Is Tripe Good for Dogs?

You’ve probably heard lots of talk around feeding tripe to your dog… Is tripe healthy? Is tripe good for dogs with sensitive stomachs? Is tripe good for dogs with allergies? In this post, we’re going to clear a few things up so you can weigh up your options. First things first, yes, it’s stinky! But don’t be put off by the smelly aroma, tripe can be a delicious staple in your dog’s diet, bursting with nutrients and essential vitamins. So, let’s dive in a little deeper…

What is tripe?

Tripe is muscle tissue from the stomach lining of grazing animals such as cows, sheep, horses and goats. At Top Dog, we offer tripe from cows.

Is tripe healthy for dogs?

Raw green tripe is a fantastic source of naturally occurring nutrients for your dog. Not only is it low in fat, but it is also packed with healthy essential fatty acids and vitamins, including:

• Vitamins A, C, D and E
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Ideal 1:1 ratio of Calcium and Phosphorous
• Potassium
• Zinc
• Copper
• Manganese
• Selenium

For those pooches who have sensitive stomachs, the benefits don’t stop there! Green tripe contains live and active enzymes and gut-friendly bacteria to aid your dog’s digestion, improve metabolism and give their immune system a boost.

Tripe is also full of amino acids, promoting muscle recovery for your dog, supporting the production of cartilage, helping heal wounds and boosting antibody production even further! That’s a whole lot of goodness, don’t you think?!

Due to the calcium and phosphorus it contains, tripe can also help your dog’s kidneys and heart to function correctly alongside aiding muscle and nerve function, too. 

Are you starting to get a clearer picture as to why tripe is actually pretty popular yet?! We’ll keep going anyway…

How to prepare tripe for your dog

For humans, one of the biggest downsides to tripe is the smelly aroma that comes with it (it smells like a farm!) But to our furry friends, this makes it one of the most palatable and desirable ingredients in their bowl. For fussy pups, this often brings a sigh of relief to their human who’s just happy to see them eat something they enjoy while getting a heavy dose of nutrients at the same time! The smell seems like quite a small price to pay, right? 

The versatility of tripe is another easy win for dog parents… Tripe can be used as a topper to pack some punch to your dog’s meal, or embedded into their diet as a key ingredient to their main meals (think our Beef with Tripe), or even fed as a delicious treat between mealtimes (hello, Air Dried Tripe). Either way, your pup will definitely thank you for it!

Some extra benefits of tripe for dogs

As if all of the above wasn’t enough, there’s a few more benefits of feeding tripe to your dog that we think are worth a mention…

• Cleaner teeth: tripe’s unique firm and rubbery texture helps remove any build-up of plaque on your dog’s teeth, refresh their gums and reduce bacteria in the mouth. And with many variations of tripe coming in dried/hard chew forms, some can offer a little more intense dentistry cleaning, too!
• No more eating poop: dogs eating their own (or others) stools is often a sign of malnourishment (coprophagia). With tripe being packed with nutrients, this urge should soon subside and reduce the messy moments when you turn your back!
• Weight gain or loss: with tripe being very calorie dense, if your pup is struggling to gain weight, this could be an easy way for you to boost the calories in their meal while giving them something they can’t wait to eat! And likewise, if you need to cut back on your pups meal sizes, including tripe in their diet can make their meals more nutrient dense, so you don’t need to worry about them not getting what they need to be happy and healthy, while on reduced calories!

So… Should you feed tripe to your dog?

Listen, we’re not going to try and pull the wool over your eyes… Tripe is stinky and can get some getting used to! But we think the benefits of this natural ingredient for your dog totally outweigh that slight downside. With hefty nutritional stats and (usually) a paw-some favourite amongst the pooches, tripe is often an easy option for raw feeders. Dogs have eaten tripe for hundreds of years before being domesticated, so don’t be afraid to give it a go if you haven’t tried including it in your dog's diet just yet!