Milt, thanks for checking it out. I do want to grind ingredients together. I also, since I can get ostrich trimmings so cheaply, want to experiment with sausage making. I'll take your suggestion: you're probably right that I'll never put a motor on it.

Speaking of pricks from chicken bones, is that from raw bones? Or cooked?

Shandar, I could ask my butcher to grind it, but since he already stores the meat for me I don't want to "wear out my welcome." I'll ask though, just to see what he thinks, esp. since you say it can be ground frozen.

As for the tripe, it's raw green tripe, finely ground. I think the bloat may have happened for one or both of two reasons:

1) She was still recovering from the intestinal irritation caused by feeding her too many turkey necks at once and the grass/hay in the tripe was too abrasive.

2) I shouldn't have mixed Innova kibble and tripe.

It was definitely bloat, as confirmed by two X-rays. There was a strange shadow in one; I should hear from the radiologist today. But she seems fine.

What is tripe or green tripe? Where do you get this from? How good is it for you're dog compared to other raw meat?

Thanks Milt, I appreciate the help.

Glenn--

There's a lot of information on greentripe.com, but I'll add my two cents.

My trainer turned me on to it (it helps that greentripe.com is local); says that many of the German trainers he has visited use it. He feeds green tripe mornings and kibble evenings, says that dogs "bulk up" really quickly on it, but have very small bowel movements because it's so digestible. Another plus is that it's the perfect source of the veggies you need in a raw diet, since it still has the cow's last meal in it.

My own experience confirms this. After I put Oka on green tripe, even before I added the rest of the raw, he started looking better. Started muscling up in the forequarters and leaning down elsewhere. And dogs LOVE it!

It does smell pretty bad--I don't prepare it in the kitchen, although Mary's stuff doesn't smell as bad as some other green tripe I've tried (e.g., Halstead, which is four times as much). From greentripe.com it comes finely ground in 2 or five pound packages. Since it smells even when frozen, I wouldn't recommend keeping it in the same freezer as human food unless you wrap it in a garbage bag or two.

She's introducing a new product, green tripe plus gullet, reasoning that since cow gullets and tracheae are the main industrial source of chondroitin, it might be good for a dog's joints. It's only available in the five pound rolls right now; I'm not sure that she's listed it on the web site yet.

I use tripe with my dogs at least once a week. When I first started this diet years ago, I only fed tripe and found that this is NOT enough protein for dogs. As mentioned it is a great source of protein to wean puppies onto.

The smell depends on the cow that the stomach comes from. Dairy cows tend to have tripe that is much smellier (not sure if that is a word <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> )

In Canada it is illegal for butchers to sell it in it's raw form, so you must either go to a slaughter house to buy it (then you get the whole stomach and try cutting that into pieces (I tried it once!.....never again) or you have to have a 'pet' business to buy and sell it. Mink farmers have been feeding it to thier minks for years!!!

I buy mine frozen and it is packaged in thick plastic bags and I have no problem with the smell 'leaking' in my freezer etc. We have several 'pet companies' here in the area that buy it whole and then do all the 'work' in grinding etc and then sells it to the public.

I have 'heard' that in Germany you can actually buy it in tins?

I feed it ground in the winter months but I highly recommend you feed it in larger pieces in the warmer months (outside). (my dogs are fed inside the house, so I don't want them chewing whole pieces inside). THe knawing and chewing is geat exercise for the jaw and neck (builds muscles) and it is great for cleaning teeth.

Shandar you said that there are several pet companies in you're area that process tripe. What type of pet companies are you talking about? I would also like to know if green tripe is something that an adult dog should eat on a daily basis or how should this be fed along with other raw meat. Where can you find some information on the quanities of raw meat you need to feed a dog?

Does anyone do anything (soak in a solution)to there raw chicken or meat parts before feeding to prevent Salmonela? (spelling)

I'm also interested in buying a book or two on BARF diets and supplements. What are the best books on this topic? Thanks.

