Green tripe

Green tripe is the unbleached, uncleaned stomach of ruminants, most often cattle, and the word green refers not to a colour but to the raw state, keeping the digestive juices and partly digested matter. This material is used as a palatable ingredient and a protein source in [raw](/glossary/raw) foods and some treats. Green tripe supplies protein, fat and a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio close to 1 to 1 according to reported analyses, which matches a balance sought in nutrition, with a commonly cited analysis giving roughly 15 percent protein and 12 percent fat on an as-fed basis and high moisture (IVC Journal). It also contains lactic bacteria and digestive enzymes, which feeds the probiotic argument, though without solid clinical evidence in dogs and cats, and its very strong smell is characteristic and explains its appeal to many animals. A hygiene point matters: like any raw animal product, green tripe can carry pathogenic microorganisms such as [Salmonella](/glossary/salmonella) or [Listeria](/glossary/listeria), which calls for careful handling and attention to [cross-contamination](/glossary/cross-contamination) (FEDIAF). The marker: green tripe is a palatable raw ingredient with a balanced calcium-phosphorus ratio, whose probiotic merits remain mainly an argument, to be handled with care. It is closely associated with [BARF](/glossary/barf) feeding covered in the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary).

Petipedia · Editorial team

General documentary information. For an individual animal, a veterinarian's advice takes precedence over any online content.