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What Is Green Tripe?

| Updated September 26, 2017

Green tripe is cow stomach lining. It's made up of stomach matter that hasn't been fully digested. The meat is chock-full of nutrients that are derived from cows' dietary intake. Since green tripe offers nutritional benefits to canines, it's sometimes part of their raw food diets. Note that this tripe is gray, not green. The "green" in the name refers to its significant chlorophyll levels.

Green Tripe and Digestion

Green tripe is extracted from the abomasum's lining. The abomasum is the fourth stomach of a cow. Green tripe is healthy for dogs because it consists of the beneficial fibers that come from cows' digested meals. This tripe contains enzymes and probiotics that ruminants require for digestion purposes. Because of that, it can also assist dogs in the digestion process. If your dog suffers from frequent constipation, green tripe in his diet may be able to help. Green tripe is often used to assist dogs who have irritable bowel syndrome and stomach upset.

An Abundance of Good Bacteria

Green tripe is packed full of beneficial bacteria called Lactobacillus acidophilus. The more beneficial bacteria a dog eats, the less room there is for undesirable bacteria in his body that can lead to possible illnesses. Some examples of undesirable bacteria include salmonella, E. coli, listeria and campylobacter.

Other Nutritional Benefits for Dogs

The nutritional benefits of green tripe go beyond just digestion and immune-system defenses. The digestive enzymes in green tripe are beneficial for blood purification. They eliminate fungi, parasites and toxins from the blood. These enzymes are useful for enhancing the hormonal processes and metabolism. Green tripe is also good for dogs because it can minimize the discomfort of outdoor allergies and even stop vaginal infections. Green tripe is believed to be able to enhance coat color and shine, nurture the skin, encourage healthy teeth and improve physical strength in dogs.

Purchasing Green Tripe

If you spot white rather than green tripe at the supermarket, don't feed it to your pet. Since white tripe is bleached, cooked, chemically treated or washed, it lacks the nutrients that are beneficial to dogs' health. Green tripe hasn't been washed or treated but has been quickly rinsed. As a result, it still has all of the nutritious components that are good for dogs. If you purchase green tripe for your pooch, refrain from cooking it. It must be given to dogs raw. Cooking it only eradicates the beneficial components of its enzymes and bacteria.

Owners who give their dogs raw food diets often buy green tripe in frozen or fresh form. This meat is often ground. Although butchers don't sell green tripe, pet stores sometimes do. Green tripe is also available through many online vendors.

Tips

  • The smell of green tripe is notoriously strong and is unpleasant to human beings. Canines generally go crazy for it. If you're uneasy about the smell, try to feed your pet dehydrated green tripe. The dehydrated version has a less pungent odor than canned or fresh green tripe.