Rating: 
Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Dog Food receives the Advisor’s above-average rating of 4 stars.
The Grandma Lucy’s Artisan product line lists five freeze-dried raw recipes… each claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Pork
- Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Lamb
- Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Bison
- Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Chicken
- Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Venison
Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Venison was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Grandma Lucy's Artisan Venison
Dehydrated Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: USDA venison, potatoes, flax, sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, apples, bananas, blueberry, cranberries, pumpkin, garlic, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, iron, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, riboflavin, thiamin, potassium, manganese, chloride, copper, magnesium, pyridoxine, cyanocobalamin
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 7%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 28% | 14% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 30% | 15% | 47% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 27% | 32% | 41% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is venison. Although it is a quality item, raw venison contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list.
Which brings us to potatoes… the second and (more likely) the dominant ingredient in the finished dog food.
Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
The third ingredient is flax… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Flax is also rich in soluble fiber.
The fourth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in fiber, beta carotene and other healthy nutrients.
The next few items include a variety of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables…
- Carrots
- Celery
- Apples
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Cranberries
- Pumpkin
Garlic can be a controversial item. Although the majority of experts favor the ingredient for its numerous health benefits, garlic (in rare cases) has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.1
However, the limited professional literature we surveyed provided no definitive warnings regarding the use of garlic… especially in small amounts (as it is here).
And lastly, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.
Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Grandma Lucy’s Artisan looks to be an above-average dry dog food.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 30%, a fat level of 15% and estimated carbohydrates of about 47%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 32% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 45% for the overall product line.
Below-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical raw dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a dry dog food containing a moderate amount of meat.
Compared to the high-heat extrusion systems used to make most kibbles, it’s appropriate to acknowledge the dehydration process used to make this product.
Companies using dehydration claim the method tends to preserve many of the original nutrients found in a recipe’s raw ingredients.
Bottom line?
Grandma Lucy’s Artisan is a grain-free freeze-dried raw dog food using a moderate amount of various species as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 4 stars.
Highly recommended.
Those look for additional grain-free products may wish to check out our special report on grain-free dog foods.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
01/16/2011 Original review
04/03/2011 Reclassified from dry to raw dog food
01/16/2011 Last Update
- Yamato et al, Heinz Body hemolytic anemia with eccentrocytosis from ingestion of Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) and garlic (Allium sativum) in a dog, Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 41:68-73 (2005) ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.
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