I have fed my hounds a tripe and biscuit diet for the last twenty odd years and have always been more than happy with it ( except the smell :D)
I had a phone call today from a friend of over twenty years standing, asking wether I knew about what was in tripe nowadays? Apparently, cows are now fed with a mixture of chemicals, vitamins, and assorted drugs, to make the meat better(?) for humans to eat. So basically I was being told, that my dogs are not eating just tripe, but all the gunge that is now being given to the cattle. Please does anyone know if this is correct, and wether the gunge that the cattle are now given is likely to be in the cud and tripe itself?

I think this is true Phillipa but presumably all these things are passed as safe for humans to eat, and maybe they are :). I prefer to eat only game or organic meat and that only very rarely. But when you think about it what choice have you got for your dogs, I doubt you could get hold of enough game to feed them, organic meat would take a kings ransom for your lot :) and if you stopped feeding what suits you and switched to a complete for instance its only going to be made from the same kind of meat sources anyway I feel these worries are just the cost of living in the modern western world but who would swap them to live in those parts of the world where good nutrition is a luxury.

Thanks Isabel, that made a lot of sense, hadnt thought of it like that .
Obviously cattle and poultry by products would be used in complete dog foods,so probably the same thing would apply.

Yep no point in worrying about what we can't fix :)

Actually perhaps there is an organic complete food somewhere. They must do something with the byproducts from organic meat, maybe it wouldn't be that expensive. Anyone seen any?

Philippa, we cant know everything that goes on but we have to eat anyway so I have to believe that if the tripe is sold for human consumption it is probably far better than perhaps what might go into dog foods. My dad used to eat tripe and onions cooked in milk when I was a child and the smell of it cooking made me physically sick so I was always warned when it was on the menu - not that often thank god :D

What I am trying to say is that I am sure everything would be okay for you now as it has been in the past.

Gina

I am never sure about where all these "stories" about farming materialise from, but let me you what I, as a farmer,know.
BRITISH REARED CATTLE:
If the tripes are from spent dairy cattle, then in the summer they are out at grass all the time, just getting extra feed in the parlour, none of which is animal protein derived, neither does it contain antibiotics. It DOES contain vitamins, minerals and trace elements (ie copper/magnesium etc) all of which help provide a balanced feed for the cattle. In winter the grazing is replaced with silage/hay/maze forage etc.......basically dried or fermented grass.......no nasties added.

If the tripe is derived from beef cattle then once again they are basically grass fed, although nearer finishing (approaching killing weight) they are often supplemented with barley(rolled and very natural) and maybe cake, which, likewise contains vitamins and trace elements. Hormone growth promoters additives are ILLEGAL in this country (although used in USA) and if a steer/cow has received any medication of any kind, including antibiotics, then it cannot be killed for human consumption until the withdrawal period is up and the medication is out of the system.
Hope this puts your mind at rest Phillipa.

Thank you sam, that has helped me heaps xxxx :D

That is reassuring Sam whenever I do buy meat I always buy British (although I'll stick to organic if its all the same to you:)) but I'm wondering if you know if Philippa's pet tripe is likely to be British, is her supplier obliged to tell her the source?

Hi Isabel, many of the rules on the use of growth promoting and even prophylactic drugs are EEC wide - which isn't to say that all EEC countries are as fussy as they might be about implementing them. The best way to be sure that your tripe is from grass fed UK herds is to get it fresh from the abbatoir, but that may not make you popular with your family:-).

The biggest temptation to use growth promoting and especially prophylactic drugs occurs in intensivly farmed animals, so grass fed cattle should be OK. It may have changed but until recently anyway, intensivly farmed pigs, chickens and even fish could legally be given prophylactic antibiotics. Sam may know, otherwise maybe something for BARF fans using chicken necks/wings to look up :-)?

I use to fetch whole tripes from the abbatoir, and they invaribly contained capsules that were wedged in the fat on the tripes, my boss at the time (a meat inspector) said they were slow releasing anti-biotics or other things, but I can't remember what. He had fed his dogs on this for 20yrs and never had a problem, neither did I.
Dawn.

Keep at the tripe forget the shelve stuff..

Pam

Thank you,thats just what I intend to do.:) I always think...if its not broken, dont try and mend it!!! I have never had any problems feeding the way I do, but this information frightened me a bit, amd I wondered what other posters thought about it.As usual , you have all come up trumps :d

I was actually quite please to see tonight an article on the WHWT Cluv ob England now although they themsleves may not be promoting it they have put the article on their site. As like hundreds of others I believe that Westies are one of the breeds that benefit greatly form the natural diet..

Pam

Pamela are we talking tripe or what here? :D

Sorry Isabel it is late and I am tired..

I ment there was an artical about natural/raw/barf whatever you choice to call it..

Tripe comes into my natural food diet..my 2 love it.

Pam