Whenever I find a new health food, I want to know how it benefits me and how it’ll benefit my dog. A lot of the time, my dog and I indulge in the same health foods (like fish oil, chia seeds, and apple cider vinegar.) Right now, I’m super excited about raw green tripe, but it’s one super food that I’ll let my dog have all to herself!
Tripe is the stomach of ruminant (grazing) animals including sheep, bison, cows and venison. To get the benefits of tripe, you need the RAW GREEN stuff! (Not the bleached tripe found in grocery stores. That kind has been stripped of its color, smell and nutrients.)
Tripe has a lot to offer, but it’s one of the stinkiest foods I’ve found. I have to hold my breath when I serve it up to my dog, and she thinks it’s delicious!
The benefits of feeding green tripe include:
- improved digestion
- healthier skin & coat
- improved immunity
- healthier teeth and gums
- rejuvenation for senior dogs
- aids in transitioning to a new diet
- entices picky dogs or dogs who’ve lost their appetite to eat
How does tripe provide all this goodness? Raw green tripe contains significant levels of digestive enzymes, amino acids and lactobacillus acidophilus. Let’s take a look at each:
Digestive enzymes help break down food into nutrients for the body to absorb.
- Who needs them most? Dogs with pancreatitis, food allergies, older dogs, dogs who eat poo.
Amino acids are the building blocks of healthy muscles, organs and skin cells. Supplying complete amino acids in the diet rejuvenates the body.
- Who needs them most? All dogs! Particularly, older animals, athletic dogs and growing puppies.
Lactobacillus acidophilus is a probiotic- one of the healthy bacteria that facilitate digestion in the intestines. Adding probiotics to the system works to “flood-out” bad bacteria from the digestive tract
- Who needs it most? Dogs who have recently been on antibiotics, or have a weak or compromised immune system.
Want to see how tripe benefits your dog? We all feed our animals a little tripe, so we can help you find the best one for yours! At The Happy Beast, we carry green tripe in cans, freeze-dried or raw. K9 Natural’s raw and freeze-dried lamb tripe is easy to store (either in the freezer or in the cupboar.) Some dogs prefer the texture and smell of canned tripe. Tripett’s offers canned tripe from venison, beef, lamb and bison.
Raw Green Tripe – Our Latest and Greatest Super Food!
/in Diet & Digestive Health, Dog Health /by Chelsea NiekelskiWhenever I find a new health food, I want to know how it benefits me and how it’ll benefit my dog. A lot of the time, my dog and I indulge in the same health foods (like fish oil, chia seeds, and apple cider vinegar.) Right now, I’m super excited about raw green tripe, but it’s one super food that I’ll let my dog have all to herself!
Tripe is the stomach of ruminant (grazing) animals including sheep, bison, cows and venison. To get the benefits of tripe, you need the RAW GREEN stuff! (Not the bleached tripe found in grocery stores. That kind has been stripped of its color, smell and nutrients.)
Tripe has a lot to offer, but it’s one of the stinkiest foods I’ve found. I have to hold my breath when I serve it up to my dog, and she thinks it’s delicious!
The benefits of feeding green tripe include:
How does tripe provide all this goodness? Raw green tripe contains significant levels of digestive enzymes, amino acids and lactobacillus acidophilus. Let’s take a look at each:
Digestive enzymes help break down food into nutrients for the body to absorb.
Amino acids are the building blocks of healthy muscles, organs and skin cells. Supplying complete amino acids in the diet rejuvenates the body.
Lactobacillus acidophilus is a probiotic- one of the healthy bacteria that facilitate digestion in the intestines. Adding probiotics to the system works to “flood-out” bad bacteria from the digestive tract
Want to see how tripe benefits your dog? We all feed our animals a little tripe, so we can help you find the best one for yours! At The Happy Beast, we carry green tripe in cans, freeze-dried or raw. K9 Natural’s raw and freeze-dried lamb tripe is easy to store (either in the freezer or in the cupboar.) Some dogs prefer the texture and smell of canned tripe. Tripett’s offers canned tripe from venison, beef, lamb and bison.
Product Review: Steve’s Raw Goat Milk Yogurt
/in Cat Health, Diet & Digestive Health, Dog Health /by Chelsea NiekelskiMy poor dog was up all night, and poor me, I was up all night too…cleaning up her vomit. Dogs occasionally get stomach aches, just like we do. Pi is a healthy, raw-fed dog, so her digestive system is pretty solid, but even she isn’t immune to the effects of the neighbor kids feeding her brownies through the fence.
