KENT, WASH.— Durkha Dog Chew and Germany-based Kukuje GmbH announced a new partnership and the launch of Cheese Chews for dogs inspired by traditional Yak Cheese Chews from Nepal. The chews are available in two varieties: Traditional and Premium Quality.

Formulated with natural ingredients, including cheese and lime, the Cheese Chews can serve as alternative to rawhide, as the chews are more digestible compared to rawhide.

Neil Pokharel, chief executive officer of Durkha, and Narendra Shrestha, managing director of Kukuje, partnered to create the new chews. The companies used Pokharel’s product development expertise and strategy and Shrestha’s skills in cheese-making to create the new chews.

“I had a vision of a healthy Cheese Chews for our fur babies across the globe and that vision was turned into a reality when I met Narendra,” Pokharel said. “With his high-level commitment towards quality and his precision towards creating a perfect product, we now can proudly share the news that we have the Cheese Chews for our customers that no one in the industry has.”

The Cheese Chews were created in Kukuje’s facility in Hamburg, Germany, using artisanal  cheese-making machinery. The chews are identical to Yak Cheese Chews from Nepal, according to Durkha, which were originally introduced to US consumers in 2021.

“With a high demand for a quality Cheese Chews for companies and consumers in the United States and around the globe, I had to use generations-old Cheese Chew making experience that was passed on to me from my family,” Shrestha said. “We are the only company outside of Nepal that has been successful in preserving the actual texture of the original Yak Cheese Chew from Nepal while still creating a healthy Cheese Chews that represents the Nepali art and the cheese making traditions. This is something that has never been done before outside of Nepal.”

Durkha and Kukuje will be showcasing the dog Cheese Chews at SuperZoo in August 2022.

Read more about new pet food and treat products.