Bugsy's Newsletter
FAQ
Copyright 2011 Lucky Dog Cuisine:  Food for Dogs.  All Rights Reserved
41 Heyward St Bluffton SC
With love from our kitchens to yours!
Veterinarian Tested
and Approved!
If you wouldn't eat it, please don't feed it to your dog!
Do I feed it hot or cold? How do I feed it?

Lucky Dog comes in convenient 16 oz servings. Keep it frozen until a day or two before you are going to feed it and then leave it out or even in the refrigerator for a few hours. When you are ready to feed remove it from the plastic (PLEASE DO NOT HEAT FOOD IN PLASTIC - you should not heat your own food in plastic either as the heat can release toxins found in plastic.), place in a bowl and warm it up for your dog. They can eat it hot or cold, but warming it slightly releases the aroma and your dog will probably do the "Lucky Dog Dance" while waiting for you to set it down.

How much should I feed?

As a general rule of thumb we suggest feeding roughly 2-3% of your dog's body weight daily. Dogs are meant to eat multiple times a day. If possible you should feed them at least 2X daily. A forty to fifty pound dog should get about 16 oz. per day divided between breakfast and dinner. Smaller dogs may get by with only a quarter package morning and night. The benefit of eating "whole food" is that your dog may need less to get the nutrients they require. Feel free to supplement with a high quality HUMAN GRADE dry dog food (Please look for one with human grade ingredients and no meal or byproducts). NOTE Many of the premium dry dog foods you pay top dollar for do NOT meet these criteria, please read the label of your food of choice.

Why does my dry dog food seem to have a higher protein content than Lucky Dog?

With any "wet food"  we have to take into account the water content. In order to compare dry to wet foods we must use a formula.

  • We subtract the moisture content of the wet food from 100.
  • We then take that number and divide the protein number by this calculation.
  • For example our Pooch Pasta recipe has 70% moisture, 100-70=30.
  • Our percentage protein is 11.22%, so our protein on a dry basis is 11.22 divided by 30 equals 37.4%
We can now compare the 2 protein levels, the dry food and Lucky Dog Cuisine on a dry weiight basis.

Can I mix it with my regular dog food?

Absolutely. In a perfect world you might only feed Lucky Dog but even a little bit mixed with you dog's regular food is better than none at all. Mixing half a package with your dog's regular food will at least give him some of the vital nutrients that only whole food can provide. A little bit regularly is better than nothing.

How can I get it?

Lucky Dog is available both in stores and online. For a list of stores in your area click on "Retailers" on this web site. To order online please click on the "Order Online" link. Please ask us about our new Lucky Dog autoship option. This will make sure you get Lucky Dog delivered right to your door monthly and will get you a discounted price as well.

Your card says so good you can eat it yourself. Is that true?

There is nothing in Lucky Dog that is harmful to humans. It is all "top quality human grade food". If you were to open a package of Lucky Dog and heat it up you would have a quality lunch or dinner for yourself. As a matter of fact,  if you were to eat nothing but Lucky Dog for the rest of your life (not that we recommend that), you would probably be eating much healthier than the average American.

My dog has allergies. Can I feed Lucky Dog?

One of the biggest reasons for "allergies" that dogs have today is the poor food they consume in the first place. A good example is corn allergies that so many people claim for their dogs. The problem is not usually with corn but in the fact that commercial pet food manufacturers are allowed to use moldy grains in dog food. These moldy grains are certainly not allowed in human grade food and they lead to all sorts of allergies and reactions. Feeding Lucky Dog will help most dogs by allowing them to ingest whole foods. (NOTE. If your dog has a TRUE allergy it is not recommended to feed products containing that ingredient.)

My dog has hot spots and skin infections. Will this help?

Typically a problem encountered in the Southern Climes, Hot Spots are both unsightly and very uncomfortable for your dog. Most dogs eating Lucky Dog as a primary ingredient of their diet will be far less susceptible to Hot Spots. This is because the immune system will function at a higher level when nourished by "whole foods". We do not market Lucky Dog as a cure all or remedy for any particular ailment but anything that helps your dog's immune system function more efficiently will allow you dog to remain healthier.

