Mabel, my rescue dog, loves food. However, her regular diet typically consists of kibble. Despite being highly food-motivated, I can tell that she loses interest in regular kibble. So, I’ve been eager to try different types of food. When Ollie, a fresh dog food company that customizes personalized meals for dogs, sent us some samples, I couldn’t wait to give it a try.
Mabel’s face lit up when we received our first package from Ollie. As I unpacked the box, she sniffed around like crazy and she remained curious even after I put the food away. It was the most excited I’ve ever seen her get about dog food! Her excitement made me eager to see what she thought of the new food. Keep reading to see my Ollie customer review.
Getting Started with Ollie Dog Food
Right away, I found Ollie’s process more convenient than going to the store to buy dog food. I filled out an online questionnaire with Mabel’s info, including her weight, activity level, recipe preferences, and allergies. Mabel is a low-energy dog, so I hoped her meal plan would help her maintain a healthy weight.
Ollie offers fresh and mixed (fresh and baked) meal plans. I chose a mixed plan with Ollie’s chicken-flavored fresh and baked food since chicken is Mabel’s favorite flavor. However, they have several other flavors available:
- Fresh Food – Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Lamb
- Baked Food – Beef, Chicken
After answering all the questions, the food was shipped to my door in less than a week! Here’s my Ollie dog food review on the company’s packaging and storage.
What’s Included in the Box?
When I opened the box from Ollie, I was shocked to see all that was included. Here is everything I received:
- Feeding guide for Mabel
- Food storage container
- Measuring cup (only comes with the mixed meal plan)
- Food scooper
- Bag of the gently baked food
- Seven packages of the fresh food
The fresh food arrived frozen in an insulated package with dry ice on top of the food. It was very cold inside, so the fresh food would’ve stayed frozen even if I hadn’t brought the box inside right away. The baked food and other supplies were on top of the insulated package to prevent them from getting too cold.
Storing the Food
The box of food also came with instructions on how to store and serve it. Luckily, the gently baked food is shelf-stable and can be stored like kibble. I kept it in the same dry place that I usually keep kibble. For maximum freshness, the food should be used within 12 months. Once you open it, the bag is resealable, making it easy to store and serve.
However, the fresh food is a much different story. Ollie’s fresh food formulas are gently cooked and then flash-frozen. So, the food arrives frozen and should stay frozen until you’re ready to serve it to your furry friend. The fresh food can be stored in the freezer for up to six months.
Before serving fresh food to your dog, you should move the frozen package into the fridge and give it at least 24 hours to thaw. The “puptainer” that came with the food makes storing packages in the fridge easy, even when they’re open. Once the food is thawed, it will stay fresh for up to four days in the fridge. The process for storing Ollie’s fresh food is more complex than traditional dog food, but it didn’t take long for me to get used to a routine with this new food.
Ollie Dog Food Review: My Dog Tries Ollie for the First Time!
Mabel was excited to try Ollie for the first time even before I scooped it into her bowl. However, I didn’t want to rush into it. Even though Mabel has never had any sensitivities to food, fresh food is a drastic change from kibble. I gradually switched her to Ollie’s food by mixing some of her kibble with the new food for the first few days.
Ollie always recommends that dog parents use a gradual transition to avoid digestive issues in dogs. Here’s the process they recommend:
- Day 1-2: Add a small amount of Ollie to your dog’s current food.
- Day 3-4: Mix half of your dog’s Ollie portion with half of their current food portion.
- Day 5-6: Mix 75% of your dog’s Ollie portion with 25% of your dog’s current food.
- Day 7: Serve your dog’s full Ollie portion without any of their old food.
Step 1 – Adding Ollie Baked Dog Food
Ollie’s baked food is similar to kibble because it’s shelf-stable and can simply be poured into your dog’s bowl. However, it’s slow-cooked without preservatives to ensure that the food holds more nutrients than kibble. It’s easy to measure out because the measuring cup that came in the box has the measurements on it, so I can make sure Mabel gets the right amount.
From a distance, the gently baked food looks like any other dry dog food, but when you look closely, you can see bits of real meat, vegetables, and fruits in the food. The pieces are thinner and lighter than the kibble Mabel is used to, but she was instantly more intrigued with the flavor than she has been with any other dog food.
I started by mixing a little of the baked food with Mabel’s kibble for her first meal. I didn’t add the fresh food during the first meal because it was still thawing and I wanted to see how she would react to the baked food individually. As soon as she smelled that there was something new added to her dish, she wagged her tail like crazy and struggled to sit still for pictures next to her food dish.
