Here at Lyka, we’re all about you and your dogs. This is why we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to refresh our recipes, and ensure your pup continues to receive optimal health benefits and all that they can out of their Lyka box.
We are always staying up to date with the latest scientific research on dog nutrition, speaking to thought leaders in the natural dog nutrition space and listening to your feedback. The last time that we refreshed our recipes was in August 2019, so it was time to re-energise your pup’s taste buds once again.
So, what’s new?
Our co-founder, renowned Integrative Vet, Dr. Matthew Muir, has worked closely alongside a veterinary nutritionist to refresh our recipes. Together, they’ve added a curated selection of human-grade, bioavailable vitamins and minerals, to ensure even higher safety margins than AAFCO requires when it comes to overall health benefits.
We know that many dogs suffer from food allergies and intolerances, but that shouldn’t be a reason to miss out on the goods, so we’ve removed some potential intolerants, including egg and fish, from some of our recipes to ensure that more pups can enjoy the benefits of Lyka.
We’ve also introduced a wider range of macro-profiles, most notably reducing the fat in our Chicken recipe and moderating the fat content levels in our new Turkey recipe, whilst our Beef and Lamb recipes have maintained their higher fat content.
Turkey is the newest addition to the Lyka line-up and we couldn’t be more excited! This new recipe is suitable for all dogs and is complete and balanced for all life stages. It contains soluble and insoluble fibres, which helps with digestion and gut health, as well as a generous serving of turmeric, which benefits the cardiovascular system and assists with reducing inflammation.
The benefits don’t stop here. The Turkey Bowl is high in omega-3 fatty acids thanks to its optimal doses of fish oil and flaxseed oil, which are great for joint and skin health. It also has a moderate fat content and is highly digestible, making it ideal for dogs suffering from gastrointestinal issues. In addition, the recipe contains a generous serving of vegetables and psyllium seed husk, which help to provide your pup with a range of powerful antioxidants. This is not an AAFCO requirement, but is highly recommended by Dr. Matthew Muir and our veterinary nutritionist.
We have also introduced a number of new powerful ingredients to our line-up, including quinoa and psyllium seed husk, all of which are great sources of fibre and help to keep your pup in tip-top shape. A low percentage of low-glycemic gluten and GMO-free grains can really improve the function of your pup’s overall gut health by supporting the microbiome. As mentioned above, we’ve also added turmeric to our expansive ingredients list. In addition to its anti-inflammatory effects, it also has cancer-fighting properties and has the ability to assist pups suffering from osteoarthritis.
As well as making sure our recipes are filled with the good stuff, we want to make sure they get as many puppers drooling and as many taste buds tingling as possible. Taste has always been incredibly important to us, and we want mealtime to be one of the best parts of the day for all of our current and future Lyka pack members.
And finally, our pouches have been given a makeover! They are sturdier and more durable, and even have the pouch sizes printed on them, with the new design making it much easier for you to see which recipe you are pulling out of the freezer.
You may notice that your pup’s name has been removed from our new packaging. This was a tough decision to make, but by doing so, it allows us to simplify our kitchen and continue releasing exciting new recipes for more dogs!
What else has changed?
Due to our extensive research, the decision was made to discontinue our Sensitive Chicken recipe. The main reason being that it was not complete and balanced, and could only be served for a limited time. Our goal was to refresh our recipe range in a way that we can still cater for sensitive tummies and GI concerns, but doing so by offering complete and balanced meals that can be served in the long term. We encourage all of our Sensitive Chicken customers to try our new Turkey recipe, as well as our refreshed Chicken recipe, as these recipes are limited protein and are also lower in fat than our Beef and Lamb recipes.
All of our recipes used to contain fish, but as some puppers might be allergic to fish or have a serious intolerance, we have now made the switch to fish oil, with the exception of our Beef recipe, which still contains sardines. This change allows our Lyka pack to reap the benefits of the ocean-dweller with minimal fear of a reaction, as the risk of an allergic reaction to fish oil is considered to be very low in dogs with fish intolerances.
If your pup has suffered a reaction from fish in the past, we advise introducing them to our recipes slowly and watching for any adverse reactions. If your pup has a confirmed fish intolerance or you’re concerned, we suggest consulting with your vet first before starting on Lyka.
Does my pup need to transition onto the refreshed recipes?
In short, no. All of our recipes have been taste-tested by our Lyka pack and given the drool of approval. And whilst our recipes have been given a significant boost, they have maintained the same superfood ingredients and have very similar macro and micronutrient profiles as the previous recipes, so unless your pup is very sensitive, you will not need to transition.
It’s important to note that our Lamb Bowl is still the richest recipe, so may require some additional care when introducing it to your dog.
What’s staying the same?
We will always source sustainably and ethically, and where possible, locally, searching far and wide for top-quality ingredients for your dog. That’s why we are keeping our amazing superfoods throughout our recipes, including shiitake, spirulina, hemp seeds, blueberries and basil – just to name a few. In addition, we continue to ensure that our food is free from antinutrients.
The Our Food page gives you further insight and transparency into our ingredients – from where we source them, to the research that goes into choosing them, as well as the benefits that each ingredient offers your dog.
Backed by research in all we do
Research is at the core of everything we do, with each one of our ingredients heavily researched by Dr. Matthew Muir, our in-house Integrative Vet, in consultation with a veterinary nutritionist and Team Lyka.
“We are particularly excited by the work done by the Morris Animal Foundation on the role of Omega 3 in preventing cancer, and other anti-cancer dietary strategies, this science helps guide us with making the right decisions with ingredients and proportions in our recipes to attempt to protect your dog as much as absolutely possible from cancer and other diseases.
Each recipe is microbiome friendly, and the evidence is booming about the role that nutrition plays in supporting healthy populations of friendly bacteria, which in turn, are responsible for many health-promoting effects on the body."
— Dr Matthew Muir, Lyka co-founder and Integrative Veterinarian
Chow time!
We want to see those tails wagging, those tongues licking, and those coats shining like never before – discover more about our fresh pet food here.