You talk about "meal" and most foods have that as the first or second ingredient. Why is "meal" so bad?

"Meal", whether beef, chicken, lamb, etc., is typically processed at high temperatures that "denature" protein, meaning it DESTROYS the amino acids that make up protein. They are therefore poorly digested and provide little nutritive value. U.S. Food and Drug Administration website (The AAFCO) defines meat meal as: "The rendered product of mammalian tissues, exclusive of any ADDED blood, hair, hide, trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents."  This means all of the above can be present in the meal as long as the manufacturer doesn't add extra.

Why is there garlic in the food?

Garlic has many health benefits including purifying the liver and stimulating gastric juices for better digestion while promoting the growth of friendly bacteria in the bowel.  Garlic helps lower blood sugar, has anti-fungal and anti-viral properties and contains selenium, a powerful anti-oxidant for immune system enhancement.
Too much garlic, meaning over 50 cloves at a time, can cause a condition called hemolytic anemia. Too much of anything can be dangerous, but our recipe only contains 2-3 cloves per 40 package recipe. The AAFCO (the government regulating agency responsible for what is allowed in dog food)  considers garlic to be safe.

How long does a package keep once it is thawed?

As long as the food is stored in a sealed, Tupperware type container, it can keep for 5-7 days.

How long does it keep in the freezer?

4 to 5 months

Why cooked and not raw?

Food in its natural state, as opposed to processed food, is always better for people and for dogs. Raw foods are not always tolerated by all dogs or by their owners! Raw foods can cause spikes in blood sugar levels. This can cause stress on the liver and pancreas. Our foods are cooked to allow for more gradual absorption and digestion which prevents these spikes in glucose production. Some anti-oxidants like lycopene found in tomatoes are released during the cooking process.

What about digestive enzymes found in raw food?

Enzymes are easily damaged by both freezing and by cooking.  Most raw food for dogs is stored and shipped frozen like our product. Enzymes are proteins that are broken down in the strong acids in the stomach. A dog’s stomach contains more acids than ours. Enzymes are treated like any other protein in the body and used as a protein, not directly as an enzyme. Our bodies and our dog's bodies produce their own digestives enzymes when given the proper building blocks. With good quality, whole foods there is less stress on the system and therefore less depletion of digestive enzymes - the body does not have to work as hard and it has the raw materials available to replace what it uses. Processed foods with questionable protein sources are hard to digest and deplete available enzyme stores.

What other differences are there between your cooked food and raw?

Our meats are muscle meats only with a little bit of heart. We do not use any organ meats at all. Organs, like the liver, contain toxins. This is due to the nature of the function of the liver which is to remove impurities from the body. 
Our meats are cooked  then drained of excess fat. We also lose about 1/3 of volume in the cooking process. So a 10 lb batch of meat will yield approximately 7 lbs. 
Our calcium sources are from yogurt and cheeses, not bone meal, ground bone or dried egg shells.  All of our ingredients are whole foods that are absorbed the way nature intended with a balance of calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, etc.

I see you use grains in your recipes.  I thought grains were bad for dogs?

Most grains found in commercial, pet grade foods are grains that are unfit for human consumption. This means they are filled with mold, aflotoxins and bacteria. They are also poor quality since most are by-products of the milling process. This means they are the left overs of the milling of corn, wheat, barley and are stripped of their inherent nutrients. So many dogs are experiencing allergies and even seizures due to the quality of raw ingredients in their diet. The grains themselves are not the issue, their quality and toxicity are!
Grains have many health benefits as long as they are whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat pasta and barley. Once cooked, they are well absorbed and well digested by dogs. Whole grains provide a myriad of vitamins and minerals and provide soluble fiber to feed the ‘good bacteria’ in the gut. They also provide the nutrients the body needs to manufacture its own Vit. K.
Whole grains are digested slowly which keeps the blood sugar low, reducing stress on the pancreas and the liver. They are also an excellent form of protein when combined with the amino acids of vegetables. 

Common sense tells us that if foods are unfit for human consumption, they are unfit to feed our animals.  Do not feed pet grade products.

With love from our kitchens to yours!