Want to know if Lamb Meal added to your dog food is worth it? Keep reading this article to find out more information on lamb meal in dog food.
Most dog owners don’t really give attention to dog food ingredients while buying dog foods. The ingredients in dog food are just as important as it is for us.
If dogs don’t like something you will come to know easily, and you better change it sooner.
This leaves dog owners in dilemma on what should they feed their pet friends that are healthy as well as tasty for them.
The answer is lamb meal. Dogs love lamb. It is a pretty good alternative to chicken and beef meals.
But we know it’s not always possible to feed them home-cooked lamb. So the best alternative is the lamb meal.
Lamb meals have better protein content, excellent taste, and less fat compared to home-cooked lamb.
So, here’s why a lamb meal is a pretty good choice in dog food that will be loved by your pooch and his health as well.
Contents
What is Lamb Meal?
Lamb and Lamb meal have greater nutritional value than most of the plant-based meals available in the market.
Lamb meal is even considered more beneficial than home-cooked or raw lamb in dog food.
This is because lamb meal is the dry rendered part of lamb specially made for feeding pets.
The meat is cooked at a higher temperature, dried and grounded, and is then included in dog food.
The unnecessary water is removed through this process. So the lamb meal has a good amount of protein and other essential nutrients that are healthy for dogs.
Compared to lamb, lamb meal contains a higher amount of proteins and essential compounds like calcium that improves dog digestion, immune system, skin, and coat.
Truth About Lamb Meal in Dog Food
As it is quite normal to have second thoughts on what manufacturers include in lamb meals, and if they are really high quality or no, here’s the truth.
Lamb meal contains lamb tissues such as skeletal muscle, some bones, and internal organs that are dried and grounded. As per Ukpetfood “Meats are generally good sources of protein, essential fatty acids, iron and some B-group vitamins. They also increase the palatability of a product and have a high digestibility.“
The skeletal muscles and internal organs of lamb are good sources of protein and fats essential for a dog’s overall growth. Bones are included in small amounts as it is a good source of calcium.
The only downside of including lamb meal in your dog’s diet is that lamb meal contains a low amount of taurine.
So lamb meals need to be combined with other dog food that is high in taurine. Including just a lamb meal can lead to a taurine deficiency in dogs.
Also, you should know that not all lamb meals are healthy. Many food brands use a high amount of wool and starch which reduces the amount of protein in lamb meals.
It is necessary to only choose the top dog food brands while buying lamb meals for your pooch.
High-quality lamb meals have amazing nutritional benefits that your pooch needs for his overall growth.
Benefits Of Lamb Meal in Dog Food
Dogs are omnivores who need animal protein. When it comes to their food what most of the breeds love is lamb. According to Purnia “Lamb is an excellent source of high-quality protein and essential amino acids, which are vital nutrients for your dog.“
Not only its taste keeps dogs cheerful, but it has some amazing health benefits as well that make lamb meal the first preference of dog food owners.
Here’s why you need to include lamb meal in dog food.
High Protein Content
Lambs are an excellent source of high-quality protein not only for you but for your dog as well.
This is why many dog food brands include lamb meals combined with rice or other animal protein.
This high-quality protein helps dogs build and maintain body tissue for healthy growth.
Soluble Fats
The rendering process removes unnecessary water and fats.
What remains, is an adequate amount of animal fat and protein that adult dogs require.
This small amount of fat does not make dogs obese. Instead serves as a source of energy and helps transport essential fat-soluble vitamins in the body.
Improved Skin and Coat
The various nutrients present in lamb meal improve dog’s skin and coat.
It keeps skin allergies at bay. You just need to make sure you get only a high-quality lamb meal.
Stronger Immune System
Our pet’s immunity is our greatest concern. Lamb meals are the best possible solution to the dog’s diet to keep him nourished, healthy, and fulfilled.
The higher amount of proteins, vitamins, and minerals improve a dog’s immunity and boosts health.
These are the benefits of including a lamb meal in your dog’s diet. It is always better to start with a smaller proportion and see how your dog reacts to this diet change.
How to Choose the Right Lamb Meal for your Dog?
