Can Dogs Eat Lamb Bones?

In this research you will know the answer to the query “Can Dogs Eat Lamb Bones?“.

In 2020 Americans consumed over a pound of lamb on average? 

It is a huge drop compared to the five pounds per capita consumption seen in the 1960s.

In comparison with the average chicken per person of over 200 pounds this is peanuts. 

With all this in mind it may be difficult to find any lamb bones to buy.

What are the most widely available cuts of lamb?

Look at some of the biggest grocery stores in the US and you will find that your choices of lamb cuts with bones are limited.

Lamb chops are readily available but what about lamb legs shanks or racks?

There are much fewer of these on the main street.

Your local butcher might be able to help…

Should my dog eat lamb bones?

There are a number of factors to consider when determining whether lamb bones are safe for your dog or if they are dangerous.

In order to help you separate the safe lamb bones from the dangerous I have narrowed it down to four essential principles.

Lets get started.

A bones size is the first thing to consider.

I’m using your dogs mouth size as a comparison.

Could a chewer swallow the bone whole and choke if they are aggressive?

Its important that a dog sees a bone and thinks “I’d like to gnaw that”

Next we’ll talk about the shape.

I am referring to the sharpness of the edges.

The bit of bone is swallowed by a dog and begins its journey through its digestive system with sharp edges. 

Therefore chops do not have any bones attached.

Thirdly raw bones are best.

Strange as it may seem raw bones are soft and supple so that when a dog chews on them the pieces that come loose will not be sharp.

Can Dogs Eat Cooked Lamb Bones?

Once cooked bones become much harder and more brittle. 

Often sharp pieces come loose from chewing cooked bones which are dangerous. 

Last but not least bones must bear weight.

In comparison to non-weight-bearing bones weight-bearing bones are physically bigger denser and less brittle.

Lets move away from lamb for a moment and compare the raw chicken wing and the raw roast leg bone.

Lamb bones that are safe for your dog? Can Dogs Eat Lamb Bones?

What lamb bones would you consider safe after going through that checklist?

Raw lamb leg bones are the obvious choice due to their size and weight-bearing characteristics. 

If you buy a leg of lamb the process of removing the bone is quite time-consuming since it needs to be raw.

Consider getting a butterfly leg cut and keeping the bone from the butcher for you and your dog.

Only a shoulder bone might be an option.

However I do not know how large or widely available these bones might be. 

What are the most dangerous lamb bones? Can dogs eat lamb shank bones?

Because of how sharp the bones can be on lamb chops I think I’ve already mentioned that dogs should not eat them.

Another type of bone to avoid in lamb is the shank bone and the rib bone that you get when you buy a rack of lamb.

This bone tends to be sharp again.

While we are talking about sharp and troublesome lamb bones I would like to discuss what you should do if your dog ate a lamb bone that he should not have.

What should I do if my dog ate a lamb bone?

I am not saying that all hope is lost if your dog swallows part or all of a lamb bone because that isn’t the case.

It is not uncommon for dogs to narrowly escape death while chewing bones and live to tell the tale or at least live to do it again a few days later. 

It is important to note however that swallowing too much bone or swallowing a razor-sharp piece of bone can result in unpleasant consequences. 

In the event that the bone is too large and your dog starts to choke the symptoms will be pretty obvious since your dog will be coughing and gagging in response. 

The things you can try at home such as putting your fingers down your dogs mouth performing the dog Heimlich maneuver or trying to induce vomiting all come with their own risks.

The best thing you can do is call your vet or if your dog has been struggling for a few minutes rush him to the vet as quickly as possible. 

Another danger of your dog eating a sharp fragment of lamb bone is that it can graze or cut their throat esophagus or other parts of their digestive system as it passes through their body.

This is something you would only notice if you saw blood in your dogs saliva or stool. 

Is It Dangerous To Feed Raw Lamb Meat To A Dog?

There are bits of well inside meaty bones you buy from your local butcher or meat market. They are hung with meat.

Can a dog eat raw lamb without any problems?

Theres a good chance that your dog will be fine eating the few pieces of lamb that are still clinging to the bone.

Nonetheless there is a risk that raw meat might contain some type of bacteria.

Among the bacteria found on lamb are salmonella E Coli and clostridium.

Bacteria such as E Coli pose the greatest threat to dogs. 

Raw lamb can cause a dog to get diarrhea if it is infected with a virulent strain of E Coli.  

Puppys immune system is still developing making them even more vulnerable to E Coli.

As we discuss raw lamb in the next section I would like to take a closer look at cooked lamb.

The safest way to feed cooked lamb bones to your dog?

This research stresses the importance of letting dogs chew on only raw bones.

I think there is a way for your dog to safely consume cooked lamb bones. 

Making lamb bone broth is one way to do this.

Let me clarify if that sounds a little too Harry Potter for you.

In most recipes the broth is cooked between 12 and 24 hours after the cooked bones are boiled in water and vinegar. 

This is the amount of time it takes for bones to start disintegrating and releasing their nutrients. 

A few of these nutrients are calcium and magnesium from the bones and vitamin A from the marrow.

These nutrients are very easily absorbed by the dogs body once they are in the broth.

Bone broth is beneficial to dogs in several ways including strengthening bones reducing inflammation and aiding digestion.

It is ironic when you consider the threat that sharp spiky bones pose to the same system.

Here is a delicious recipe you can make at home.

The recipe is not designed for dogs so leave out the celery and onion!

Last but not least I want to briefly discuss in terms of your dogs teeth whether bones are friends or foes.

Lamb bones for dogs teeth

Because bones are capable of cleaning teeth they are teeth-friendly.

When a dog gnaws on raw bones the hard surface of the bone is in contact with the hard surface of the teeth and the friction cleans the teeth. 

The next time you give your dog a bone observe how they place the bone in their mouths.

From the left-hand side of the mouth they will move to the right-hand side of the mouth and then gnaw on it with their front teeth.

I think it is clever stuff and is as good as a toothbrush for cleaning your teeth!

The relationship between teeth and bones has a darker side because gnawing on the wrong sort of bone or for too long on a bone can cause teeth to break which is obviously very serious.

As a result of this and other threats discussed in this research we must only give our dogs bones when we are present.

Everything that goes wrong has pretty serious consequences.

If you want to read more about dog food tips read here: Dog Food Tips and Tricks.

Can Dogs Eat Lamb Bones? (Watch Video)