A healthy dog’s breakfast

Image supplied by Lyka Pet Food

Image supplied by Lyka Pet Food

By Jessica Marshallsay

At the age of 26, UQ alum Anna Podolsky launched her fresh dog food startup, Lyka. She talks to Contact about how an experiment to improve her dog’s health inspired a successful entrepreneurial career.

Anna Podolsky’s dog, Lyka, was just five years old when she became unwell. She was constantly scratching, and her teeth were so bad the vet suggested removing some.

“We were feeding her premium kibble, but upon further research we were shocked by the ingredients in her food,” Ms Podolsky (Bachelor of Commerce (Finance)/Bachelor of Science (Mathematics)) said.

“They were very different to the whole foods we were eating ourselves.”

It didn’t help that she also had to navigate a language barrier, as she and her partner were living in Chile, where she had a position as a management consultant with Bain & Company.

“I was using Google to translate the ingredients from Spanish to English, but I still couldn’t understand them,” she said.

Ms Podolsky switched to cooking Lyka's food.

Within weeks, Lyka’s itching stopped, she had more energy, and even her teeth started improving.

An image of a dog sitting on the ground looking up at food being prepared on a kitchen bench.

Image supplied by Lyka Pet Food

Image supplied by Lyka Pet Food

Ms Podolsky had been thinking about launching her own startup for a while, and suddenly a direction revealed itself.

“About 80 per cent of pets eat a processed diet. After seeing the impact that fresh food made on Lyka, I wanted to see a world where 80 per cent of pets ate a real-food diet,” she said.

“Although I loved working on challenging business problems with high-calibre colleagues at Bain & Co., the part that was missing for me was impact.

“I was never completely fulfilled, and I wanted to work in an industry that I was truly passionate about. After the experience with Lyka, everything clicked into place.”

Starting by herself, Ms Podolsky’s priority was removing as much risk as possible from the venture.

“I started by validating the business model and developing the initial concept in the evenings and weekends, while still working full time.”

After spending hours in her dad’s kitchen, experimenting with recipes that she gave to Lyka to taste-test, Ms Podolsky launched a minimum-viable product version of her freshly cooked dog food, while still working for Bain & Co.

The early version of the business was successful, and 18 months later she quit her job to run the business full-time, partnering with Sydney vet Dr Matthew Muir.

It was only natural for her to call her new business 'Lyka', after the dog who started it all.

“One of the biggest barriers to getting Lyka off the ground was the breadth of knowledge required," Ms Podolsky said.

UQ alum Anna Podolsky with Lyka Pet Food co-founder Dr Matthew Muir and dog Lyka.

"As a founder – particularly as a bootstrapped founder – you need to know a little bit of everything, from product development to engineering to marketing.”

As a young founder, Ms Podolsky said she deals with this challenge by fitting learning and development into her daily routine wherever she can.

“Most of my ‘in-between time’ – like walking Lyka, cooking dinner, or commuting to work – I’m listening to an audiobook or podcast,” she said.

“I choose what to listen to, or read, depending on the stage of the business and the challenges we’re facing.”

With the business growing rapidly, Ms Podolsky said she’s reading a lot about scaling business processes, people and teams effectively.

“Two years ago, we had 10 people in our team – now we have over 100 people.”

“As a leader, it’s important to always be one step ahead in order to provide clarity and direction for the rest of my team.”

Looking to the future, Ms Podolsky hopes to revolutionise not just pet food, but attitudes towards pet care as a whole.

“Traditionally, mainstream pet care has focused on providing the bare minimum solutions, which are often fast and cheap," she said.

"These days, pets are more than members of the family. They have a special place in our lives, and pet parents are expecting pet care solutions that mirror how they approach their own health care.”

“In the medium- to long-term, we’re excited to develop innovative pet-care approaches that will help our pets live longer and healthier lives.”

An image of UQ alum Anna Podolsky with Lyka Pet Food co-founder Dr Matthew Muir and dog Lyka.

UQ alum Anna Podolsky with Lyka Pet Food co-founder Dr Matthew Muir and dog Lyka.

UQ alum Anna Podolsky with Lyka Pet Food co-founder Dr Matthew Muir and dog Lyka.

Top 5 easy ways to improve your dog’s diet

1. Serve up real, whole food ingredients – they are more digestible!

A recent study on dog diets in the US showed that a fresh, human-grade food diet was easier for dogs to digest than a kibble diet. This means that dogs eating fresh, human-grade foods can more effectively use the nutrients for important bodily functions such as producing energy, growing and repairing their cells. The study also revealed that dogs which ate human-grade diets produced less faeces and had a more diverse and healthier gut microbiome. 

2. Add whole food omega 3s to your dog’s bowl

It’s important to consider not only the amount of fat in your dog’s diet, but also the ratio of fats. Omega 6s and Omega 3s have different properties and work together to provide their nutritional value. Too many Omega 6s versus Omega 3s in your dog’s diet can lead to bodily inflammation. Adding Omega 3s to your dog’s bowl can help improve most bodily functions in dogs and reduce inflammation in their body, reducing the risk of diseases such as cancer and arthritis. Opt for marine-based Omega 3s sources, such as sardines, fish oil or krill oil, as plant-based Omega 3s are less digestible.

3. Use polyphenols, like blueberries, as treats

Polyphenols are natural chemicals that are abundantly found in many plants, including fruits and vegetables. When incorporated into the diet, polyphenols have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, that could have preventative and/or therapeutic effects for cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer and obesity. Polyphenol superfoods that you can use as treats include broccoli, tomatoes, blueberries and raspberries.

4. Add leafy greens to your dog’s dinner 3 times per week

A study found that Scottish Terriers fed leafy green vegetables at least three times a week were up to 90 per cent less likely to develop TCC, a form of cancer. This is believed to be due to the “carotenoids” (pigment of the plant) –found in dark-green leafy vegetables such as kale – that can act as antioxidants and boost the body's own antioxidant defences.

5. Don’t forget about hydration

Water makes up more than 60 per cent of your dog’s body, and maintaining optimal hydration is the basis for many of your pup’s bodily functions. If you’re feeding your dog a dried commercial diet, this will typically contain 5–10 per cent moisture, which is in stark contrast to a fresh, whole-food diet, which contains 65–75 per cent moisture. Try adding a bone broth or mushroom soup to your dog’s bowl to increase the moisture content. Adding fresh, human-grade meats and veggies will also help increase the moisture levels in their meal.

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