Lily's Kitchen Puppy Chicken, Salmon & Peas: Review
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This is a grain-free puppy kibble for owners who want to see fresh meat and fish near the top of the ingredient list, and who are happy to read past the marketing to check it suits their particular puppy. The single most useful fact on the listing is the composition: 44% chicken and salmon, made up of 27% fresh chicken, 10% freshly prepared salmon and 7% chicken liver. The Amazon listing for Lily's Kitchen Puppy Chicken, Salmon & Peas says there is no meat meal in the recipe, and the food is sold as a 7kg bag for puppies up to 12 months.
What is in the bag, according to the listing
After the chicken and salmon, the ingredient list runs: sweet potatoes, pea protein, potato protein, whole lentils, whole peas (4%), chicken fat, egg, chicken gravy, flaxseed, minerals, a botanicals and herbs mix (1%), salmon oil, a joint care mix, prebiotics, and small amounts of carrots, apples, cranberries and spinach.
The joint care mix is listed as methylsulfonylmethane at 1600mg/kg, with glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate at 1500mg/kg each. The prebiotics are given as mannan oligosaccharides at 2.5g/kg and fructooligosaccharides at 1.5g/kg. Those are the maker's figures, and the listing does not explain what effect they are meant to have at those levels, so treat the joint and gut claims as marketing language rather than a measured benefit for your puppy.
The listing also describes the recipe as vet approved. That is the brand's wording; it does not tell you which vet, or on what basis, so it should not carry much weight in your decision.
What is distinctive
Two things set it apart from a plain chicken-and-rice puppy food. First, the meat content is stated as percentages for three named ingredients, which makes it easier to compare with other foods than a vague "meat and animal derivatives" line. Second, it is grain-free, built on sweet potato, peas, lentils and potato protein instead. If you are unsure whether that matters for your dog, our piece on choosing between grain-free and grain-inclusive food covers the trade-offs without the hype.
The brand also describes itself as a B Corp and says the packaging is recyclable. Neither tells you anything about whether the food suits a growing dog, but if that matters to you, the listing points to the brand's store for detail.
Things to be careful about
Not everything on the listing agrees. The size field says "Small" while the breed recommendation says all breed sizes. The diet type field says "Raw", which a baked dry kibble is not. Where the listing contradicts itself, it is safest to ignore the field and read the bag. We have not used those fields here.
Large and giant breeds need a closer look. The listing positions this as a main food for all breeds and sizes. It does not give calcium or phosphorus levels, or an energy figure, in the text available to us. Many vets advise that large and giant breed puppies are fed a formula designed to keep growth steady, so if you are bringing home a breed that will be heavy as an adult, ask your vet before settling on an all-breed recipe. Our guide to large and giant breed puppy food explains why size matters here.
Allergen and sensitivity notes. The recipe contains chicken, salmon and egg, and the listing flags salmon in its allergen field. A footnote also says it is made in a factory that handles grains, so traces may be present. A puppy that reacts to any of those proteins, or an owner who needs a strictly grain-free product, should factor that in.
It is a legume-heavy recipe. Pea protein, lentils and peas all appear. Some vets are cautious about diets that lean heavily on legumes in place of grains, and the evidence is still being discussed. If you are comfortable with it, fine; if you are unsure, raise it at your puppy's check-up.
Only 7kg. A growing puppy can get through a bag this size quickly, so the day-to-day cost is worth working out before you commit. Divide the pack price by the number of days the bag lasts, using the feeding guide on the pack. The listing text does not include a feeding table or calorie figure, so you will need the bag in hand.
Switching over
The listing advises changing diets gradually, over 4 to 5 days, because sudden changes can cause tummy upsets. Many owners and vets prefer a slower swap if the puppy has a sensitive stomach. Our guide to switching your dog's food sets out a sensible step pattern. Puppies also grow quickly, so keep an eye on body condition rather than sticking rigidly to the bag.
As always, this is general information. Your vet is the right person to confirm growth and feeding for your own puppy.
When this is the wrong choice
Skip this if your puppy is a confirmed or suspected chicken, salmon or egg reactor, if you want a recipe with a published energy figure and full analytical breakdown on the listing, or if you are raising a giant breed and would rather have a formula built for it. Otherwise, it is a reasonable option for a small to medium breed puppy owner who wants a named, fresh-meat grain-free recipe. Amazon.co.uk listing shows 4.5 out of 5 from 3,289 ratings at the time of writing, which says it is widely bought and generally liked, though it cannot tell you how it will suit one particular puppy. If it appeals, you can look at the recipe on Amazon and check the current price on Amazon before you decide.
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