Lamb for Raw Dog Food

Lamb for raw dog food is one of my favorite protein sources in raw feeding, and today’s blog post is all about it!

You’ll learn what’s in raw lamb that makes is so nutritious, and we’ll also look at the different cuts of lamb you can use for raw meal prep:

• Ground raw lamb
• Lamb green tripe & heart
• Lamb ears & tongue
• Meaty lamb bones
• Raw lamb liver, kidneys, spleen, pancreas, testicles & brains

Bonus: I’ll also mention 4 brands where you can buy complete raw lamb for dogs that’s ready to be fed as is.

I’m also listing air-dried and freeze-dried raw dog food lamb recipes as options to feed during travel.

Raw Lamb Dog Food: Benefits, Cons Which Cuts to Feed & More

Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.

What’s In Raw Lamb: Benefits of Lamb for Dogs

Lamb is a tender, red meat that’s rich in the following:

• Vitamins B2, B3, B6 & B12. Support blood flow and blood cells, break down fatty acids and support the nervous system.
• Iron. Supports normal formation of red blood cells.
• Phosphorus. Supports a healthy metabolism, teeth and bones.
• Zinc. Supports the immune system and a healthy thyroid.
• Selenium. Supports a healthy thyroid and is important for reproduction.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Anti-inflammatory that supports skin and coat health, heart & brain health as well as healthy joints.

Overall, red meats such as lamb (also beef, deer, duck and pork) are richer in nutrients than white meat (poultry and rabbit).

Ground Raw Lamb for Dogs

You can find ground raw lamb at most grocery stores. This is going to count towards the 70% muscle meat in raw meal prep. That’s the predominant ingredient group.

Since lamb tends to be more on the expensive side of things, I only buy it when it’s on sale and stock up on it as much as possible. Obviously you’ll need freezer space for this money saving strategy, but I can’t recommend it enough!

I started with different size chest freezers and currently have an upright freezer that holds Wally’s raw dog food.

Raw Lamb Green Tripe & Heart for Dogs

Green tripe and heart also count towards the 70% muscle meet category in raw feeding. You can add about 20% of green tripe and 15-20% of heart.

Lamb Green Tripe

Good to know: Green tripe has a 1:1 phosphorus to calcium ratio. It’s incredibly nutritious because it’s the nutrient-rich lining (full of digestive enzymes!) of the lamb’s stomach.

Green simply means that it hasn’t been treated with anything. Unlike the white tripe you find at your local grocery store. That particular, human kind is bleached and completely stripped of all of its nutrients, so there’s no point in feeding it to your pups.

So yes, green tripe is super nutritious BUT there’s a caveat. Be aware that it’s on the smelly side of things. I personally don’t mind the smell which is why I also don’t mind cutting up whole green tripe.

Money Saving Tip: Whole cuts of any meat are typically less expensive than their ground counterparts.

Where to Buy Green Lamb Tripe

Here’s where you can buy it in the US:

• Raw Paws Pet Food: Signature Green Lamb Tripe (ground). Save 15% with code K9Savings.
• Raw Feeding Miami: Lamb Green Tripe (ground)
• My Pet Carnivore: Green Lamb Tripe (ground)
• Raw Pet Food Delivery Market: Green Lamb Tripe (whole or ground)

Fun fact: The other day, I was cutting up a whole huge chunk of lamb green tripe that had spleen attached to it! Wally and I literally did a happy dance in the kitchen because that was unexpected and definitely a first!

Lamb Heart

Heart is a lean muscle meat (unlike tongue, for example which is rich in healthy fats). Here’s where you can buy it:

• Raw Feeding Miami: Lamb Heart (whole)
• My Pet Carnivore: Lamb Hearts (whole)

Raw Lamb Ears & Tongue for Dogs

Lamb ears and tongue also count towards the 70% muscle meat in raw meal prep.

Let’s start with lamb ears. Here’s what I like about them:

• Promote chewing
• Great protein source
• Hairy lamb ears provide manganese

Obviously I’m a raw feeder which means raw lamb ears are going to be my first choice, but I also buy dried lamb ears occasionally as an in-between snack.

Some dried lamb ears are available with the fur and hair while others have been stripped of it. I prefer the ones that come with fur because it’s such a great source of the trace mineral manganese, as mentioned before.

How Often Can Dogs Have Lamb Ears?

This depends entirely on the size of your dog. Wally weighs around 38lbs and gets one hairy lamb ear per week. I find that he does best with it when I cut it in half and offer it on two separate occasions.

You can either include it with meal prep and have the ear count towards muscle meat, or you can just offer it as an in-between snack.

Where to Buy Lamb Ears for Dogs in the US

You can get lamb ears that are either dehydrated or raw.

Whole raw lamb ears are harder to come by, but there’s one raw supplier in Tennessee who ships nationwide:

• Raw Pet Food Delivery Market

You could also check in with local sheep farmers and ask if they’d be willing to part with their lamb ears – or any other cuts for that matter.

Dehydrated/air-dried lamb ears are easier to find:

• Raw Paws Pet Food. Dehydrated, sold without hair or fur. Save 15% with code K9Savings.
• My Pet Carnivore. Dehydrated lamb ears with fur.
• Real Dog. Air-dried, sold with hair and available in their monthly treat/chew boxes.

After my move to Germany, I had to find a German source for lamb ears, and the one below is where I get raw ones:

Haustierkost – Lammohren mit Fell

On a personal note, it’s much easier to find raw lamb ears here in Germany than it is in the US. Do they have more sheep here? Maybe.

BUT on the flip side it’s impossible to find duck heads and duck eggs in Germany. I used to get my duck heads from Raw Feeding Miami and could find duck eggs at a local grocery store in the US (Harris Teeter).

