Lucky Dog Cuisine

41 Heyward St Bluffton SC

Nutritional Info

And of course the most important ingredient in our food is

LOVE.

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Lucky Dog Cuisine is a unique product.

We use only human grade ingredients, butcher quality meats and real cheeses!

This food is so good you humans can eat it too!

Ground Beef: (humanely raised & grass fed)

Beef used in Lucky Dog Cuisine is all humanely raised and grass fed! We use the best quality muscle meats with the addition of beef heart. Grass fed beef is up to 4 times higher in Omega 3 fatty acids. It is rich in anti-oxidants including Vitamin E, beta carotene and Vitamin C with higher levels of Vitamin D than grain fed beef. Free range beef is rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). These are helpful in the fight against cancer.

Our custom ground beef, includes beef heart. Heart is healthy for dogs! It contains very concentrated levels of CoQ10, a powerful anti-oxidant. It is also rich in folic acid, selenium, phosphorus and zinc. CoQ10 is protective against cancer and is essential for cell growth and energy production.

Murphy inspecting the beef!

On top of all these benefits, the animals are not fed steroids or antibiotics. They are not confined. They are humanely treated and graze on grasses that are free of pesticides.

Most commercial dog foods use rendered meats. They appear on the label as meal. They could be specifically stated like beef meal or poultry meal or fish meal or just as animal meal. These meals are low quality, highly processed and denatured (which means the proteins are destroyed). Rendering plants add preservatives like ethoxyquin. It is permitted in pet foods, but the manufacturer does not have to put it on the label because they did not specifically add this preservative. EQ causes immune deficiency seen as stomach, liver cancers and allergies.

Turkey:

We use turkey in our recipes because it is a good source of protein, low in fat and low in sodium. Turkey meat fiber is easy to digest. It is an excellent source of iron, niacin, zinc and B vitamins. This poultry is richer in calcium than other meats and has more protein than chicken, beef or pork.

Poor quality protein has been linked to poor healing ability, chronic skin and ear infections, flea and worm infestations, behavioral problems of aggression or timidity, epilepsy and cancer.

Why do we cook our food?

Raw diets are fine as long as testing is done for contamination by pathogenic bacteria. There are still many chemicals in beef that are destroyed during the cooking process. Even raw, 'organic' meats are exposed to these chemicals and are not neutralized (As they would be during cooking).

Not all dogs can tolerate raw foods. Our food provides an excellent option for those who want to feed natural, whole foods but cannot either tolerate raw or find it difficult to accept (From a human perspective).

Remember, with a raw diet, it is not cooked, so the fat is still in the product. A pound of raw food is not the same as a pound of cooked meat where the fat and moisture have been drained off. Our food does not contain ground bone (which adds to the overall volume).

We lose about 1/3 of volume during the cooking process.

Cheeses and Yogurt:

Calcium is another major requirement for dogs. Calcium alone should not be added to the diet. This can create toxicity and imbalance. Natural sources of calcium provide the best digestion and absorption. Calcium in nature is balanced with phosphorus, potassium, chloride, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, selenium i.e., the whole mineral team.

Pet food manufacturers use bone meal to supplement calcium. Pet grade bone meal contains high levels of heavy metal poisons like lead. Bone meal fit for human consumption is far better but is more expensive and does not address the issue of imbalance if added alone. Pet food companies do not use human grade bone meal. Bone meal is a very inexpensive form of calcium and again, if taken as a single nutrient, does not allow for balanced absorption.

No single nutrient should ever be taken out of context. They need to exist as a team of nutrients.

Our food contains cheeses. Not only does cheese provide the mineral team needed, it also provides high quality protein, vitamins and essential fatty acids. Cheeses provide the omega 3's and 6's that are needed for healthy skin and coat. It also promotes digestive health and has anti-inflammatory properties. Essential fatty acid deficiency creates autoimmune conditions like arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, diabetes and allergies. Cheese is high in absorbable Vit A and B. Omega 3's are difficult to preserve in packaged foods. The ratio of 3's to 6's is very important to prevent inflammation. Often pet food companies add linoleic acid (a form of omega 6) because it is cheap and they then can say their food is fortified. Most commercial pet food is high in omega 6 again leading to imbalance of 3s to 6s.

Cheese and yogurt are high quality ingredients that add to the cost of our food, but they provide excellent nutrition.

Yogurt has the added benefit of pre and probiotics. These stimulate growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut and inhibit growth of pathogenic (bad guy) microorganisms. They are also anticarinogenic. Probiotics and prebiotics are antimicrobial and help decrease the amount of fats circulating in the blood. They also help maintain normal blood glucose levels (less stress on pancreas and liver) and help improve mineral absorption.

Complex Carbohydrates:

Complex carbs are very different than the simple carbs found as the mainstay in most commercial, dry dogs foods. Carbohydrates provide an excellent source of protein when mixed with plant amino acids (Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins). Plant proteins are incomplete and need to be added to complex carbohydrates to be made complete. It is a myth that all carbs are bad for dogs. Good quality, human grade carbs have many benefits. Pet grade carbohydrates are those not fit for human consumption and contain moldy grain, endotoxins and bacteria. These poor quality carbohydrates lead to reactions seen as allergies.

Brown Rice:

Brown rice contains B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus and iron as well as the other components of the 'mineral team'. It also provides fiber.

Barley:

Barley is a good source of fiber and vitamins and minerals. It helps maintain healthy colon and provides food for friendly bacteria. It helps lower cholesterol and regulates blood sugar. It is a good source of niacin, which helps prevent cardiovascular disease and prevents free radical damage. It is a good source of vit E, selenium and magnesium. Selenium is very important to provide the fuel the body needs to manufacture its own powerful antioxidant, glutathione, which protects DNA and prevents cell damage. Barley also has phenols and phytonutrients which act as cofactors in cell metabolism.

