personally don't buy it because it's not what they would eat in the wild, but if you can find it unbleached and raw, then it won't do any harm. A lot of people swear it does wonders for skin and coat.


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## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

I've never fed it and probably never will. I don't see it as being something I'd spend my $$ on since I think it could be spent for better things like game meat.


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## rawfeederr (Sep 9, 2009)

YES!

Green tripe is great, SO much better than bleached.

Watch out for the smell though... LOL


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## TwoBoxers (Aug 29, 2009)

rawfeederr said:


> YES!
> 
> Green tripe is great, SO much better than bleached.
> 
> Watch out for the smell though... LOL


yep, ewwwh.
We feed it about 1x a month- We buy it from Oma's.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Feed it if you like! my dogs like!!!! Their coats look amazing and they are soft and silky, it has to be green which doesn't mean it will be green in color, just not processed. The enzymes are really what your after that are left in the traps of the stomach lining.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

whiteleo said:


> The enzymes are really what your after that are left in the traps of the stomach lining.


The problem is that they are enzymes used for digesting grass. Not much use to a dog. IMO tripe is way over rated. It is a good food but no better than any other part of the cow (or other animal) and not as good as some.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I'd guess you'd have to explain that to the raw food co-op list as tripe is the biggest order that is made on a every three month basis.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

whiteleo said:


> I'd guess you'd have to explain that to the raw food co-op list as tripe is the biggest order that is made on a every three month basis.


It's called "MARKETING".


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## Jem (Dec 17, 2009)

I was about to make an order for green tripe, but literally the next day after thinking about it something changed my mind. Right behind my backyard there was a deer kill from a local coyote pack. The ONLY things (besides large bones) that they did not eat were the stomach, its contents, and the intestines. Basically the whole digestive tract. That is exactly the same thing that you would be getting by feeding green tripe. If the coyotes CHOSE not to eat it, then why is it necessary for my dog to eat? The coyotes ate strictly meat, bones and organs (heart/liver/kidney etc.) Here is a photo of what they left behind. Sorry, it is pretty gross, but probably just as gross as green tripe.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Not quite, I think you need to do a little more research!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

whiteleo said:


> Not quite, I think you need to do a little more research!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Not quite what?

What needs to be researched more?


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

That is nothing what tripe looks like, cows stomachs are made up a whole lot different than a deer. And don't tell me that a wolf has never killed a cow...............


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## Jem (Dec 17, 2009)

whiteleo said:


> That is nothing what tripe looks like, cows stomachs are made up a whole lot different than a deer. And don't tell me that a wolf has never killed a cow...............


I know cows stomachs are a whole lot different than deer. But the contents are pretty much the same: vegetable matter. They may use different organs and processes to digest the matter, but it is all the same. They are herbivores, whether it is a deer, cow, elk, lamb, etc.....Its still vegetable matter that dogs DO NOT NEED in their diet. Seeing that the coyotes did not eat this from the deer gave me peace of mind that dogs do not need it either. Not to mention ALL the people I know who DO NOT feed their dogs green tripe, or any supplements or fruit or vegetables and their dogs are completely healthy!!

And I never said a wolf hasn't ever killed a cow. I think you are missing my point. My guess is (from what the coyotes did) that if a wolf pack killed a cow, they would not go straight for the stomach (tripe) and its contents. They would DEFINATELY eat the meat and bones.

I wasn't saying that that was a picture of the deers "tripe". It is a picture of its digestive system that contains the same contents and nutrients that green tripe would have.


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## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

whiteleo said:


> That is nothing what tripe looks like, cows stomachs are made up a whole lot different than a deer. And don't tell me that a wolf has never killed a cow...............


Doesn't matter the origin of the stomach. 



> "Wolves usually tear into the body cavity of large prey and...consume the larger internal organs, such as lungs, heart, and liver. The large rumen [, which is one of the main stomach chambers in large ruminant herbivores,]...is usually punctured during removal and its contents spilled. *The vegetation in the intestinal tract is of no interest to the wolves*, but the stomach lining and intestinal wall are consumed, and their contents further strewn about the kill site." (pg.123, emphasis added)
> 
> "To grow and maintain their own bodies, wolves need to ingest all the major parts of their herbivorous prey,* except the plants in the digestive system*." (pg.124, emphasis added).
> 
> ...





