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The healthy dog food taste-tested by humans
When Lyka Pet Food founder Anna Podolsky's Border Collie cross Lyka started getting bald patches, low energy and tooth decay a few years ago, Anna did what any loving dog parent would do; started to research what was going wrong. "It was so frustrating because I was doing everything by the book, yet she was unwell - and she was only five at the time," says Anna. "She's so important to me. All I wanted was for her to be around as long as possible, enjoying life by my side."
Anna tried to find the best dog food brand for Lyka to boost her energy - and as she did her research, she discovered some shocking facts; the commercial pet food supply chain is typically spread across multiple continents, and can take months - if not years - to reach stores. Anna realised Lyka's "premium" pet food came with a shelf life of up to 25 years.
Determined to give Lyka a better diet, Anna started to prepare home-made, fresh real food for her beloved pooch. Within weeks of eating differently, Lyka was like a different dog. She was more energetic, with a glossier coat and her teeth improved.
Anna realised what a difference fresh food could make to an animal and in 2018 she founded Lyka Pet Food with the aim to give the same nutrients to other dogs. Working alongside integrative veterinarian Dr Matthew Muir, she began to produce and deliver fresh, human-grade dog food using 100% wholefood ingredients.
Today, Lyka Pet Food delivers customisable meal plans for your dog, taking in to account your dog's weight, breed, lifestyle and activity level. You can expect vet-formulated recipes that include broccoli, turmeric, kale, quinoa, raspberries and purple sweet potato. To prove their tastiness, Anna and her team have tested every meal themselves. Their motto? If they won't eat it, they won't serve it to dogs.
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To get a customised meal plan for your pup, you need to answer a few questions about his or her lifestyle. Lyka put together a meal plan and portion sizes just right for your dog, then deliver their freshly made meals on a regular customised schedule. You can pause or cancel your delivery at any time, and delivery covers 70 per cent of Australia.
Today, Anna's pet Lyka is thriving and is often mistaken for a puppy despite now being 10 years old. "All dogs should have the right to live out their best life, and it starts with what goes in their bowl," she says.
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