Dog Community

Posted : 5/30/2006 5:03:07 PM

Well, it makes sense I guess, not all dogs will do well on lamb. But I have heard a lot of good things about lamb and rice, especially for dogs with allergies. Each dog is different, like us humans.

ron2

Posted : 5/30/2006 6:50:40 PM

Lamb has a nutrient profile, including plentiful linoleic acid, similar to what my dog's ancestors ate. In a sense, it is breed-appropriate, to an extent.

boneyjean

Posted : 5/30/2006 9:46:05 PM

IMHO it isn't any different then some dogs who just don't do well with chicken or other protein sources....everyone's dog is different! You just have to find out what works best for them.

brookcove

Posted : 5/30/2006 10:29:48 PM

I sell fresh lamb/mutton to local raw feeders for their dogs and haven't had any complaints. Of course these people knew their dogs tolerated ovine meat before spending around $100 on 50 pounds of meat. [

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My own dogs all do fabulous when I've got plenty of lamb to feed them (late summer when I start culling out the poor doers). Even - or rather especially - my hgihly sensitive and allergic-to-everything dog.

I have heard of dogs that develop sensitivities, however. It's used so much in the grocery store brands now that a lot of dogs are exposed for a long time to it under less-than-ideal circumstances. And there are individuals that have genuine allergies, of course, like Ben's allergies to bison and venison.

ron2

Posted : 5/31/2006 5:20:19 AM

$100 on 50 pounds of meat

That's actually a good price for lamb. Say, about $1.99/lb?

brookcove

Posted : 5/31/2006 6:39:45 AM

That's actually a good price for lamb. Say, about $1.99/lb?

Yup. One of the best reasons to buy meat local right off the farm. Assuming you have a big freezer. Now, real lamb (young versus the mutton which is over a year) runs higher, at $1.50 to $2 live weight plus the processing fee it comes closer to $4 a pound, which is still excellent for the choice cuts that make up the bulk of the processed meat. Organic or all natural lamb runs around $9 to $14 a pound around here in the grocery stores. And there's a lot to be said for knowing exactly where your meat grew up and what it ate. [

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mudpuppy

Posted : 5/31/2006 8:18:57 AM

[linkhttp://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/lamb_rice_diets.htm]http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/lamb_rice_diets.htm[/link]

the great dane lady is very opposed to feeding a dog a diet of straight lamb and rice.

I still don't get it-- how can you possibly know your dog is doing well on a food? you can't. You won't know until he either makes it to age 16 healthy as could be, or starts showing signs of chronic illnesses at a young age. Best to hedge your bets by feeding a diet that contains a premium kibble and supplement it with a variety of fresh foods.

Stef w

Posted : 5/31/2006 2:45:13 PM

You could have a complete blood work done to see that everything is within normal ranges.

Luvntzus

Posted : 5/31/2006 5:26:33 PM

I read the Great Dane lady's page about lamb and rice foods. Her opinion is that when dogs are fed foods with lamb as the only meat source they can't maintain adequate muscle mass.

ron2

Posted : 5/31/2006 6:14:14 PM

That may be true for Great Danes and other giant breeds. Shadow is barely in the large breed class by weight, though he is tall at 26" to the whithers.

His bones are less dense than a pure Lab, due to the Husky heritage. Male Husky Adult weight ranges up to 60 lbs. Shadow is 58.5 lbs. He is all muscle on a Lamb and Rice formula, though I do give him some steak, pork or chicken here and there.

Edie

Posted : 5/31/2006 8:38:22 PM

I think another thing with Lamb is it's lack of EFA's.Apparantly dogs fed lamb diets for a long period of time end up with dry coats and skin.

papillon806

Posted : 5/31/2006 8:55:20 PM

lack of EFA's

Where did you hear that? That isn't true...

ron2

Posted : 6/1/2006 5:54:58 AM

The formula I feed that is Lamb and Rice has plentiful linoleic acid, from both flower oil and from the lamb.

ron2

Posted : 6/1/2006 6:00:40 AM

One thing I had to think about was Shadow's metabolism. It is designed by at least 1,000 years of breeding to get a maximum amount of nutrition from a little bit of food. So, some foods could be too rich. The Lamb and Rice is a simple food with a nutrient profile similar to what his ancestors ate. I think I said that before. Sorry for repeating. Lamb is a lean meat, just as reindeer meat, which could have been part of a diet. His breed ate fish, seal, and reindeer and foodstuffs traded in parts of Siberia, such as rice.

Renee

Posted : 6/1/2006 10:14:02 PM

Interesting reading here....it sure can get confusing and technical. I just want the best for my dogs, they're my best little buddies.

Lamb & Rice dry food