Even though she went for the baked pieces first, she didn’t ignore her old food completely. Soon, her entire dish was empty as usual, but she spent some extra time licking the bowl clean.
Step 2 – Adding Ollie Fresh Dog Food
For Mabel’s next meal, I tried mixing a little of the fresh dog food with her kibble to see if her reaction would be different than the baked dog food. As soon as I opened one of the packages, she came running over, sniffing around like crazy. The fresh dog food does have a strong smell, but it’s not unpleasant.
Putting the fresh food into the bowl was messier than serving baked dog food or kibble. However, the scooper that came in the box made it easier to portion the food and move it into the bowl without getting it all over the place. When I scooped the food, a few crumbles got onto the counter, but it was much easier to clean up than I expected fresh food to be. As the name implies, Ollie’s fresh food is packed with fresh, nutrient-rich ingredients to give dogs a health boost.
As I mixed the fresh food with the kibble, Mabel couldn’t contain her excitement. The fresh food was more interesting to her than the baked food. As you can imagine, getting a nice picture of her next to the food was near impossible. Once I set her bowl on her feeding mat, she didn’t hesitate to gobble up her new food. She licked the bowl like crazy, and I don’t think she would’ve stopped licking if I hadn’t told her it was time to go outside.
Step 3 – Mixing Fresh and Baked Food
For the following meals, I mixed a little of the fresh food and the baked food with some kibble. Mabel seemed to be handling the new food well (no noticeable digestive issues), but I still wanted to be cautious for a few more days just to be safe.
Mabel gets excited about any food I give her, but there’s no doubt that the fresh food has the most appealing scent for her. Yet, she always eats all the food in her bowl, so the new food hasn’t stopped her from enjoying kibble too. However, I will need to wait until her transition period is over to give the most accurate Ollie dog food review.
Continuing to Use Ollie Dog Food
Once I was confident that Mabel’s tummy could handle the new food, I took away her kibble and fed her 100% Ollie. I’ve been giving her a mixture of the fresh and baked food as directed. The instructions that came with the products make it easy to portion her food for each meal. They say how much of each type of food she should get daily, along with how much that would be per meal if you serve two meals a day (which I do).
Mabel was in good shape for her age (she’s 9) before trying Ollie, and I’m happy to say that she still seems as healthy on the new diet. Her stools are still solid and she has maintained a healthy weight. After meals, she seems more playful and affectionate than before. I’m not sure if that’s health-related or if it’s just her being excited about the food. Either way, both Mabel and I are pleased with the results.
Customer Review: Would I Recommend Ollie Dog Food?
Now that Mabel has gotten to try both of Ollie’s types of food, I would definitely recommend this brand to other dog parents. Ollie is a trusted brand, but now that I have used their products, I’m more confident about their quality and convenience.
What I Love About Ollie
- Ollie ships right to your door so you don’t lose time running to the pet store.
- The shipment comes with serving instructions catered specifically to your dog’s needs to avoid overfeeding or underfeeding.
- You can see the individual ingredients in the food since it’s not highly processed like kibble.
- The scent and flavor are appealing to most dogs, especially picky eaters. I love how it makes Mabel extra excited for meals!
- Ollie has a variety of options: four flavors of fresh food and two flavors of baked food.
- The fresh food is easy for dogs to chew, making it great for senior dogs and dogs with dental problems.
- All dogs can benefit from this food, even if they’re low-energy like Mabel.
Was There Anything I Disliked?
Storing and serving Ollie requires a little more effort than traditional kibble, but that’s not a downside. Instead, it’s just something that I had to get used to. The food is messier than kibble, but the scoop that comes in the first box makes it easy to transfer the fresh food into the bowl without getting any food on your hands.
There were a few times I almost forgot to move a new package of fresh food from the freezer to the fridge, but now that I’ve gotten into the habit of it, I haven’t forgotten since. If any pet parents are worried about forgetting, setting a reminder on your phone could be an easy solution.
All Dog Parents Should Consider Ollie
With all those things in mind, Ollie is an excellent consideration for any pet parent looking for a new food. If you’re used to serving kibble like I was, it may take a little while to get used to Ollie’s fresh food, but the many benefits make the change worth it. Not only is Ollie conveniently shipped to your door, but it provides flavorful food with fresh, healthy ingredients. Best of all, the serving instructions are catered to your dog’s needs, so there’s no question of how much to give them.
If you want to give your dog quality food and get them more excited for mealtime, give Ollie a try. Our iHeartDog readers can get 60% off their first Ollie order!
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via Whisker Therapy