Hi Glenn,

They aren't tripe companies but dog food 'wholesalers'. They sell almost everything for the raw diet. Tripe (beef, goat, lamb tripe) , chicken, turkey, buffalo, goat, lamb, deer, herring, etc. THen they will also sell the organ meats, supplements (powders, oils ), books and they even sell veggies already mixed and chopped or juiced. THe meat and veggies are sold frozen.

These companies were started by people years ago who wanted to feed raw but were having hard times locating the products etc.

FOr the most part I just buy tripe, herring and some supplements. I buy my organ meat, beef, and chicken from my butcher. I also raise my own lambs that I take in to have made into dog food. (this is WAY cheaper and it is guarented antibiotic and hormone free!

One of the companies is called Canine Choice and the other is Fresh Start (there are more companies around here as well). There are many pet food stores here that have large freezers in it and carry all these meats/veggies. This way it is very convenient and easily accessible for most anyone who feeds raw.

Again, these companies were started by a few 'people' who got together and decided to make things easier for people to feed raw. There are certain 'standards' that they have to go by etc (as one would expect). They have a 'warehouse' but most of the food is 'sold' by distributers. They deliver is right to my doorstep. Course this is a bit more expensive than doing it yourself, but for me when it comes to tripe, herring and a few meats that I don't have access to, or don't want to 'handle', it is worth it. THe larger the quantity you buy and the larger it is packaged (I buy 1200 gram bags frozen) the cheaper it is. So, for the person who wants to only buy 'small' portions it is a bit more expensive.

Generally speaking 2- 1200 gram bags of tripe mixed with some organ meat is enough to feed 5 adult gsd's a day. I will sometimes feed it without organ meat as well.

Feeding raw is not about balancing each meal but balancing quantities and amounts over a 'week' period etc. So, at times, I may feed more meat at one meal and a little less meat at another meal.

When I first switched my dogs to raw, I only fed tripe and learned within a short peroid of time that this was NOT sufficient. First off, you are not getting enough 'bone' for calcium /phosphorus. Second, it is EXTREMELY important to feed red meat as well. One should be feeding organ meats (liver, kidney, heart) at least once a week. Red meat is crucial for supplying the body with zinc. Zinc is crutial for a healthy dog! (there are other souces of zinc as well)

I generally feed my dogs 3 meals of a 'bone' meat a week. So, it might be chicken necks/backs or herring or turkey necks/backs etc. THen I will feed 2 meals of red meat 'cuttings' mixed with organ meats. This is ground together by my butcher , frozen and then cut into squares. In this mixture you have very good amounts of fat, red meat and organ meat. Then I will feed a meal of just organ meats and then 1 meal of tripe. I used to fast my dogs on one day a week but have not done this on a regular basis for the past year. There are pros and cons to fasting. Some dogs do very well and some dogs don't.

I tend to only give 1 source of protein for each meal. So, if I am feeding chicken then I might add chicken livers, gizzards, hearts etc but not any 'beef' products.

Generally speaking a dogs meal should be 2/3 meat/protein source and 1/3 veggies. So, I might give less 'meat' in a meal but then would be adding some cottage cheese, eggs etc). There really is not 'set' amount as so much depends on the individual dog, it's energy, body , and how it burns its food.

It has been suggested that dogs fed a raw diet will actually let you know how much is too much as far as food goes. They will only eat until they are full and will even leave some behind if it is too much etc. I find that true for 3 of my dogs. However, the other 2 will eat all that you put before them and more!!, so I do regulate their intakes.

I believe Ed has some good books listed on this site. There are quite a few out there etc. I have just ordered Dr. Ian Billinghursts new book but have not recieved it yet. He has 2 other ones out that I have but I have 'heard' that this 3rd book is all one would need to purchase? Another small easy to read and understand book is Kymathy Schultze's, The Ultimate Diet. I have this one as well and like it. Another good 'beginner' book that is cheap is Susan Johnson's "Switching to Raw". Very easy to read and understand.

Shandar, You've made my job a whole lot easier because you've gone into great detail explaining what I need to do. I appreciate the time you took to answer my questions. Thanks again!

Shandar--

Let me add my thanks to Glenn's. A lot of useful information there.