Can dogs eat lamb?
Yes indeed, dogs CAN eat lamb 😊
Any meat that an omnivore human can eat, a carnivore domestic dog can eat. In fact, dogs process saturated fats much better than humans (does not clog their arteries as easily) so lamb is a great choice.
The questions really should be:
- Why is lamb so limited in the dog treats world?
- How much lamb is REALLY in lamb dog food?
- What does lamb meat provide to dogs? Are there alternatives?
WHY is lamb so limited in the dog treats world?
The reason that you don’t see a lot of lamb dog treats is purely supply and demand equations meaning that while Australian humans eat a fair amount of lamb meat, and we export a lot too and there is very little left for the dog treat market. As much as we’d love to offer lamb jerky there simply isn’t the availability to do so.
The good news for lamb dog treat lovers, is that we offer Lamb Stick dog treats which are handy treats to break into small pieces for training or reward for any age, breed, or size dog. If your dog loves bones, we have Lamb Bones, and offal wise we have the ever-popular Lamb Cubes (a very crunchy, easy-to-eat treat for any size dog) when available.
What does eating lamb cubes dog treats look like?
How much lamb is REALLY in lamb dog food?
You will find that there are dog foods that tell you that they have lamb in them. They even shamelessly show lamb chops on the packaging! But be aware that lamb is an expensive meat for humans so doubly so for dogs.
This means that any lamb that is in dog food is typically MDM (mechanically de-boned meat) i.e. stripped off the bone after all the best cuts are already taken for humans making them not as nutritionally rich as you might think.
Our treats, including our lamb dog treats range, are mostly SINGLE INGREDIENT. NOT reconstituted, not faked. You see exactly what you get, and it’s 100% animal product.
Back on the topic of lamb dog food, you will also find that lamb can be listed near the top of the ingredients list, but since dog food labelling does not require the AMOUNT of any substance to be given (in grams or percentage), many companies use ingredient splitting to make it look like there is more lamb than there actually is.
This is how ingredient splitting is used in dog food
What does lamb meat provide to dogs? Are there alternatives?
Lamb has a great protein profile, and as long as dogs don’t consume a LOT of lamb fat (or any large dose of fat from anywhere), they will stay trim and not have health concerns connected with their food consumption.
Diversity in meat proteins is important for dogs to ensure they get all of the amino acids they require and to keep them interested in food. Not bored.
The key message here is to mix up the proteins that you feed your dog. If they have predominantly chicken or kangaroo in their diet, then Beef Treats are great. Our popular Beef Cubes Dog Treats are a very light and crunchy treat made from 100% Australian beef lung and enjoyed by all size dogs.
CONCLUSION
Dogs can eat just about every meat, including lamb.
A variety of protein sources is ideal for dogs.
Supply of lamb in the treat market is limited but we offer 3 lamb treats to lamb-lovers out there.
Be aware that commercial dog food that contains lamb might only have small amounts or mechanically de-boned meat.
If you haven’t tried any of our lamb cube treats, we suggest you at least pick up a sample size pack of them and see if your dog agrees with Archie above!!