I used to be the kind of dog parents that always had a treat ready in their pocket. Ready for a spot of bribery, to reward, or just because. 

Then my dog Nugget started to lose his energy and slow down on walks. I figured he needed more fuel, so upped the snack quota even further. I wanted him to feel good! But it wasn’t the right move. 

I found Ollie, a personalized, nutritionally complete subscription fresh dog food brand, when Nugget was at his lowest ebb. He was lethargic, his digestive system was playing up, his breath smelled really bad. I was willing to try anything that brought my sweet pup back to his old self. 

A month later, and Nugget was full of energy and playing like a puppy again. Ollie brought his spark back. Here’s how fresh dog food can give your dog the detox they so desperately need. 

More snacks for dogs doesn’t mean more energy

Giving your dog the odd delicious treat is one of the joys of life. But it’s oh-so-easy to tip into unhealthy territory. 

When Nugget seemed tired, I did what any well-meaning doggy dad would do and gave him a treat to boost his energy levels. But the whole time, I was actually making things worse. 

Adding treats and table scraps to your dog’s intake adds calories without nutritional balance, which throws off their whole diet. Even though my dog was eating more, he wasn’t actually getting the balanced nutrients his body needed to thrive.

That was my wake up call. My dog needed a detox of the low-quality food he’d been eating. Instead, he needed higher-quality food that was designed just for him. Better food. That’s what led me to switch to Ollie. 

Switching to Ollie’s fresh food is a healthful detox for your dog

After looking at the ingredients in Nugget’s kibble and being disgusted by the amount of unpronounceable words, fillers, and processed stuff in there, I started paying real attention to how I was fueling him. After all, I feed myself balanced, fresh meals made of recognizable ingredients. Why was Nugget getting a heat-extruded, overly baked bowl of brown junk twice a day?

I found Ollie while researching for healthier dog food alternatives, and loved how transparent they were about how they make their food. Their fresh dog food is made with real, whole, human-grade ingredients like beef, carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, and blueberries. The food is designed with vet nutritionists to be complete and balanced. That’s the kind of nutrition my dog deserves!

After an easy sign up process that created a unique personalized meal plan for Nugget based on his weight, activity level, and spay or neuter status, Ollie started being delivered to my front door. Nugget took to it straight away, and I made a conscious effort to reign in my habit of feeding him constant snacks. 

Instead, I trusted that Ollie’s knowledgeable, trustworthy vet nutritionists designed Nugget’s diet to provide him with all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals he needed instead of propping up his energy with processed treats. 

After switching to Ollie, the difference was happily obvious

Within a few days, Nugget’s old pep started to return. He started getting excited to go on walks again, instead of dragging his heels. I’d wake up to him bringing me a toy to play with rather than having to coax him out of bed in the mornings. 

His weight started to even out naturally. The change wasn’t dramatic, and it happened over several weeks, but it felt like Nugget was back to his old self again. And he was much happier, too. 

Ollie makes treats that are actually good for your dog

Even during a doggy detox, you don’t have to give up on treats completely! All good boys deserve a treat every now and then as part of a balanced diet. That’s what Ollie helped me learn. A feature I loved was their free health screening customers can access via their app. If you’re ever unsure about if your dog’s routine is working, have questions, or need support, you can get on-demand analyses from the Ollie Health team.

The Ollie Health team helped teach me the kinds of snacks that worked best for Nugget. Their dental chews and jerky strips are made with ingredients such as salmon, coconut, chicken, and apple - real ingredients with no weird fillers. 

When your dog’s meals are truly complete, treats can go back to being what they’re meant to be: an extra, not a nutritional band-aid.

So, does your dog need a detox?

If your pup’s been acting sluggish, gaining weight, and low energy, it’s always good to check in with your vet as a first port of call. But if their diet is the problem, switching to a fresh, nutritionally balanced diet like Ollie’s whole-food fresh dog food will make a world of difference. 

Once I stopped overcompensating with calories and instead focused on the quality of Nugget’s diet, everything changed for him. He needed consistency, balance, and food that worked hard for him. There’s no better food for Nugget than Ollie. And watching him start to feel like himself again was better than any treat I could’ve given him.