My dog Bojangles is my best bud in the world. His favorite activity (besides spending time with me, obviously)? Eating. I cannot emphasize this enough. He is so food-motivated, I swear he’d jump off a cliff if I told him he’d get treats out of it. Since I adopted him, I’ve been feeding him Blue Buffalo kibble, and he’s been perfectly content. He never quite seems full though, and always begs for a second dinner. Do I give it to him? Yes, of course I do – I’m not heartless!

But then I took him to his vet appointment last month, and they told me he was overweight. Overweight?? Why are these Los Angeles veterinarians trying to fat-shame my dog? He’s sturdy, I told myself, with no plans to change his diet – even though apparently, he needed to lose as much as 7 pounds (which is a lot when we’re talking about a 30-pound dog). 

Read on for my full story – or click here to see the healthy new food I switched my dog to! 

Curiosity Saved the Dog 

The rather stern vet’s words still ringing in my ears, I decided to look into what it actually means for a dog to be “overweight.” And I found the Body Condition Score for Dogs. I have to admit it opened my eyes.

Even though Bojangles looks healthy to me, according to the chart, he’s clearly overweight. His waist doesn’t daintily go in for a “tuck.” Instead, it just kind of splooges out to the side. 

Then I started learning more about the risks that come with dogs being overweight. 

Apparently, over half the dogs in the US are overweight or obese, and being overweight can shave as much as two and a half years off your dog’s life. And here’s something that really took me aback: dogs that eat kibble tend to have higher obesity rates than dogs that eat fresh dog food. 

So I decided it was time to make a MAJOR change. I looked into fresh dog foods, and after some comparing and poring through reviews, I identified what seemed to be the holy grail: Ollie. 

What Makes Ollie Special?

Ollie seemed to tick all of the boxes: it was a subscription-based meal plan (convenience check) with fresh food (weight loss check) that even offered a baked food that is similar to kibble but a whole lot healthier (check for just in case Bojangles ended up hating fresh food for some reason). 

The more I looked into Ollie, the more I was convinced that it was the perfect food to manage my dog’s weight. There were myriad testimonials on their site – from dogs who looked quite a bit chunkier than Bojangles! – that showed incredible weight loss. 

I was also intrigued by the fact that they give guidelines for portion sizes based on your dog’s ideal weight. Maybe this would be the push I needed to make sure I stopped overfeeding my pup.

Ollie is also extremely high in nutritional value compared to calories, meaning that the food is more nutrient-dense. Bojangles is going to get more health-boosting nutrients in every bite. 

The high protein and fiber content of Ollie is also designed to help keep dogs fuller longer, meaning that when Bojangles eats, he’s going to (hopefully) STAY full rather than continuously begging for extra meal after extra meal. 

Commencing Health Kick…

I decided to start with a 2-week subscription to see if my pup actually liked fresh food after a lifetime of kibble. I answered a few quiz questions about his current weight, ideal weight, activity level, and poops (yes, they ask about poop! They are thorough!), then picked my flavors and ordered. HUGE note here: my first order was a full 50% off, and you can get the same deal if you order today! There’s no reason not to try Ollie!

Ollie offers a few different meal plans: full fresh, a mixed option that includes fresh and baked food, and a half fresh that can be used as a topper for any other food you want. I opted for the full fresh because I wanted to give the program a good honest try. 

There’s also a wide range of extras that you can add with your subscription, like Crunchy Treats and Jerky Treats, but I opted out of them because according to Ollie’s site, it’s best to avoid giving extra treats to a dog on a weight management program. But I’ll keep them in mind for the future. Bojangles is a very good boy and ultimately? Deserves all the treats. 

The True Test

Just look at this guy’s face when I scooped him his first helping of Ollie’s fresh Lamb recipe! Bojangles knew he was in for something tasty. He definitely did seem a bit confused to not hear the familiar clink of kibble in a bowl. But that gave way to extreme excitement once I served him the Ollie!

His review? Well, what can I say, he gobbled it up and licked his bowl clean. I will admit… he asked for more. But I did not give it! Ollie’s suggested meal plan was in the back of my head (and up on my fridge, as they send a piece of paper with the portion size recommendations in with the first order) and I stayed strong against his begging! 

The really interesting thing, though? When I gave him his dinner, he did NOT beg for more. He ate it with vigor and enthusiasm, but instead of standing near the fridge asking for seconds, he merely hopped up on the couch and laid next to me, content. I take this as a sign that the higher protein and fiber content in Ollie was working its magic and Bojangles was genuinely, truly, FINALLY not hungry. Probably for the first time in his life. 

A Satisfied Pup

Did Bojangles lose weight after two weeks of Ollie? He looks trimmer, although I don’t have a scale to be able to tell for sure. What I can say though, is that he’s been absolutely loving eating Ollie for every meal, he’s stopped begging after meals, and his energy levels have been through the roof. 

I’m not kidding. He tends to be a little bit of a couch potato, but since starting on Ollie, he’s been taking me on hour-long walks every morning. So regardless of whether the food itself is helping him lose weight, it’s definitely helping him get more exercise, which is much healthier for him in the long run. 

I’m going to keep ordering Ollie for Bojangles. I’ve got rabies shots scheduled for six months from now, and when I’m at the vet, I’m going to ask them to weigh him so I can see his progress. But if it keeps going the way it’s been going, I think he’s going to be nice and trim in no time. 

If your pup is overweight or obese, give Ollie a try! Your dog could be one of thousands that loses weight with Ollie and you'll get 50% off your first box.