Pet parents should often be more specific about the ingredients added to dog food. Some are too good for dogs while some can lead to severe health issues as well.
So to avoid getting into any such trouble while you plan to include lamb meal here are few things you should pay attention to.
High-quality Dog Foods
Always choose top brands when it comes to lamb meals. They are nutritionally balanced to provide your pooch all the energy he requires throughout the day.
Low-quality lamb meals might contain wool and starch. This decreases the protein content and leads to severe health issues.
This can also lead to protein deficiency in the future.
Taurine Rich
Secondly, lambs are taurine deficient. So make sure that the lamb meal you buy has supplements that balance the taurine.
Taurine is basically an amino acid that is essential for a dog’s heart, skin, and brain development.
If lamb meals are not a combination of any such compounds feed lamb meals with fish, shellfish, etc as they have a higher amount of taurine.
To make it easier for you, here are the 3 best lamb meal products you can include in your dog’s diet.
Best Lamb Meal Dog Food
We selected for you the 3 best lamb meal products that are not taurine deficient and yet a rich source of proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
1.Diamond Naturals Lamb Dog Food
The Diamond Naturals lamb dog food contains high-quality lamb meal in combination with different ingredients like ground white rice, egg product, taurine, etc.
These ingredients increase its nutritional value without any side effects to dogs. As it has taurine already present you do not need to combine it with different taurin-rich food for dogs.
Also, it has no corn or wheat fillers and hence is a pretty good choice for dog owners looking for high-quality lamb meal.
2.Natural Balance Lamb Meal
The Natural Balance Lamb meal is combined with brown rice that provides complete balanced nutrition to dogs.
It as well has added taurine, so you do not really need to worry about combining it with another taurine rich ingredient.
It is likely to improve the dog’s digestive health, immune system, skin, and coat. All in all, a pretty good high-quality lamb meal dog food you can invest in.
FAQs About Lamb Meal in Dog Food
1. What is better, lamb or lamb meal in dog food?
Since dogs require a higher amount of protein, a high-quality lamb meal is a healthier choice for dogs. Raw or home-cooked lamb contains a higher amount of water and fat.
Rendering reduces the water content and increases protein, hence it is always advisable to choose lamb meal over lamb in dog food.
2. Is lamb meal good for Dogs?
Yes, lamb meal is extremely beneficial for dogs. It has a higher amount of protein compared to home-cooked or raw lamb.
3. Can dog with chicken and beef meal allergies eat lamb meal?
Veterinarians always recommend lamb meal for dogs with chicken or beef allergies to fulfill the animal protein requirements in the dog. It is loved by dogs as well due to its taste and aroma.
4. What should you feed your dog along with lamb meal to avoid taurine deficiency?
Lamb meals are taurine deficient and so can slow down the growth of a dog’s brain and skin. To avoid this lamb meals should be combined with foods rich in taurine, like fish, shellfish, turkey meal, etc.
Conclusion
So this was all you should know about including lamb meal in dog food.
Even if your dog is allergic to beef or chicken, you can feed him a lamb meal. Also, dogs love lamb meals so it won’t be of an issue.
Check ingredients to better understand if it’s the right choice. Make sure lamb meal should be a primary or secondary ingredient in your dog’s food.
Resources
- Coile, C. (2022, October 27). The 8 Biggest Dog Food Myths. American Kennel Club.
- Purina. (2020, February 26). Lamb Dog Food Benefits. Nestlé Purina Petcare Company.
- Gizzarelli, M. (2021b). Clinical Findings in Healthy Dogs Fed With Diets Characterized by Different Carbohydrates Sources. Frontiers.
- The good and bad of meat protein in pet food: Facts and Myths|Retrieved November 23, 2022, from Monch Bar.
Julia is a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist, practicing veterinarian in a non-profit animal hospital and feline sanctuary located in Rochester, NY. She is also a full-time veterinary advisor at DogLikesBest. She focuses on writing healthcare-related topics including dog foods, treats, veterinary diets, food for specific healthcare features, etc. Moreover, any article on DogNeedsBest that has to concern feline health in any way, goes under her scrutiny before being published.
