Hi,

I seem to remember someone on here feeds green tripe to their litters of pups as the phosphorous/calcium ratio is so good. Does anyone know who this is and if she's still on here please? Or does anyone else do this?

As background:
I was intending to add this to my litters menu (all my dogs get fed raw and I include green tripe for them) but have never done so before for my pups, as was worried about the bacteria content of it. Reading up on it put my mind at rest and I'd decided to go ahead with the imminent litter, my girl is 51 days today.

I've just been doing more research online, I know I shouldn't trawl for problems but can't help it, and read that someone lost 10 pups to salmonella which was put down to the green tripe they had been fed, they also stated that the pups could have had problems in utero due to mum being fed it :(

I've raised several litters on raw and never had a problem, but the calcium/phosphorous ratio is so important to growing bones that it always freaks me out and I thought green tripe might be the answer, now I'm not so sure.

I usually start them off on minced beef, very gradually introducing more variety so that by 6 weeks they are happily chomping on large chubby chicken wings, beef mince, chicken breasts, chicken necks and oily fish, with some offal, egg yolks and pheasant when I can get it as they love it. I don't feed lamb as they always get runny tums when I do. All my foods are frozen well before thawing and feeding; they are defrosted overnight daily and all defrosted meat is put straight into lidded boxes and refrigerated until the next meal.

Pups are a large breed btw being on average around 7kg when leaving me at 9 weeks.

Thanks x

  I feed my dogs raw and do feed pups green tripe. I have had no issues with it at ll, Other than the puppies turn into little wolves when I feed it. They love it so much. I have no idea about the calcium phosphorus ratio though. I feed my dogs a varied diet with some bone and they seem to do OK.

Nothing scientific but I always give one raw meal to pups from 4 weeks, and tripe is definitely one of the things I tend to use, and minced chicken (chicken is supposed to be one of the main salmonella risks if you remember the 'egg' scandal).

A healthy dogs digestive system is designed to cope with a much higher level of bacteria (remember they are scavengers as much as hunters)..

Thank you both, I think I will wait and see how I feel nearer the time but will still feed it to my girl as part of her mix as she loves it so. I can't see it causing the pups any harm whilst they're still inside her!

I really need to stop browsing the net too as it can cause more worries than the initial concern!! Soon I'll be too busy to do so :)

One more quick question please to raw feeders, I usually don't change anything in the last two weeks of pregnancy other than not giving recreational bones any more. Having researched the calcium concerns I came to the conclusion that if the girl is used to good quality, natural calcium before whelping then surely during and after whelping her body will just continue doing what is a natural thing for her. Obviously I feed optimum quality and amounts whilst she is nursing and I have to say I've not had any problems with eclampsia since raw feeding...I did have one girl, years ago whilst still feeding kibble, develop it; dreadful time all round!

I have come across (see I can't help myself!) a couple of sites that suggest cutting right back on the bony content two weeks before whelp, i.e. just feeding beef mince and chicken off the bone etc...do any of you do this?

Thanks x