Emma wanted the best for Pepper — but no food seemed to address her Dachshund’s health issues in the ways that mattered. Since joining the Lyka pack, Pepper has had good health supported by a foundation of quality nutrition. 

As a senior today, ageing has meant anything but slowing down: Pepper is still going strong, and is the eldest of three Mini Dachshunds thriving on a gently cooked, real food diet that changed the course of her pups’ lives for good. 

It started with a note in a Christmas card: “let’s get a dog.”

Emma had always wanted a Dachshund, but her husband had been hesitant about getting a dog for a while. That was until Christmas of 2010, when everything changed.

By Boxing Day, Emma had a little bundle of fur on her lap, driving home with their new family member for the first time. Ever since, Pepper's loved being held like a baby, laying on her back in Emma’s arms.

Pepper didn’t take long to settle in: she soon learned sit, drop, shake, and roll over. It wasn’t long before she was doing all four actions in one fluid motion, thinking this was her best shot at a treat. Even today, she does this at the first sign of a tasty morsel despite being completely deaf.

"She’s a grade A face licker and since losing her teeth, she licks sideways and totally misses our faces. But she will never stop trying."

— Pepper’s fur parent, Emma

Emma says Pepper is a sweet loving girl: making friends with every dog, child, and human she encounters. On her walks, she has a steady little trot that makes her ears flap like little velvet wings. If there’s a patch of sun to lie in or shallow waters to paddle and splash in at the beach, that’s where you’ll find her.

Pepper’s diabetes and weight management challenges 

Pepper had cervical IVDD symptoms, which Emma says they were lucky to manage in a preventative way with rest and anti-inflammatory medication. Their other dachshund Bueno had surgery for IVDD in the past — the possibility of going through this stressful experience again with Pepper loomed, especially as they were having trouble keeping her at a healthy weight.

Pepper also had diabetes and a broad range of on-and-off skin issues, along with itching and dental problems — like our founding pup Lyka, before finding a fresh diet.

"We were feeding the highest quality, recommended kibble. She’s a very hungry dog and we had her down to such a small serve of kibble, I felt like I was starving her, but she wasn’t getting to a healthy weight. We were quite concerned about the effect this might have on her IVDD symptoms worsening or recurring."

— Pepper’s fur parent, Emma

Finding Lyka: convenience paired with the best quality food

The standout appeal of Lyka, for Emma, was the convenience of feeding healthy, balanced food without having to make it herself. It also made weight management easy: she could adjust the portion sizes if Pepper needed to lose more weight.

They had tried commercial raw food briefly: it was the only food Pepper turned her nose up at. As a Dachshund, Pepper was usually a big foodie, so that meant Emma had no choice but to count BARF out.

When Bueno was diagnosed with lymphoma, she thanked her lucky stars for Lyka: they didn’t need to switch away from a raw diet to keep their immunocompromised pup safe.

Supporting Pepper’s overall health with food she loves

Despite her health struggles, Pepper’s diabetes specialist always comments on how well her glucose levels are managed. Emma says she must give credit where it’s due, to Lyka: the custom-portioned, real food meals have supported her Dachshund through all the ups and downs. Pepper has an autoimmune disorder called CUPS, which left her toothless: Lyka’s chunky texture is easy for her to eat.

"Her food is so limited now with her diabetes, I love that she still gets to really enjoy what she can eat and hasn’t had to go back to kibble! She yells at us every morning at 4am for her breakfast.”

— Pepper’s fur parent, Emma

Emma reports her pup’s skin and coat health improving, with less itching and no need for medicated shampoo. She’s got none of the seasonal patchiness in her fur, on the side of her body like she used to have. 

“We’re so grateful for Lyka.”

Lyka has given Emma and her husband peace of mind in so many ways. For so long, they were stressed about whether their choice of what to feed was right — was she supporting their long-term health and happiness?

She no longer has to manage what she describes as a full-time job: organising, shopping for, and cooking their food at home. Emma says that since finding Lyka, they have been able to avoid common problems in senior dogs with diabetes, like diabetic cataracts and ketoacidosis.

It's a relief, Emma says, unpacking the box with the knowledge she’s providing everything that’s needed for Pepper — and her siblings Georgie Peach and Rosa.

She only wishes Pepper had always been on Lyka: she wonders if her beloved pup could have been free of her existing conditions, had she been reaping the health benefits of real food for longer!

Whether your sweet sausage dog is a puppy or adult, Lyka can support their overall health — it’s complete and balanced for all life stages, developed by a team of board-certified veterinary nutritionists.

It’s never too late to make a change for the better: start your Dachshund’s journey towards lifelong health today.