Digestive issues can be triggered by different factors:

New diet: If your dog is transitioning to a different diet, they may experience digestive issues for a couple of days while their system gets used to the new food.

Food intolerance: Food allergies are relatively rare in dogs. It's more likely they have an intolerance to an ingredient in their diet causing vomiting, diarrhoea or excessive gas. An elimination diet can identify the offending food, with the careful supervision of your vet.

**Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): **The symptoms of IBD, AKA chronic inflammatory enteropathy, often include vomiting, weight loss and diarrhoea and can affect your pup’s appetite and energy levels. IBD treatment may include medication and changes to your dog’s diet. Speak to your vet if you are concerned about IBD. Please note IBD is different from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

**Ingested pathogens: **Vomiting and diarrhoea usually occur when your pup eats or drinks something they shouldn’t. Whether that’s a scrap of food quickly scoffed at the park, puddles, or shared water bowls, they can contain pathogens in the form of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, worms or viruses, which can cause tummy troubles.

Your dog’s natural defence is to get rid of the problem quickly either by vomiting or quickly passing it through their system. The problem is usually resolved naturally within a day or two. If it persists, speak to your vet.

Medication: New medication can affect your pup’s digestive system by altering the microbial balance in their gut. Antibiotics can kill both good and bad bacteria, which can impact the microbiome leading to diarrhoea or other issues. Flea, tick and worm medications can also affect digestion. If your pup has recently started a new medication and is experiencing some signs of an unsettled stomach, check with your vet.

Lyka's Kangaroo, Fish, Chicken and Turkey meals are lower in fat and limited protein — a good fit for sensitive stomachs. The Kangaroo and Turkey meals are highly digestible and hypoallergenic, making them a great choice for gastrointestinal health.

Leaky gut syndrome or gut hyperpermeability is where the gut lining isn’t working properly, allowing food particles and other toxins to pass into the bloodstream. It can be caused by certain foods, chemicals, gut lining damage and especially dysbiosis— an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut.

Along with diarrhoea, constipation and gassiness, a leaky gut is thought to lead to other health issues like inflammation, autoimmune diseases, ear and skin problems and fussy eating behaviour.

Your dog’s gut microbiome has trillions of microorganisms in their gastrointestinal tract that help break down their food, along with supporting other body functions.

A healthy microbiome contains a balanced diversity of organisms that can process a wide variety of food. If the microbiome becomes imbalanced, it can lead to dysbiosis, which can trigger inflammation and gut hyperpermeability and affect the efficiency of their digestive system.

**Dysbiosis can also lead to vomiting, diarrhoea and decreased appetite leading to weight loss. Dysbiosis can have downstream health effects such as obesity, ear infections and possibly even anxiety. **

Lyka’s meals have been carefully designed to support digestive health:

Good bacteria: Rich in prebiotics to support the growth and balance of the microbiome.
Gut-strengthening ingredients: Includes ingredients like real chicken, eggs, turkey, lamb and beef that are naturally high in tryptophan. This amino acid is metabolised by bacteria into indole, which has anti-inflammatory properties that can bolster the gut barrier.
High-protein and low-carb: High in protein and low in carbohydrates to nourish your dog from the inside out and to support a healthy and diverse microbiome.
Gently cooked: Raw food can be difficult for sensitive stomachs to digest. Kibble is cooked at extremely high temperatures, which triggers the Maillard Reaction to produce Acrylamides, chemical byproducts that impair microbiome diversity. Lyka meals are gently cooked to retain their nutritional value, minimise pathogens and strengthen your dog’s microbiome.