What exactly is green tripe??

Most dog owners know that their doggies LOVE green tripe and that it smells gross... but do you know what it is and why it's a great thing to add to your doggies' diets?

We recently added K9 Naturals to our line-up of healthy foods - and they had a great overview of green tripe and we wanted to share some of the info with you:

"Tripe is the stomach of ruminating animals, such as sheep, cow, or deer. These animals have a stomach which consists of four chambers serving the purpose of regurgitating, chewing and mixing the food (grass in the case of New Zealand) with saliva. The final process then consists of breaking the food down further still; this is achieved by gastric juices and digestive enzymes. Green tripe is called so because of the fact that it hasn’t been cleaned or bleached. The colour is usually brown and can have a green tint to it from the grass the animal has eaten.

So how does this benefit a dog?

Well the same gastric juices and digestive enzymes which help the animal digest its food also help dogs do the same; this has the result in enabling a greater utilization of food. Furthermore green tripe is an excellent source of protein (60%) and fats (28%). In addition, Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) linoleic and linoleic acid are present in green tripe, thus helping in:

Well, the same gast

• Reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease
• Increasing energy production
• Regulating skin and joint inflammatory responses
• Improving general immune function

In addition, Lactic Acid Bacteria is also found in high levels within green tripe. Also known as lactobacillus Acidophilus, this so called “friendly bacteria,” is the main ingredient found in probiotics, helping break down complex food molecules and reducing the risk of developing coronary heart disease, Anderson, J, W and Gilliland S, E (1999).

By feeding green tripe to a dog, many associated health issues are successfully addressed primarily due to its ability to aid in the digestive process. These include not just general digestive conditions, but also symptoms associated with having Irritable bowel syndrome. In essence green tripe provides a dog with high quality protein, fats, essential fatty acids and an enhanced digestive system!

REFERENCES

Effect of fermented milk (yoghurt) containing lactobacillus acidophilus L1 on serum cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic Humans. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Vol. 18, No. 1, 43-50 (1999)"

At bow wow haus, you'll find freeze-dried, raw green tripe, canned tripe, tripe snacks and raw frozen tripe. If you're new to tripe, we definitely recommend starting with the freeze-dried variety - even the pickiest dogs LOVE it - and we find the smell a bit easier to handle!! :)

*Interested in learning more about feeding raw to your dog or cat?

Here's a good video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3wLTlqnMMg - or you can also

contact us at info@bowwowhaus.ca to schedule a free, private consultation with one of our

raw food experts at any of our shops.