u/FTJ22

Hi everyone,

Our breeder has recommended Lyka for our pup and swears by it due to it being cooked fresh food that hasn't been ultra-processed and said kibble is the equivalent of 2-minute noodles for dogs? Admittedly, I'd never heard of Lyka, but I thought heck it kind of makes sense, fresh food has to beat ultra-processed, right? Moreover, the breeder said anecdotally all their pups have had firm, hydrated stools indicative of a healthy stomach, etc. Now, many years ago when I was in university, they stressed verifying the sources of claims, ensuring the sources are reputable/authoritative, so I like to do a bit of my own research anyway as much as I can respect the breeder's experience with raising dogs.

Here's where I'm conflicted, I've come to learn that there is a research-backed organisation 'WSAVA' for short, which is also endorsed by the Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia. I see a list of big 5 organisations (mostly all owned by big corporations such as Nestle, Mars, etc) that are known to comply with WSAVA's nutrition guidelines.

I have multiple questions:

1. Are there any known conflict of interests between WSAVA and corporations? Or is it a purely not-for-profit org?

2. Is there any substance around Kibble being of very low nutritional value due to be cooked under extreme heat, thus severely reducing the nutritional value of the biscuits?

3. Are fresh cooked dog meal plans like Lyka WSAVA compliant or is it another boutique brand with good marketing?

4. Have you as a dog owner, has any personal experience with WSAVA compliant kibble vs Lyka ?

Thanks all!

Hi all,

My partner and I have been on the search for a few particular breeds. Being conscious of only purchasing from responsible breeders, only registered breeders of the Australian National Kennel Council are a consideration for us. We checked available puppy rescues but there were only two in all of our city of breeds we weren’t familiar or keen on.

I was quoted almost $9k for a Chow Chow from an ANKC breeder. They have admittedly an excellent breeding record, prized show dogs, loads of health checks and certifications provided, well socialised in their first 8 weeks and not raised in kennels. But I was so surprised at the price…is this sort of price tag the norm now for puppies from registered breeders?