Green Tripe vs Vegetables: What Your Pet Really Needs in a Raw Diet

Green Tripe or Vegetables: What Your Pet Really Needs in a Raw Diet

Feeding your cat or dog well can feel confusing. One minute you’re told to adda vegetables, supplements, and “superfoods,” the next you’re warned against them entirely. At Raw Essentials, we start where every good feeding decision should: with your pet’s biology.

For nearly two decades, we’ve helped pet parents across Aotearoa feed with confidence—through wildly good advice, empathy, and evidence-based nutrition. One of the most common questions we’re asked is:

“Do my pets need vegetables in their raw diet?”

For most cats and dogs, the answer is no. And in New Zealand, we’re lucky to have something far more appropriate: green tripe.

What Is Green Tripe?

Green tripe is the unbleached, minimally washed stomach lining of grazing animals such as cattle, sheep, or deer. “Green” doesn’t refer to colour — it means the tripe is raw, unprocessed, and still contains the naturally fermented plant matter eaten by the herbivore.

This matters because that plant material has already been broken down by the animal’s own digestive system, making it far easier for carnivores to utilise. Green tripe offers nutrient balance, beneficial bacteria, and enzymes in a form that more closely resembles what wild carnivores consume when eating whole prey, including stomach contents. IVC Journal

Green tripe provides:

• Natural probiotics and enzymes that support a healthy gut microbiome (e.g., Lactobacillus acidophilus). IVC Journal

• Fermented fibre that gently supports digestion without irritating the gut

• Stimulation of stomach acid, helping pets digest bones and dense proteins

• Naturally occurring vitamins and minerals in a highly bioavailable form

• Very low carbohydrate content, aligned with carnivorous needs

Veterinary nutritionists such as Dr Karen Becker and Dr Ian Billinghurst (author of Give Your Dog a Bone) have long recognised green tripe as one of the most valuable additions to a raw diet, particularly for digestive health, appetite stimulation, and microbiome support.

Unlike raw feeders in some countries who rely on blended vegetables to mimic prey digestion, New Zealand pet owners can use locally sourced green tripe as a simpler, more species-appropriate option.

Do Carnivores Need Vegetables?

Cats are obligate carnivores—they require nutrients that only exist naturally in animal tissue. Dogs are facultative carnivores: more flexible, but still biologically driven to thrive on animal protein and fat.

While dogs can digest some plant matter, that doesn’t mean they need it.

Research in nutritional ecology, including work by Professor David Raubenheimer, shows that carnivores prioritise protein intake. When diets are diluted with carbohydrates, animals often overeat in an attempt to meet their protein needs—contributing to weight gain and metabolic stress.

High-carbohydrate foods and vegetables can:

• Raise stomach pH, reducing mineral and protein absorption

• Interfere with digestion of bones and meat

• Introduce anti-nutrients such as oxalates, lectins, and glucosinolates

• Contribute to bloating, loose stools, or chronic gut irritation

In contrast, a prey-based raw diet naturally supplies everything your pet needs:

• Organs (liver, kidney, spleen) act as nature’s multivitamin, providing vitamin A, selenium, copper, and CoQ10

• Muscle meat and tripe deliver complete proteins and essential amino acids like taurine

• Fish and eggs provide omega-3s and antioxidants

• Bones, tendons, and connective tissue supply natural roughage that supports gut motility

This is why many veterinary-led raw feeding models—including BARF and whole-prey frameworks—do not require vegetables when diets are correctly balanced.

When Vegetables Might Be Considered

Some pets tolerate small amounts of vegetables, but inclusion should always be intentional, minimal, and secondary to animal-based nutrition.

If you choose to include them:

Avoid

• Starchy vegetables such as kumara, potato, pumpkin, and peas

• Fruit and sugars

• Toxic or problematic produce including onions, garlic, grapes, avocado, and many brassicas

Prepare Properly

• Blend, lightly cook, or ferment vegetables

• Preparation should mimic the pre-digested plant matter found in green tripe

Observe Closely

• Digestive changes: gas, loose stools, bloating, vomiting

• Overall wellbeing: coat quality, energy, body condition, mood

Consider Zoopharmacognosy

Some practitioners, including Caroline Ingraham, advocate allowing animals to choose plant matter when needed, rather than hiding it in meals.

Vegetables should never replace meat, bones, organs, or tripe—and are not a nutritional requirement for most pets.

Conclusion

Feeding your cat or dog a natural, species-appropriate diet doesn’t have to be complicated. By focusing on high-quality protein, raw meaty bones, organs, and green tripe, you provide the nutrients carnivores are biologically designed to thrive on. Green tripe delivers natural probiotics, enzymes, and pre-digested plant matter that support digestion and gut health—without the need for vegetables.

Evidence from veterinary nutritionists and nutritional ecologists shows that a prey-based diet naturally balances vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, while keeping carbohydrates low. This approach supports healthy weight, strong digestion, and long-term vitality.

At Raw Essentials, we combine this science with nearly 20 years of practical experience to guide pet parents in feeding confidently, naturally, and safely. Raw Means Raw—and for your pet, that means the nutrition they truly need, just as nature intended.

References

IVC Journal. (n.d.). The benefits of raw green tripe for dogs and cats. IVC Journal. https://ivcjournal.com/raw-green-tripe/