Unlocking the Nutritional Benefits of Tripe: Why Your Dog Needs Tripe in Their Diet

What is beef tripe? Is green tripe something different? Is tripe healthy for dogs and cats? You may be surprised to discover that this superfood is the supreme supplement for your pet’s dinner. That’s why we’ve put together this guide with everything you need to know about the green tripe dogs love, including the scoop on tripe nutrition, the different kinds of tripe, and how to feed it to your pet.

Tripe is the unprocessed stomach of a ruminating animal such as a cow or sheep, including the stomach’s contents (partially digested vegetative matter). No part of that sentence likely sounds appealing to us as humans, but for our little carnivores, tripe is a delectable feast. Tripe would be a natural part of your dogs’ and cats’ ancestral diet, as wild predators will consume their entire prey (including whatever their prey has recently eaten).

Tripe is generally discarded by most butchers — but once you understand tripe nutrition, you’ll realize that this smelly supplement provides many health benefits to our furry four-legged pals.

Raw green tripe contains:

• Probiotics to promote healthy gut bacteria

• Digestive enzymes (including the ones that carnivores can’t make themselves, like amylase)

• The perfect balance of calcium to phosphorus (1:1 ratio)

• The perfect ratio of omega 3s to omega 6s

• A high concentration of amino acids

• Several key nutrients, such as choline and calcium

• High levels of vitamins and minerals

As Innovative Veterinary Care points out:

“Dogs and cats do not naturally produce amylase, so the nutrients present in vegetative matter are not readily available to them. Raw green tripe contains not only digestive enzymes, but in most cases, some pre-digested green matter as well. This combination of enzymes and nutrients provide pets with a nutritional powerhouse.”

Types of Tripe and Which is Best For Dogs or Cats

Green Tripe vs. White Tripe

White tripe or honeycomb tripe can be found in some supermarkets as food for either dogs or humans. As its name suggests, it is skeletal-white in appearance. White tripe has been heavily processed, bleached, and boiled and has lost almost all of its nutritional value by the time it reaches the supermarket shelf. Supermarket tripe is not a good choice for your pets.

Green tripe, on the other hand, isn’t necessarily green (it may be, but raw tripe is typically greenish-brown). “Green” simply means the tripe has not been treated or bleached and is, therefore, a raw, natural option for your companion carnivores.

Beef Tripe vs. Lamb, Goat, or Pork Tripe

Tripe can come from the stomach of any livestock animal, including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and even buffalo. Any kind of tripe can be a healthy option for your pet, but it’s crucial to ensure the tripe you purchase is responsibly sourced in order to get the full nutritional benefits.

Beef tripe is the most common type. Here at Vital Essentials, our beef tripe is USA sourced and free from added hormones or antibiotics.

Canned Tripe vs. Freeze-dried Tripe vs. Frozen Tripe

Once you start looking for green tripe for dogs, you’ll quickly realize that green tripe is available in many different forms. You should feed your pet a tripe that has not been cooked or treated with heat, which causes the healthy enzymes and probiotics to break down.

Canned or Dry Tripe: Canning is a form of processing that requires heat, which means some sensitive enzymes that break down easily are lost during the process. Tripe can also be found as a dry kibble, which has been baked, processed, and combined with other ingredients, losing much of the nutritional value naturally present in raw green tripe.

Freeze-Dried Tripe: This option may be the perfect balance of nutritional goodness and maximum convenience. “Fast” freeze-drying processes do require partial cooking, but Vital Essentials’ proprietary “slow” freeze-drying method does not cook the tripe — and therefore locks in all those healthy enzymes and nutrients.

Frozen Tripe: You really can’t get much rawer than this. Frozen beef tripe is the perfect single ingredient supplement that stays as fresh as if you picked it up from the butchers yourself. Just thaw and feed.

Circumstances When Tripe Benefits Your Pet the Most

Tripe is a healthy option for dogs or cats of any age or breed, but its unique balance of vitamins and nutrients is especially useful for pets facing certain challenges or circumstances.

Green tripe is heartily recommended for pets who are:

• Experiencing digestive or gastrointestinal distress.

The probiotics and digestive enzymes in green tripe fuel the healthy bacteria in your dog’s gut, so their entire digestive system works as it should. (Hint: Tripe is especially helpful for constipation, as it “keeps things moving!”)

• Pregnant or nursing mothers

With its amazing levels of protein, vitamins and nutrients (including many essential amino acids that are only found in trace amounts in typical dog foods), green tripe is perfect for keeping Mama Dog healthy and her pups growing up strong.

• Picky eaters

The strong scent of green tripe encourages even picky eaters to give it a try — and once they do, nearly every dog in the world finds the taste of tripe irresistible!

• Struggling with weight issues

If your pet is trying to put weight on, the intriguing scent of tripe triggers their appetite! On the other hand, if your pet is trying to lose weight, green tripe’s high protein content makes them feel fuller and can replace carb-heavy calories in their diet with protein-based, healthier calories.

• Poop eaters

There are many reasons a dog may indulge in poop-eating (i.e., coprophagia). One cause for some dogs is a lack of sufficient digestive enzymes in their normal diet. Tripe eliminates that particular reason for this icky habit!

How Do You Feed Green Tripe?

One of the best things about raw green tripe is that there are many ways to feed it. Tripe can be fed as a treat at any time, be mixed into your pet’s regular food, or be a single meal replacement and fed entirely on its own.

Be aware that as amazing as it is, tripe represents only one part of a fully balanced diet for your little carnivores. Your pups and kitties will still need other forms of meat, vital organs, and bone for fully-rounded nutrition. So if you’re replacing their breakfast or dinner with a hearty meal of green tripe, ensure your pet eats something else during the day to round out their diet, like one of our complete and balanced meals for dogs and cats.

Vital Essentials green tripe for dogs and cats is available in multiple forms so that you can feed it in any way that works for you and your pets.

Freeze-Dried Tripe Nibblets: Unlike some other freeze-dried tripe on the market, Vital Essentials’ proprietary slow freeze-drying process doesn’t destroy those sensitive enzymes and probiotics.

Freeze-dried tripe nibblets are best served as-is. Feed them on their own or sprinkle them on top of or mixed into your dog’s or cat’s regular food.

Freeze-Dried Tripe Treats: The distinctive smell and taste of green tripe are what makes them high-value treats your dogs will go mad for. Use green tripe treats for training.

Frozen Tripe Patties: Our frozen patties are another excellent way to feed tripe. Once thawed, green tripe patties can be fed on their own or mashed and added to any meal. You even set aside a portion for Whiskers, as cats benefit from all the goodness of tripe, too!

How Often Should I Feed My Cats or Dogs Green Tripe?

The good news is you can give your pets the tempting taste of tripe as frequently as you like.

Many pet parents feed green tripe daily as part of their pet’s regular diet. Other pet parents feed tripe a few times per week or month, ensuring that their pets benefit from all that raw tripe nutrition. Finally, some pet parents only break out the tripe on special occasions — and enjoy seeing how just one whiff makes their pets go berserk with anticipation!

You don’t need to feed green tripe above a certain threshold for your pets to feel its good effects. Even the occasional treat or nibblet provides a boost of probiotics and an awesome superfood snack that your dog will love and benefit from. Tripe is smelly, but it works. Raw, natural, green beef tripe is an amazing supplement for dogs and cats of every age and stage. Every little bit helps to improve their digestion and vitality, and the more tripe in their diet, the better.

For more information on Vital Essentials and our full product line, follow us on TikTok and Instagram. And if you have any questions, be sure to check out our FAQ page for answers. Together, we can ensure your pet gets the proper nutrition they deserve.