Don't Inhale

There are many disgusting things that I smell on a daily basis, but one of the worst is something I feed my dogs . . . Green Tripe

Green tripe is the the stomach(s) of ruminating animals. Yeah, its a little gross to think about, but it is actually very nutritious. Dogs can't really digest the cellulose in plants, but since the grains are pre-digested in another animal's stomach they can eat the grains and get their nutrients too. The green tripe that we feed to the dogs is not the same as the white tripe that people eat and make stews out of. They start out the same, but the white tripe has nothing in it. It is washed and bleached and has no nutritional value what-so-ever.

Sounds pretty good? Why don't more people feed tripe? Its the smell. Tripe has the worst smell that I have ever come into contact with. Worse than "the freezer" - if you don't know, don't ask, cause you won't want to know! Despite this hiccup, I have been feeding tripe for years. At first I started out with the frozen logs from a local farmer. The kids love it, but since they are so small, I have to first defrost that skunk, then cut it up into more manageable sizes then re-freeze it. That only lasted about a year. That initial defrost and cut-up was too horrible to deal with on a monthly basis. Luckily for me, I found a canned version! It still smells, but at least I don't have to defrost it for 24 hours in the fridge stinking up everything else. The only problem with that is that the cans are too big! (I'm beginning to think I need bigger dogs!) I end up having to feed the tripe for two meals - not a big deal; but, yes, very stinky.

I stopped feeding tripe for a few months and I felt guilty about it. I know how much the dogs love it, but the smell was just too bad. And I don't consider myself a softy when it comes to gross stuff. I decided to talk to my food lady about it and she found a product that she could order for me - tripe sticks! Just like bully sticks, but without the penis - again, if you don't know, don't ask. When I brought the first bag home the kids were screaming with excitement. Ok, mole was screaming, pocket was dancing. They were in heaven again. But the damn thing still reeks! Thank god the weather is nice and I can throw them outside to eat it. But opening that bag still makes me want to . . .