Lamb Tongue

Lamb tongue is a fatty muscle meat and consists of about 17% fat. Healthy fats are an important part of balanced raw dog food, so don’t skimp on these!

It’s a bit tricky to get your hands on lamb tongue in the US (again, fairly easy here in Germany), but you can find it at My Pet Carnivore. If it’s out of stock, you can sign up for an email alert to be notified once it’s back in stock.

Meaty Lamb Bones for Dogs

These are going to count towards the 10% raw meaty bones (RMBs) in raw meal prep. There are several different raw meaty lamb bones you can use when you’re putting your pup’s raw meals together.

Raw Paws Pet Food offers a bundle of meaty lamb bones with a ratio of 70% bone and 30% meat. It consists of the following:

• Ribs
• Tail Bones
• Neck Bones
• Femur Bones

Use discount code K9Savings to get 15% off!

My Pet Carnivore sells raw lamb tail bones.

Here’s something EXTRA cool – lamb heads! You can find them at Raw Pet Food Delivery Market. They come with brains, eyes and tongue, which means they consist of about 75% bone, 20% meat and 5% secreting organs (brains and eyes).

Raw Lamb Liver, Kidneys, Spleen, Pancreas, Brains & Testicles for Dogs

All of these are secreting organs and count towards the 10% secreting organs category in raw meal prep. More specifically, 5% liver and 5% other secreting organs. Here’s where to find them:

Raw Feeding Miami:

• Lamb liver
• Lamb kidney

My Pet Carnivore:

• Lamb liver
• Lamb spleen & pancreas
• Raw Lamb Testicles (aka “fries”)

Raw Pet Food Delivery Market:

• Lamb brain (whole)
• Lamb fries testicles (whole)

Bonus: Where to Buy Lamb Raw Dog Food That’s Ready to Feed As Is

If you don’t (always) feel like raw meal prepping yourself, you can buy pre-made raw lamb that’s ready to feed as is. The only other ingredients I’d personally add is oily fish, as well as some plant matter if it doesn’t come with green tripe or veggies.

• Raw Paws Pet Food: Signature Blend Complete Lamb: Lamb meat, heart, tongue, tail, liver, kidney and spleen. Save 15% with code K9Savings.
• Raw Feeding Miami: Raw Lamb Grinds: Lamb meat, bone, heart, liver and kidney.
• My Pet Carnivore: Coarse Ground Whole Mutton. Mutton is the name for lambs that are over 1 year old. Contains the whole animal, including green tripe.
• Darwin’s Natural Pet: Naturals Selections Lamb: Lamb, Lamb Heart, Lamb Liver, Organic Sweet Potato, Organic Lettuce, Organic Squash (seasonal), Organic Cabbage, Organic Parsley, Organic Sunflower Seed Oil, Cod Liver Oil, Proprietary Vitamin and Mineral Mix.

Air-Dried & Freeze-Dried Lamb Dog Food

Air-dried and freeze-dried lamb dog food can be a good alternative for several scenarios:

(1) You’re traveling with your raw-fed dog and fresh raw dog food is not an option

(2) You’re out of fresh raw dog food and need a quick alternative

(3) You’re looking for a healthier kibble alternative but aren’t ready to feed fresh raw dog food quite yet

• ZiwiPeak Air-Dried Dog Food
• Primal Freeze-Dried Dog Food Nuggets Lamb Formula
• Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Dandy Lamb Meal Mixer
• Northwest Naturals Freeze-Dried Raw Diet Lamb Nuggets
• BIXBI Rawbble Freeze-Dried Dog Food Lamb Recipe
• K9 Natural Freeze-Dried Pet Food
• Sojos Complete Lamb Recipe Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food
• Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Freeze-Dried Lamb Dog Food

Lamb for Raw Dog Food: Bottom Line

Lamb raw dog food is nutritious and full of healthy fats. You can either buy it pre-made from brands like Raw Paws Pet Food, Raw Feeding Miami, My Pet Carnivore and Darwin’s Natural Pet, or you can make your own!

The only cons I can think of are the price point of lamb and that some cuts are a bit hard to find. That’s why I personally only buy lamb when it’s on sale or if I can get a deal on it. But when I do, I stock up!!

That said, you can use the following cuts of lamb for raw dog food in your own meals:

• Ground raw lamb, tongue, heart, ears and green tripe (muscle meat)
• Raw lamb tails, heads, necks, ribs and femur bones (raw meaty bones)
• Raw lamb liver, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, testicles and brains (secreting organs)

Whole cuts of meat are typically less expensive than their ground versions, so that’s something to keep in mind if you’re on a budget.

While raw lamb is a great nutrient source for your pups, remember that it’s important to feed as much variety as possible.

Animals you can rotate between are poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, quail and goose), rabbit, beef, deer, pork, ostrich, kangaroo and camel. Also don’t forget to add in oily fish! For example, mackerel, thread herring, salmon, anchovies, smelt and sardines.

Obviously only feed animals that your pup does well with and doesn’t have any food sensitivities too. My pup Wally doesn’t do well with chicken, quail and salmon, so those are no-gos for us.

If you’re not ready to make a full transition to raw dog food or if you’re looking for options for feeding raw dog food during travel, there are a variety of air-dried or freeze-dried raw dog food lamb recipes.

Related Reading:

• Raw Lamb for Dogs – Great Kong Filler!
• Where to Buy Raw Duck for Dogs & How to Feed It
• How to Feed Your Dog Wild Raw Venison + Recipe
• Raw Chicken for Dogs: How to Feed, Where to Buy & More