Lily’s Kitchen Dry Dog Food Adult Chicken and Duck Complete review

Lily’s Kitchen dry dog food was born from a simple question: "Why doesn't pet food smell delicious and have human-grade ingredients?"

Lily’s Kitchen dry dog food formula comes in three flavors. These are chicken and duck (used in this review), venison and duck, and lamb. The company proudly advocates an eco-friendly approach, from its organic ingredients to environmentally friendly packaging. This brand also came out top in our round-up of the best dry dog food recently.

Today, Lily’s Kitchen is one of the biggest names in the dog food industry and aims to provide highest quality, natural dog food for all breeds and ages.

In April 2020, the company was bought by Nestlé Purina PetCare and is set to expand its reach across over 30 countries worldwide, having previously been a UK-focused company.

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Lily’s Kitchen Dry Dog Food Adult Chicken and Duck Complete: Features

The idea with this food is to stick to whole meat and no hidden ingredients. Like humans, products with long ingredient names and even longer labels can be a cause for concern for dog-owners.

One of the primary selling points of the formula is the 0% animal ‘meal’ content: the ultra-processed animal by-products (hooves, feet, bones etc) and preservatives such as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickeners, and anti-caking agents.

In the chicken and duck dry formula examined in this review, only Methylsulfonylmethane, an inert chemical found in plants, and Chondroitin sulfate, an important structural component of cartilage, remain.

Alongside 13 herbs and botanicals including kelp, rosehips and antioxidant marigolds, the only other ingredients in this chicken and duck dry food formula are whole meats, including chicken (31%), duck (8%) and chicken liver (3%). Sweet potatoes (30%) make up the vegetable portion. A whopping 72% of the ingredients in total come from whole meat and vegetables.

In addition, the formula has added Vitamins A,D and E, which help boost dogs’ immune systems and promote healthy skin, while the addition of Omega 3 fatty acids from salmon oil helps lubricate joints and achieve a glossier coat.

Added probiotics promote positive gut health, and the formula has no trace of grain, wheat or dairy – these are commonplace ingredients across the market despite being regularly cited as potential causes of food intolerances for man’s best friend.

Lily’s Kitchen Dry Dog Food Adult Chicken and Duck Complete: User reviews

The reviews of Lily’s Kitchen dry dog food speak for themselves. The chicken and duck formula holds a seriously impressive 4.9/5 Feefo rating based on nearly 3,000 customer reviews, and has been awarded a Platinum Trusted Service Award.

This dog food has also accrued thousands of rave consumer reviews across Amazon and Trustpilot, with customers crediting it as the savior of their pooches’ upset stomachs and food intolerance issues, especially against its competitors.

The kibble’s small bite-sized pieces are deemed the ideal size, even for smaller, aging dogs with weaker jaws. Furthermore, the formula has managed to achieve the same overall crude protein content (22%) as working dog brand Field and Trial Complete Dry, and marginally more than the 21% offered by Harringtons Dog Food Complete, but without the inclusion of animal meal. The high-protein formula seems to have left Lily’s Kitchen customers’ pooches feeling fuller for longer, and with an increase in energy levels across the board.

Lily’s Kitchen has done a great job in consolidating a loyal customer base with its business practices alongside its product offering. It is recognized as a leading ethical pet food company and is a registered B Corporation company, an accolade awarded to companies balancing profit and social purpose. It is also one of only a handful of dog food manufacturers to receive a Royal Warrant, so you can say your dog’s in royal company.

The lion’s share of the negative reviews  about Lily’s Kitchen dry dog food relate to damage through delivery or delay in receiving the product. These are gripes one could expect from any company, and it appears that the team at Lily’s Kitchen is very timely and sympathetic in its responses to the complaints. A small amount of 3 and 2-star scores also centre around the premium price tag.

Verdict: should you buy Lily’s Kitchen Dry Dog Food Adult Chicken and Duck Complete?

There are clearly a whole host of unique benefits offered by Lily’s Kitchen dry dog food when stacking it against its competition. Both the chicken and duck, and lamb flavors pack the attractive one-two punch combo of market-leading, wholesome, nutritional goodness and short ingredient list that is sure to cater to dogs in a wide age and breed spectrum.

The one knock against it is the price, which is towards the top-end of the market, but considering the wealth of positive reviews from owners with dogs of all breeds, sizes and dietary requirements, Lily’s Kitchen is unquestionably worthy of its position in the top tier of dry dog food providers.

If money is no object for your best friend’s food, it may be worth considering options even higher in protein, such as the freeze-dried and raw options from companies like Ziwi Peak or Merrick Backcountry.