Funny Tummy? Why our DAYA Team Knows Better Food Helps Dogs Live Longer, Healthier Lives.
- Honor Tremain
- 12 hours ago
- 5 min read
Meet the humble chicken behind one of our most nourishing dog recipes that is great for funny, runny tummies and even pesky annal glands.
At Daya Pet Food Co., we believe that longevity starts with what goes into your furry besties belly.
Our philosophy is simple: We use functional foods & ‘Food as Medicine’ principles to boost Longevity and it starts with real food made from high-quality, functional ingredients; not unnecessary fillers, synthetic nasties, highly processed ingredients or flavours that add little nutritional value & are sold in many off the shelf and even Vet recommended brands.
That is why we created Daya Pet Food Co. around a very different idea around food: food should do more than fill a tummy. It should nourish the whole dog, boost health & prevent disease where possible.
From gut health, healthy digestion to strong muscles, bones, skin, coat, mobility and vitality, our recipes are designed around nutrient-dense whole foods and carefully selected proteins. Our recipes are developed with nutrition and science at the forefront, with a focus on single proteins, functional ingredients, antioxidants, prebiotics, fibre and omega-3-rich foods.
And one of our favourite examples is our Organic Whole Chicken.
🍗 Spotlight on our Organic Whole Chicken
There is something incredibly special about using a whole animal rather than simply selecting one isolated cut of meat.
Our chicken comes from local farms around us in the beautiful Sunshine Coast Hinterlands. It’s one of the ways we keep our ingredients close to home while supporting Australian farming and our commitment to quality and sustainability.
But the real magic is what we do with it.
We use the whole chicken including the meat, bones and collagen rich joints.
That means we're not just interested in the lean muscle meat, the whole chicken provides a much broader spectrum of naturally occurring nutrients; including protein, minerals and connective-tissue components.
🦴 Naturally occurring calcium & minerals
The bones contain naturally occurring minerals, including calcium and phosphorus, which are important nutrients for maintaining normal bones and teeth in your dog.
Rather than throwing away these valuable parts of the animal, our whole-food approach makes use of the whole chicken frame, helping us create a food that is naturally nutrient dense.
It's nose-to-tail nutrition — and we think that's a pretty wonderful thing.
💪 Protein for healthy bodies
Protein is fundamental to a body’s health.
Dogs need amino acids to maintain muscles and support the continual renewal of tissues throughout life. That's particularly important for active dogs, growing puppies and older dogs who need to maintain healthy muscle mass.
Our philosophy of using high-quality single proteins means we know exactly where that animal protein is coming from, making it less likely to create allergies.
It also gives pet parents a simpler option when they're trying to keep their dog's diet uncomplicated.
At Daya, we focus heavily on single-protein and low-allergy ingredients, which can be particularly useful for dogs with sensitive digestive systems or food sensitivities.
🧬 Collagen: nature's connective-tissue protein
And then there is the wonderful connective tissue.
Whole-animal ingredients naturally contain collagen and other connective-tissue proteins. Collagen is an important structural protein found throughout the body, including in skin, connective tissues, cartilage and bones.
For us, this is another reason why using the whole chicken makes nutritional sense.
Instead of reducing an animal to a piece of muscle meat, we're embracing a more traditional whole-food approach that makes use of more of the naturally occurring nutrition.
🌿 A little more roughage for funny tummy's & those glands….
One of the things we hear from dog parents regularly is:
"My dog has a sensitive tummy, unhealthy poo's, itchy bottom' etc...
And we understand.
That's why our recipes aren't just about meat.
Depending on the recipe, we combine quality animal proteins with carefully selected plant foods and functional ingredients that can provide more fibre and prebiotic nutrition to support healthy digestion.
Our Organic Whole Chicken recipe incorporates ingredients chosen to complement the chicken and provide additional nutritional diversity to slow transit time; meaning healthier, bulkier poo’s. Daya's broader range is specifically designed around high-fibre, functional whole-food ingredients and calming gut-supportive prebiotics that can do this.
Because health starts in the gut!
Good-quality stools aren't just something dog parents appreciate when they're picking up after their pup — stool consistency and adequate dietary fibre can also alleviate anal-sac issues in some dogs with reports back from many dog owners on our foods helping with this pesky issue.
That doesn't mean food is a cure for anal-gland problems — recurrent scooting, licking, discomfort or impaction should always be checked by a veterinarian — but appropriate fibre such as in our chicken option; can be a big part of good digestive management.
🧠 Naturally occurring tryptophan & a calmer dog?
Chicken is also a natural source of tryptophan, an essential amino acid involved in serotonin production that can be linked to calmer behaviour.
This is one of the reasons tryptophan gets so much attention when we talk about nutrition and canine behaviour, because some studies have supported less anxious behaviour when high tryptophan foods are eaten.
And we're interested in nourishing the whole dog; the brain as well as the body — naturally.
A balanced, nutrient-dense diet is one piece of the bigger picture of canine wellbeing, alongside exercise, enrichment, sleep, training, social connection and appropriate veterinary care.
❤️ Why single novel proteins matter
We don't believe that more ingredients automatically mean better food.
Sometimes, simplicity is sophistication.
Daya Pet Food Co. focuses on high-quality single-protein recipes because keeping the protein source clear and uncomplicated can be useful for dogs with food sensitivities and for pet parents who want to know exactly what they're feeding.
Our range includes novel proteins such as kangaroo, as well as marine, chicken and vegetarian options, allowing pet parents to rotate or select foods according to their dog's individual needs.
We describe these recipes as low-allergy/hypoallergenic focused, rather than claiming that any ingredient can never cause an allergy — because, just like humans, individual dogs can react to almost any food.
🌱 Food with a bigger purpose
For us at Daya Pet Food Co., we don’t want to make just another dog food. We’re asking- can we create overall happier and healthier dogs with better longevity outcomes, less disease, a shinier coat, less itch, less allergic reactions, a better tummy, better teeth and overall more uplifted and focussed behaviour? What if we could feed dogs for the life we want them to have?
Meaning and most importantly, more good years spent doing the things dogs love doing, and with you!
That's why we choose Australian ingredients, work with local eco-farms and focus on functional whole foods. Our recipes are designed around nutrient density, single proteins and ingredients selected for their nutritional value rather than simply filling a bag.
Because we don't want to feed dogs merely to survive.
We want to nourish them to thrive.!
And sometimes, that starts with something wonderfully simple:
A whole chicken, from a beautiful farm in the Noosa Hinterland, transformed into genuinely nourishing food for your best friend.
🐾 Real food. Functional nutrition. Australian ingredients. A little more thought in every bowl.
That's our purpose here at Daya Pet Food Co. and what helped us win Best Health Conscious DogFood Brand for 2025, Australia
Note: This article is educational and isn't intended to diagnose, treat or prevent disease.
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