I’ve long been a proponent of using raw goat milk as a supplement for dogs and cats and I’ve seen it work wonders in animals suffering from cancer, diabetes, allergies and digestive illnesses. Steve’s Real Food just released their Raw Goat Milk Yogurt, so I was eager to try it on Pi’s upset tummy.
Steve’s Raw Goat Milk Yogurt has just three (AMAZING) ingredients:
Goat Milk acts as a complete diet for dogs (remember unpasteurized milk is the first thing infants eat!) It’s super gentle on their stomachs and is helps keep them hydrated. For the first 24 hours after Pi’s puke-y night, I just fed her Steve’s Raw Goat Milk Yogurt. Those probiotics got to work, and she quickly made a full recovery back to her wild self. Hooray!
The yogurt comes in a convenient, resealable, absolutely mess-free container (available in 4oz. or 16oz.) And you can serve it to your dog daily, as a treat, or just when his digestive or immune system needs a boost. Cats love it too!
And of course, being a crazy dog-mom, I had to try a spoonful of the yogurt too. It’s tangy, smooth and pretty delicious!
Eat Well my Happy Beasts!
3 Super Simple New Year’s Resolutions for You and Your Dog
/in Dog Health, Exercise /by Chelsea NiekelskiSticking to resolutions can be hard, but everything’s easier with a buddy. This year, let’s make New Year’s resolutions for you and your dog! Here are three easy ideas for you and your pup to do together.
You don’t have to join a gym or start training for a marathon. To get started, take your dog for a walk around the block. Getting out for a ten minute walk promotes healthy blood flow, allows you to soak up Vitamin D from the sun and helps boost your mood, altogether protecting his you from stress and disease. Your dog will benefit from the mental stimulation provided by the ever-changing smells in the environment and the relationship-building power of leashed walking. (Read more here!)
YOU: Grab a salad for lunch or replace your afternoon sugar snack with an apple.YOUR DOG: Add a little life to your dog’s food! Dogs fed mostly kibble miss out on all the awesome nutrients and enzymes found in fresh foods. Adding a dehydrated food like Sojos or The Honest Kitchen is an easy way to provide the benefits of home cooking without having to do all the work.
Omega 3s reduce inflammation, joint pain and promote healthy skin, fur and hair! This one’s easy. Keep your dog’s fish oil next to yours, and when you take two, he takes one (or two if he’s a big guy.) I’ve been giving my dog the awesome Omega 3 supplement from InClover called Glow. She LOVES these little treats, and reminds me to give her one every day.
Happy New Year’s to all you happy beasts and good luck with those resolutions!
Warming Foods for Winter
/in Diet & Digestive Health, Dog Health /by Chelsea NiekelskiSo…winter finally showed up this morning in Lafayette. It’s dropped below freezing and all we want to do is eat a spicy bowl of chili. In the winter months, we tend to center our meal plan on soups, stews, tea and roasts. Why? Warm, hearty foods help starve off the cold! In studying Chinese medicine, we find that certain “warming foods” have a positive effect on the body.
You can take advantage of this to help your dog stay warm this winter too! Older dogs, small dogs, and ones with short hair or arthritis and joint pain may benefit from warming foods. Most pet food companies offer a few recipes that can be fed in rotation, allowing your dog to easily transition to a different food. (Read our Happy Beast transition tips here!)
For the next few months, choose a diet based with a warming protein like venison, lamb, chicken or turkey.
(And, be sure to spend extra time cuddling your pup by the fireplace!)
New Off-Leash Dog Laws for City of Boulder Open Space
/in Exercise /by Chelsea NiekelskiYour dog’s GREEN “Voice and Sight Tag” will expire on December 31, 2014 and a new BLUE tag will be required for off-leash dog hiking in the new year. The City of Boulder program that allows dogs to be walked off-leash on designated open trails is going through a few changes. If you’d like to continue taking advantage of their awesome off-leash dog trails, here’s what you need to know.
1) You have to take a class.
Classes meet in Boulder and are offered every day (with lots of evening and weekend options!) It’s only an hour long and covers the expectations and requirements of the program as well as tips for having a successful off-leash experience with your dog.
Sign up here.
2) There are added fees for additional dogs and guardians.
The fee for one dog and one guardian is $13 for City of Boulder residents, and $33 for Boulder County residents. Additional dogs in your household can be registered for just $10/dog. Additional guardians must take the aforementioned class and pay a $5 fee.
3) Your dog must be vaccinated and registered.
4) You can register online!
Click here to register online.
Currently, requests are taking about 5 days to process, so expect to wait at least a week for your tag to arrive in the mail.
5) You have to follow the rules.
The motivation behind the updated program is to reduce conflicts between people, dogs and wildlife.
Here’s a sampling of the rules you will learn in class:
Have more questions? The City of Boulder has all the details here!