> The wolf's *diet consists mostly of muscle meat and fatty tissue from various animals*. Heart, lung, liver, and other internal organs are eaten. Bones are crushed to get at the marrow, and bone fragments are eaten as well. Even hair and skin are sometimes consumed. *The only part consistently ignored is the stomach and its contents*. Although some vegetable matter is taken separately, particularly berries, Canis lupus doesn't seem to digest them very well.
> 
> Reference: Kerwood Wildlife Education Center
> kerwoodwildlife.com





> *Wolves do not eat the entire stomach contents of their ruminant prey*, no. They do eat the stomach contents of smaller herbivorous prey like rabbits, rodents, fowl, etc. I've yet to see any documentary that shows a wolf disembowling a mouse and shaking out the stomach contents - yet wolves do eat mice on occasion.
> 
> Reference: Diet Guide for Domestic Dogs and Cats, Dr. Tom Lonsdale, Tom Lonsdale Veterinary Surgeon


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## Jem (Dec 17, 2009)

I just did a quick research on deer digestive system compared to cows (even though I am already familiar with it) and here is what I found:

"Whitetails, like most herbivores, are ruminants. This means they have a four-part stomach (Figure 3) and, like cattle, regurgitate food from their first stomach to "chew the cud," which aids the digestive process. As ruminants, deer can use many foods indigestible to humans and other nonruminants. A deer's stomach contains microbes that break down cellulose-the fibrous parts of plants-and ferment carbohydrates, thus providing energy and nutrients. This process is especially important for animals living on low-quality forage."

Taken from this site: Biology


DOGS= NONRUMINANTS


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I have to ask this...but what is it about green tripe that is all powerful?

The contents?

The intestinal lining?

The important parts of the contents in the digestive system that are needed by the carnivores who eat these ruminants are are metabolized by the ruminant. These nutrients are deposited to all the different tissues in the body of that ruminant. These are the organs, muscle meats and bones, which are the necessary components of the diet of the carnivore.

The contents that are discarded from the ruminant are excreted in the fecal matter. If this was a necessary component to a dog's/wolf's diet you would see them going around eating deer, cow and elk poop (although I know quite a few dogs who do this, but I think its more of a behavioral thing).


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I don't know, I"m going by people who have been feeding tripe to their dogs for 20 some years, they swear by the enzymes that are in it, so lets just agree to disagree. My dogs love it and I can AFFORD to feed my dogs the BEST of everything.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

whiteleo said:


> I don't know, I"m going by people who have been feeding tripe to their dogs for 20 some years, they swear by the enzymes that are in it, so lets just agree to disagree. My dogs love it and I can AFFORD to feed my dogs the BEST of everything.


EXACTLY! We all feed what we think is best. Everyone is entitled to that and their own opinions on it! There is absolutely no reason not to feed it if your dogs love it and you can afford it and don't mind the hassle of it smelling (idk if it actually does...)


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

whiteleo said:


> My dogs love it and I can AFFORD to feed my dogs the BEST of everything.


Woah now. What does this have to do with ANYTHING? lets not make income based attacks, we're all here trying to do what we feel is best for our dogs.


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## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

whiteleo said:


> I don't know, I"m going by people who have been feeding tripe to their dogs for 20 some years, they swear by the enzymes that are in it, so lets just agree to disagree. My dogs love it and I can AFFORD to feed my dogs the BEST of everything.


People have been feeding veggies for years too.... :wink: doesn't mean it has any health benefits.

It's great you can afford to feed your dogs the best. I personally would rather spend the $$ on some exotic game meat.

If it's something that's of such benefit I just wonder why it's been proven over and over that it's discarded in the wild??


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I'm not so sure it's been disproven, in danemama08 own words she said in another post that wolves have been known to eat the full carcass of smaller prey.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

But doesn't green tripe come from cows?

Its hard to pick out the lower digestive tract on a rabbit or other small mammal, but on a cow or other larger prey item it is easy for them to pick out what they want to eat and what they discard. That is why I said that they sometimes eat the stomach/intestines of smaller prey. I don't think that this can be compared to feeding green tripe in the slightest bit, unless you feed about 1 or 2 oz of it at a time.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

Lots of people feed Purina One or Ol' Roy and swear by it also. :biggrin:


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

So your comparing green tripe to Purina One and Ol' Roy, thats just downright ridiculous even coming from you RFD..


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

whiteleo said:


> So your comparing green tripe to Purina One and Ol' Roy, thats just downright ridiculous even coming from you RFD..


