Raw Food -- Tripe

[RubyLu]

I've just switched my SP girls to a fully raw diet. Mostly GreenTripe with some Chicken backs at this point.  I'm having a little trouble getting the amounts to feed adjusted correctly. My raw feeding friends don't have poodles and I think their metabolism must be higher than some other breeds. Does anyone out there have any hint or tips?

[zefi]

I've never fed tripe. Just raw chicken wings and frames... I give them what I think they need. Sometimes they eat it all, other times they leave a bit. I figure it all works out in the end.

[RubyLu]

Zefi,

Do you give them vegetables or any supplements with the chicken or is it just chicken? Aproximately how many chicken frames for a 50 lb poodle?

[zefi]

50lbs is approx 23 kilos, the same weight as Montana more or less. I give her 1 frame cut in half. But I give Romeo (and Nicol before she left) one whole one each, cut in half, too. Puppies eat a LOT. The toy poodles get a part of one, not exactly half. My dogs arent fed on just raw food though. I put down a bowl of dry food in the morning for anyone who's hungry to graze on during the day. I feed raw chicken as the main meal most days but sometimes I give them leftovers instead or as well. I also buy the occasional chicken roll made here in Tasmania which I think they like and is well made. Since the other things I give them have vegies and other stuff in them I dont worry about supplementing the chicken. Though I do sometimes sprinkle a supplement by www.greenpet.com.au on their chicken.

[RubyLu]

Thank you for the information. I was feeding a mixture of kibble and raw. My younger one Lulu is allergic to garlic so I'm switching to all raw and only things I know are pure with no seasonings that might hide garlic. In the US many of the holistic type foods include garlic. If it's less than a certain percent they don't have to mention it in the ingredient list. In less than two weeks on the all raw she has stopped the excessive licking and itching that we've been fighting since last summer. She also seems much calmer even though I know she is hungry.  I'll up how much chicken I'm giving her based on  what you give yours and see if that doesn't work better.  Thank you again

[zefi]

Good luck and keep us informed.

[RubyLu]

I'll keep you informed and here is a link to the place I get my green tripe if anyone is interested in reading about it

http://www.greentripe.com/

I'm currently using both the:

Green Tripe with Trachea & Gullet (ground)  and XKALIBER: Green Tripe, Muscle Meat, Heart, Tongue, Trachea/Gullet and Ground Bone .  It's very smelly which the dogs love and I'm starting to get used to .  It's on the spendy side so with two big dogs I'm trying to balance it with the chicken backs.

[zefi]

I have the Julliette de Bairacli Levy's book and I agreed with the things she said totally till I came to the bit about burying meat in the yard or hanging it off trees for the dogs. LOL I do also think that tripe is a natural and great food for dogs since any carnivore would eat the stomach of a herbivore first. I feed raw liver sometimes, I often feed lamb hearts when I can get them (the dogs love both of those! But too much liver gives them diarhea). I have tried kidneys when I've found them but never other parts of the stomach... I guess I could approach the abbatoire down the road and ask... All meat there is prepared for human consumption so there would be no fear of parasites and stuff. Also, Tasmania is free of hydatid which is nice! Still, I dont relish the idea of handling that stuff. Buying it pre-prepared sounds good to me! LOL

...Actually I think the pet mince they sell at the abbatoir includes tripe... I should ask.

[RubyLu]

I haven't read anything by that author. Which one do you have?  I notice there are multiple ones on Amazon

[zefi]

Its called The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat.