Tripe dog treats
Tripe dog treats are made from the stomach lining of a ruminant animal, almost always beef, and sold dried, freeze-dried or as a single-ingredient chew stick. Green tripe — the unwashed, unbleached version used in raw feeding — has a genuinely strong smell that most people find unpleasant, which is precisely why dogs tend to find it so appealing.
What tripe actually is
Tripe is the lining of an animal's stomach, and 'green tripe' specifically refers to the unprocessed version that hasn't been bleached or washed the way tripe sold for human consumption usually is. That unwashed state means it retains digestive enzymes, gut bacteria and partially digested plant matter from the animal's own diet, which is where a lot of its nutritional reputation among raw feeders comes from, though the evidence behind specific health claims is thinner than the marketing around it.
The treats sold as tripe sticks or dried tripe, like Hollings Tripe Sticks, are dehydrated rather than raw, which changes the texture to something closer to a firm chew than a soft raw product, and makes it shelf-stable at room temperature rather than needing freezer storage the way raw green tripe does.
Why the smell matters
The strong smell of green tripe comes from the same bacterial and enzymatic content that gives it its reputation, and drying reduces but doesn't eliminate it — a dried tripe stick still has a noticeably stronger odour than most conventional dog treats. If you're sensitive to it, keep the packet somewhere sealed and be prepared for the treat itself to smell more than the average biscuit.
That smell is also exactly why dogs go for it. Scent drives a dog's interest in food far more than taste does, and tripe's strong, distinctive smell makes it one of the more reliably popular treats across dogs who are otherwise fussy, which is worth knowing if you're trying to find something that will actually get eaten rather than left in the bowl.
Choosing a tripe treat and feeding it sensibly
Dried tripe sticks and chews are typically single-ingredient, which suits a dog on a limited-ingredient or sensitive diet where you're trying to avoid additives, fillers or multiple protein sources. Check the packet for exactly that — a genuine single-ingredient tripe product will say so, rather than listing tripe alongside other meats or flavourings.
As with any dense, high-value chew, tripe treats are calorie-dense for their size, so they're better used as an occasional reward or a training treat broken into smaller pieces than fed freely alongside a full meal. Introduce any new treat gradually, the same as a new food, and watch for loose stools the first few times.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Calm the Eff Down Treats Chicken Flavour 90 Tablets
Chicken-flavoured calming tablets from Pets Calm Down, made in the UK, ninety to a pack and given as a treat for dogs who find fireworks, travel or being alone difficult.
£22.99
Stop Bloody Scratching Treats Chicken Flavour 90 Tablets
Chicken-flavoured tablets from Pets Calm Down, made in the UK, ninety to a pack, given daily as a treat to support skin and coat condition in itchy dogs.
£22.99
Forthglade Grain Free Soft Bites Fresh Breath Treats 8pk
Chicken soft dog treats with parsley and peppermint oil for fresh breath
£2.45
James Wellbeloved Adult Dry Cat Food Turkey
A single-source turkey dry food for adult cats, without the grain-free or joint-support extras
From£21.79
Catit Nibbly Jerky Chicken & Fish Treats
Soft chicken and fish jerky treats for cats, two named meats high on the list, grain free
£1.89
Whiskas 1+ Lamb Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete lamb dry food for adult cats in a practical 1.9KG bag
£12.39
Whiskas 1 Tuna Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete tuna dry food for adult cats, offered in several bag sizes
From£3.19
Whiskas Kitten Chicken Dry Cat Food
Complete chicken dry food for kittens, available in several bag sizes
From£3.19
Whiskas 7+ Senior Cat Complete Dry with Chicken
Complete chicken dry food for senior cats aged 7+ in a 1.9KG bag
£12.39
Catit Creamy Tuna Treats 4 Pk
Lickable 26% tuna purée tubes for cats, 4 x 10g, up to 3 a day in place of main meal
£1.89
Pedigree Dentastix Light Dog
Pedigree DentaStix Light dental chews across small, medium and large sizes
From£2.35
Common questions
- Why does tripe smell so bad?
- Green tripe is unwashed and unbleached, so it retains the bacteria, enzymes and partially digested plant matter from the animal's stomach, which is where the strong smell comes from. Drying it for treats reduces the smell somewhat but doesn't remove it entirely.
- Are tripe treats good for dogs with sensitive stomachs?
- Many dried tripe products are single-ingredient with no added fillers or flavourings, which can suit a dog on a limited-ingredient diet — but check the packet to confirm it's genuinely tripe alone, and introduce it gradually like any new treat, watching for loose stools.
- Can puppies have tripe treats?
- In small amounts, once they're weaned and settled on solid food, and broken into pieces appropriate for their size. As with any new treat, start with a small piece and see how they get on before making it a regular thing.
- Is dried tripe the same as raw green tripe?
- No. Dried or freeze-dried tripe sticks are dehydrated and shelf-stable at room temperature, while raw green tripe used in raw feeding needs freezer storage and is a different texture and product entirely, even though both come from the same part of the animal.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.