I'm not comparing either food to either other except they all have users who swear by them. I know lots of breeders who swear by Purina Puppy Chow. Been using it for 20 years and always had great results. At least in THEIR mnd.


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## Jem (Dec 17, 2009)

Needless to say, feed your dog green tripe if you want to. It will do no harm. We will continue not to feed it to our dogs because our dogs thrive without it and have beautiful skin and coats as well. like Jon said, we can spend our money on different meats that the dog can actually digest and use the nutrients from.


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

RawFedDogs said:


> I know lots of breeders who swear by Purina Puppy Chow. Been using it for 20 years and always had great results. At least in THEIR mnd.


The breeder where I got Aspen from has been using Purina Pro Plan for 20 years. She swears by it and she will not change ever.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

The point I was making is that just because a number of people swear by any food does not make that food good or healthy. I need logic to tell me why something is good.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Well, now that I'm up for work again. My proof and piece of mind comes from (if you all go back and look at posts that were posted about dogs and grass eating like cows) since feeding tripe to my dogs they have not the desire to go eat the grass like they were fighting for their lives. I DO BELIEVE THEY NEED THE ENZYMES....................


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

But they don't digest the grass they eat. They either throw it up pretty quickly or it comes out the back end twisted into a little rope. Don't know how they twist it like that but is sure is funny. :smile: In no way to they digest it. Although there is no known reason for them to eat grass, my guess is that it isn't for nutrition. It probably just tastes good. There are certainly no needed nutrients in grass. Sooooo ... enzymes for digesting grass are useless to a dog. Just as enzymes for digesting meat is usless to a cow.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

So maybe there is something in the juices they extract from chewing those grasses for just a little bit. Maybe those wolves get the amount of enzymes they need from those small prey that they eat the whole carcasses of. Ever think of that?


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## Jem (Dec 17, 2009)

whiteleo said:


> So maybe there is something in the juices they extract from chewing those grasses for just a little bit. Maybe those wolves get the amount of enzymes they need from those small prey that they eat the whole carcasses of. Ever think of that?


The wolves don't need the enzymes inside the preys digestive system because the wolf doesn't eat vegetables that will need help digesting. Like it has been said, in the wild wolves and coyotes do not eat the contents of the digestive system of larger prey. If they eat smaller prey, they likely ingest the whole prey. Not because they need the enzymes from their digestive system but because its such a small meal that they eat everything. Like danemama08 said, most dogs eat horse and cow poop as a behavioral thing. My dog eats it like its candy...not because she needs the nutrients in it. She simply likes the taste. Kind of like us and candy...we don't get anything nutritious from it, but we still eat it. If anything, the grass acts as fiber...some dogs eat grass if they have stomach upset or constipation. It helps get things moving...it comes out the same way it goes in. Just moves things along.


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## Jem (Dec 17, 2009)

also, even if dogs chew the grass, they still do not get any nutrients from it because they do not have the enzymes to break it down further for the body to actually use. They do not have those enzymes because they weren't designed/made/evolved (however you look at it) to eat plant matter!!! even cows have to chew it first, then regurgitate it, chew it more, and then it goes through their whole specialized digestive system!!!!


AND...my dogs still gobbles up kibble any chance she gets (when my parents dogs eat). That DOES NOT mean that her raw diet isn't complete or giving her all the nutrients she needs. It doesn't mean that the kibble has something in it that she is lacking. It means she loves kibble (heck its like frosted flakes!) and will eat it when she can.

Like I said, continue feeding tripe if you feel necessary. It sounds like you know what green tripe is, and what is in it, but before you tell us to do more research, i think you need to do a little more research on what canines really require in their diet and what their bodies are made to digest. Yes they do require many nutrients, some that are in plant matter, but those same nutrients are also in Meat, Bones (and bone marrow) and organs =)


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Yes, my dogs are on a complete balanced raw diet even before I started feeding tripe, all I know is that since I started tripe they do not feel the need to EAT GRASS............So theres got to be something to it when both my dogs stopped pushing me over to get to the grass clumps.


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## Jem (Dec 17, 2009)

whiteleo said:


> Yes, my dogs are on a complete balanced raw diet even before I started feeding tripe, all I know is that since I started tripe they do not feel the need to EAT GRASS............So theres got to be something to it when both my dogs stopped pushing me over to get to the grass clumps.


possibly the fiber. whatever works.


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