Whole grains lower the glycemic index and improve the body's ability to balance insulin. This leads to less obesity and diabetes.

We are seeing more obesity and diabetes in the pet population due to the high fat and sugar content of most dry commercial dog foods.

Organic Flax Seed Meal:

Flax seed have to be ground to release nutrients. We use flax seed meal for a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids and for lignans. Lignans is an antioxidant that helps to prevent unchecked cell growth. Flax seed has 75x's more of this antioxidant than any other plant food.

Also high level of digestible fiber (Higher than oatmeal).

Vegetables:

We use carrots, peas, beans and tomatoes. A good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are gently steamed (not boiled or over cooked) and pureed for digestibility and to lower the glycemic index. Raw vegetables are not well digested and can cause spikes in blood sugar.

Fiber is used by friendly bacteria in the colon to produce Vit K.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

I have researched the oils that are used in our food. I wanted oils that provide the best nutrition and are the least processed. Our oils are extra virgin, cold pressed oils. This means the oil is extracted without the use of heat (cold processed) or chemicals. These oils are the most expensive oils on the market.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil provide many benefits:

High in antioxidants, it protects against heart disease, controls LDL (bad) and raises HDL (good). It is the only vegetable oil that can be consumed as it is - freshly pressed from the fruit.

It has protective functions in gastritis and activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones to lower formation of gallstones.It contains Vit E and phenols, chlorophylls, carotinoids. Helps control blood sugar levels and helps the body produce natural anti-inflammatory agents that reduce the severity of arthritis, etc.

Basil and Oregano:

Even these are used for a reason. They are rich in Vit A and flavinoids. It is a rich source of iron, calcium magnesium etc. Helps fight free radicals and protects the heart. Has anti-inflammatory properties. It also helps promote the production of saliva, which aids in digestion.

Filtered Water:

All of our food is cooked in pure, filtered water. This removes water pollutants and fluoride. Fluoride in dogs has been shown to create bone damage and cancers. The primary source of fluoride in pet foods is from adding mineral supplements. Raw phosphate has high fluoride content and is the most physically damaging because it is not processed and is the least expensive supplement. There is a theory that dogs who appear to be suffering from arthritis, dysplasia and spinal deformities may have skeletal fluorosis. It can cause fatigue, mottled teeth, skin disorders and hair loss. Not a chance I want to take with my animals. Canned dog food contains the most amount of fluorine.

Pet food companies are not required to list fluoride on the label.

10 European countries have banned fluoridation of water.

Whole Foods for Dogs

Cooking for dogs has many benefits, not the least of which is that it is free of additives, fillers, questionable sources for vitamin and mineral supplementation (many pet food companies use synthetic vitamins and minerals from overseas pet grade sources). BHA and BHT have been shown to cause epilepsy in dogs. We talked about EQ previously. Even Vit C is added to commercial food to prevent discoloration and mold formation. But dogs make their own Vit C and over supplementing causes PH issues in the kidney and damage to the liver.

Today's domesticated dogs are not the same as their hunting ancestors. Their ancestors got more exercise and lived in a less polluted environment. They also fasted between meals and could therefore eliminate uric acid and other waste products of meat metabolism. Today's dogs have evolved and adapted to living with humans. The glandular and digestive systems have changed. Dogs no longer have to hunt for their dinners.

Advantages of Whole Natural Food:

Dogs live longer -Ann Martin and Dr. Strombeck both mention in their books that over the last 40 years, dogs have had an 18% decrease in life span due to the advent of commercial, processed foods.

Dogs look better and feel healthier due to a stronger immune system.

Better central nervous system and brain development.

Good weight control - whole foods are more efficiently digested (can eat less volume). Commercial feeds are high in fat and sugar and refined grain. Obesity and diabetes are growing in the pet population.

Less skin infections.

Fewer worms and fleas.

Save on vet bills.

Less gas.

Feed with confidence, knowing that you do not need a chemistry degree to understand the label.

"You don't need a Chemistry degree to read our labels"

Bugsy Wonderdog

With love from our kitchens to yours!

Garlic:

Despite all of the controversy and rumors, garlic is on the AAFCO list of GRAS (Generally regarded as safe) ingredients as both a spice and an essential mineral for dog food.

It has many health benefits, Antioxidants like selenium help strengthen the immune system.

Garlic purifies the liver and reduces cholesterol and triglycerides helping the cardiovascular system. It helps regulate blood sugar levels, antiparasitic and anitfungal properties. Promotes detoxification.

It also triggers gastric juices for better digestion.

Yes, too much will cause a condition called Hemolytic anemia however that would require the ingestion of 40 - 50 cloves at one time. Our recipe contains two cloves of fresh garlic per batch, which makes 40, 16 oz packages.

Blueberries:

Blueberries are amongst the highest antioxidant value fruits. They are packed with polyphenols and flavinoids. These phytochemical compounds help fight free radicals and protect your dog from cancer, aging, degenerative diseases and infections.

They are rich in vitamin c, potassium, fiber, and manganese. All of which help bone development.

Blueberries contain important minerals too like copper, iron and zinc as well as vitamin B vitamins.

Apples:

Apples are low in calories and high in pectin, a fiber that protects the mucous membranes of the bowel from toxic exposure by binding with these toxins and eliminating them!

Apples are high in phyotonutritients like flavinoids and polyphenols. The tartaric acid that gives apples that tart flavor helps to protect against free radical damage.

This simple fruit is loaded with B complex vitamins and has good quantities of vitamin C and beta carotene.