Ingredient file // Animal protein
Lamb Lung
A useful lamb organ, mostly protein and water
Lamb lung is the breathing organ removed when lambs are processed for meat. It supplies animal protein and iron, but fresh lung is mostly water. Its name identifies a useful ingredient; the finished food determines whether your dog gets a balanced diet.
Role in the food Supporting nutrient- What it is
- A lamb's breathing organ, separated during meat processing and used as a named animal ingredient.
- Made from
- Lungs from slaughtered lambs
- Main job
- Animal protein
- Typical amount
- 4% in one pâté; 20% in one raw mix
- Watch for
- A diagnosed lamb allergy
- Not the same as
- Lamb liver
Straight answer
Is Lamb Lung safe for dogs?
Read the whole recipe around the lung
Lamb lung on a label means a specific animal organ with a nutritional job. Read its position alongside the other meats and organs, remembering that fresh lung brings substantial water. For a main diet, check the finished food's nutritional adequacy statement. Skip lamb lung if your dog reacts to lamb.
- Why it is in the food
- Animal protein
- How common
- Listed by 10 of the 3,204 foods we track
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 320 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
<1%
10 of the 3,204 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 4 brands. 6 wet dog food, 3 freeze-dried dog food, 1 dog food topper.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 4. In the top five of 9 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.
Above the salt
Almost always listed before the salt, so there is more of it than a pinch.
Price per lb
Median of the cheapest bag price across 5 priced foods, 1054% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.
Who leans on it
30%
of the foods that list it are from K9 Natural. 4 brands use it in total.
What it is
How it is made
Meat processing separates lungs from the cuts sold as muscle meat. Pet food gives this organ another outlet. For wet food, makers grind it with other ingredients before sealing and heating the container.4,5,6
- 01 // Source Slaughtered lambs Lambs processed for meat also yield internal organs, including lungs, for use in animal food.
- 02 // Process Lungs separated The lungs are removed as a named organ, distinct from the carcass's muscle meat.
- 03 // Process Cleaned for feed AAFCO places lungs among clean, unrendered animal parts suitable for use in feed.
- 04 // Output Raw lamb lung The named organ reaches the food maker for grinding and mixing into a recipe.
What is in it
Composition, dry matter
67
% protein
About two-thirds of the dry raw lung in a small university sample was protein. Fresh lung still brings substantial water into a recipe.
Why it is in the bag
Real lean protein, in a supporting role
- Main nutrition
- Supporting nutrient
- Does a job
- Mostly filler
Lamb lung adds lean animal protein, but in the recipes we found it shares that job with lamb meat and other organs rather than carrying it. Labels rank ingredients by weight, and raw lung is about 80% water in USDA data, so its share of the food's dry matter is smaller than its rank suggests. USDA does not deem lungs edible for people; AAFCO says that does not stop them being safe, nutritious animal food.4,7,8,11
-
01
Adds animal protein
Raw lung supplies protein with relatively little fat. Because much of its weight is water, its weight on the ingredient list overstates its share of the food's dry matter.2,3,4
-
02
Uses a slaughter coproduct
Selling lungs for pet food gives meat processors an outlet for an organ outside the muscle meat trade. An industry report calls lamb lung an upcycled animal protein but publishes no price saving.4,5
-
03
Builds mixed organ recipes
Published formulas pair lamb lung with lamb meat and other organs. Naming the lung tells you which tissue is present; the rest of the list tells you what accompanies it.7,8
How much Published formulas contain 4% lamb lung in a complementary pâté and 20% in a raw mix; neither shows a usual amount.7,8
Our read // The claims
What the evidence supports
Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.
-
Brands say
Lamb lung supplies lean animal protein
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A university sample of raw lung measured 17.3 g protein and 2.5 g fat per 100 g; USDA reports a similar lean pattern. That describes the ingredient, not its contribution to any particular recipe.2,3
-
Brands say
Lamb lung boosts a dog's blood with iron
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
The university sample contained 15.8 mg iron per 100 g raw lung, while USDA lists 6.4 mg. These are composition measurements. Neither tested dogs or showed that feeding lung improves blood health.2,3
-
Brands say
Lamb lung is hypoallergenic for dogs
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A dried lung brand calls its snack hypoallergenic. A review found lamb reactions in 14 of 297 dogs with identified food triggers. Lung remains lamb protein, so the claim fails for a dog allergic to lamb.1,9
Straight answers
What owners ask
-
Q01
Is it just filler?
NoLung contributes animal protein and minerals. Calling it filler misses its nutritional job. Its presence alone cannot tell you how much protein the finished food provides or whether that food meets your dog's full needs.2,3,10
-
Q02
Does lung count as lamb meat?
Different tissueLung is a named lamb organ. AAFCO places lungs among animal byproducts, separate from its muscle meat category. That distinction identifies the tissue; it does not make lung an unsafe ingredient.4
-
Q03
Why is fresh lung listed high?
Water weightIngredients are listed by weight before processing. Raw lamb lung was 74.1% water in one university sample and 79.7% in USDA's reference. A high position therefore does not reveal its share of the finished food's dry matter.2,3,4
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
Foods that list it / all the brand's recipes we track.
Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it
- Lamb 100%
- Lamb Liver 100%
- Lamb Tripe 60%
- Lamb Heart 60%
- Water Sufficient for Processing 50%
- Lamb Kidney 40%
- Lamb Bone 40%
- Pumpkin 40%
- New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussel 40%
- Sunflower Oil 30%
- Flaxseed Flakes 30%
- Carrots 30%
On the shelf
Foods that list Lamb Lung
10 foods in our catalog list it, highest on the label first.
ZIWIZIWI Steam & Dried Lamb with Green Vegetables Recipe Dog Food Topper
ZIWIZiwi Wet/Canned Lamb Wet Dog Food
Hill'sHill’s Science Diet Single Protein Adult Single Protein Lamb & Pumpkin Recipe Fresh Roll Wet Dog Food
K9 NaturalK9 Natural Lamb Feast Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food
K9 NaturalK9 Natural Lamb & King Salmon Feast Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food
WeruvaWeruva Dogs in the Kitchen Thats My Jam Can Grain-Free Wet Dog Food
WeruvaWeruva Dogs in the Kitchen Classic Dog Hot Dayam with Lamb in Gelée Wet Dog Food 
Sources
What we read
Checked October 1, 2026.
- 1 Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats
- 2 Physical and Nutrient Composition Data of Animal Source Foods in South Africa
- 3 USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28: Lamb, Veal, and Game Products
- 4 What's in the Ingredients List?
- 5 Pet Food Production and Ingredient Analysis
- 6 FAQs About How Pet Food Is Made
- 7 ANCO Lamb Pate for Dogs
- 8 Meat, Heart & Lung
- 9 Lamb lungs - hypoallergenic, natural dog snack
- 10 About Pet Food Safety
- 11 Lamb, variety meats and by-products, lungs, raw (SR Legacy, FDC ID 174359)