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FAMILY & PETS

Is Your Dog Depressed or Do They Just Need Better Food?

November 5, 2024
At Primary Goods, we have an independent selection process & only review what we fully endorse. If you buy a product via our links, we may earn a commission.

Editor’s note: Our team (and their dogs!) love Ollie. If you’re looking to make the switch to fresh food for your dog, you can get 50% off your first box!

My dog Jack used to be the most playful boy. But something changed in the past few months. He started acting downright MOPEY. He barely picked at his kibble. Even playdates with his doggie friends didn’t seem to spark anything in him. “Does my pup need Prozac?” I wondered.

But then something changed. Jack and I were hanging at my parents’ place, and he seemed hungry. So I fixed him a bowl of Ollie – a fresh food my parents feed their dogs – which Jack had never tried before. He gobbled it up like I hadn’t seen him eat in months! I decided to order some Ollie for our house. Now, Jack is officially an Ollie boy and has SO much more energy!

Turns out, he wasn’t depressed, it was just his nutritionally-bankrupt food. If you want to turn your dog’s mood around, try ditching their kibble and order Ollie – and get 50% off your first box!

Credit: Ollie
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Pros

  • 5 fresh, delicious fresh recipes-and 2 baked options
  • Human-grade, high-quality ingredients you’ll recognize (like turkey, sweet potato, and blueberries)
  • Personalized plans based on your dog’s dietary needs
  • Perfect for sensitive tummies
  • Minimal processing, and no preservatives, fillers, or artificial flavors; no corn, wheat, or soy
  • Crafted in US facilities
  • Designed with vet nutritionists
  • Meets AAFCO standards
  • Great for picky eaters
  • Promotes a softer coat and sparks more energy
  • Easy-open packaging – no messy knives or scissors!

Cons

  • Fresh dog food must be stored frozen before thawing, which can take up freezer space
  • You can’t purchase individual packs of food – you’re signing up for a meal plan subscription
  • No full baked plan, if that’s what you’re looking for

Magic? Or Just Delish?

After seeing just how much pep Ollie put in Jack’s step, I was like, “What’s in this dang food?” So even though I was eager to order because of Jack’s almost immediate turn from depressed dog to happy hound, I did do a tad bit of research before I actually went through the onboarding quiz to purchase. 

I found out that Ollie’s fresh food is human-grade and gently cooked to retain all that nutritious goodness in each and every recipe. Speaking of the recipes, they’re all approved by vet nutritionists and include real, whole meats and dog-safe fruits and veggies. 

There were a couple of other cool perks to ordering Ollie – number one being their app, which offers everything from a dental screening, to a weight screening, to a digestion screening where you send in a picture of your dog’s poop to make sure it’s normal! Ollie’s holistic approach to canine health really appealed to me, and I felt super safe putting my dog’s diet in their hands. 

I Got My Dog Back

The first recipe Jack sampled at my parents’ house was the Fresh Beef with Sweet Potatoes, so obviously for my initial order I opted to grab some of that. But I was delighted to see that they in fact offer FIVE fresh recipes, including my big boy’s favorite: lamb! They also have two baked recipes that are kind of like kibble but also kind of not, because traditional kibbles are cooked at crazy high temperatures that heat-blast all the nutrients out, but Ollie’s baked foods are gently baked so they actually retain their nutrients. A healthier version of an old classic!

We had a couple of days of still having to slog through the last bits of Jack’s depressing kibble before our first order of Ollie showed up, but the second it arrived at the door, he knew. He sensed that his life was about to change for the better. 

As I scooped some Ollie’s Fresh Lamb into his bowl, Jack was sniffing and bounding behind me like that happy dog I knew as a puppy. He was even up for a little game of fetch in the park later. 

Love At First Bite

Jack’s transformation upon trying Ollie sealed the deal for me: we’re an Ollie family for life. Now, dogs can be depressed for a lot of reasons, and you should talk to your vet about it if you’re really concerned. But if your pup is like mine and is missing that sparkle in their eye, it’s also worth switching up their food. And from personal experience, I recommend Ollie. You can give ‘em a try too, and get that first box for 50% off!

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