When it comes to your dog’s food, do you really know what you are feeding him? It is unfortunate but true that many dog owners fail to take the time to read the label on their pet’s food. Unless you perform this simple task, however, there is a very real risk that you could be feeding your dog a product that isn’t good for him.
Many pet experts seem to agree on one thing: It is best to feed our beloved companions with fresh pet food. Most commercial dog foods are being cooked at extreme temperatures which ends up destroying the nutrient content of the ingredients (especially the raw ones).
Destroyed nutrient content, paired with the use of artificial coloring, flavoring, fillers, and by-products greatly reduces the nutritional value of the pet food products on the market today.
While there are many premium pet food manufacturers out in the market today, you cannot necessarily determine the quality of a product simply by looking at a bag of pet food – you have to dig a little bit deeper.
If you are concerned about your dog’s health and wellness, you should make an effort to feed your dog the best diet you can afford and, if you want to go above and beyond, you should consider feeding your dog Ollie pet food.
Read on for our comprehensive Ollie dog food review.
What is Ollie?
Ollie is a pet food company that was founded in 2016 by Gabby Slome, Alex Douzet, and Randy Jimenez. This New York-based pet food company set out to turn the pet food industry on its head by offering fresh, custom meals for dogs similar to meal-prep services like Maple and Sprig for humans.
With $4.4 million in venture funding, Ollie hopes to bring their dream of delivering healthy, natural, and customized fresh food to dogs all over the country a reality. In the same way that disease statistics are rising among humans at an alarming rate, instances of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and liver failure in pets are becoming more and more common.
The secret to giving your dog a long, happy, and healthy life doesn’t come in a pill bottle – it comes in a cardboard box, delivered fresh every two weeks.
There are several pet food manufacturers out there who offer fresh and frozen raw dog food formulas, but Ollie takes things to the next level by customizing their meals using specific information about your dog such as breed, activity level, and age. Co-founder Alex Douzet, “we understand the dog…and we have an algorithm that will calculate daily calorie needs and match that to the type of food we send”.
Dog owners complete an online profile to select the ideal diet for their dog and it is shipped fresh every two weeks. Not only are Ollie’s products delivered fresh which negates the need for artificial preservatives, but their food is so carefully formulated and nutritious that it requires a minimal amount of synthetic supplements to meet AAFCO base requirements.
While Ollie’s team is divided between New York and Pennsylvania, their products are deliverable in the continental U.S. Prices begin around $3 per pound with the average price being in the $6 per pound range, depending upon the calorie needs of your dog.
While this is certainly more than the average kibble costs, it is actually more affordable than some of the other premium pet food options on the market such as freeze-dried raw food options which can cost upwards of $15 a pound. Currently, Ollie comes in 4 variants – chicken, beef, lamb & turkey.
The premium pet food market has become a $13 billion market and Ollie hopes to capitalize on that growth by offering a product that is truly unique and better than anything else on the market today.
Where is Ollie Made?
Ollie’s fresh food is made and hand-packed in the USA. They are partners with a veterinary nutritionist to formulate their nutritionally-balanced recipes in accordance with AAFCO standards. All of their food is cooked in small batches in their USDA-regulated kitchen.
They carefully source their ingredients from reputable farms in the U.S and Australia. Each partner must go through an extensive certification process to become a supplier. All of their food is made only with whole, human-grade ingredients.
They never use fillers, by-products, artificial flavors, or preservatives in any of their food. Ollie only uses USDA-certified meats in their recipes: their chicken, beef, and turkey all come from farms in the U.S., and the lamb is sourced from farms in both the U.S. and Australia. All of the fruits and veggies are from U.S. farms.
Ollie offers 4 variants for fresh dog food, each featuring a different source of protein, as the key ingredient.
Remember that each recipe is formulated by a Vet Nutritionist to ensure your pet's balance and complete nutrition.
Turkey – This is one of the recipes that our Jakey got since he is allergic to Beef. Now, this recipe is grain-free and made from a novel source of protein. This is perfect for dogs with sensitivities. Top ingredient is fresh turkey breast with turkey liver as a supplemental source of protein. It contains fresh veggies and fruits.
Chicken – Contains fresh chicken as the #1 ingredient, along with chicken gizzard, chicken liver, and dried eggs. This protein-rich formula is so full of natural flavor. Also, it contains vegetables such as peas and carrots which are very beneficial for our pets.
Lamb – This is the other recipe that Jake gets to taste! This recipe is for the meat lovers out there. The recipe features fresh lamb and lamb liver as the top ingredients plus it is also a grain-free formula. Also, it has superfoods like kale, cranberries, and butternut squash as a natural source of antioxidants.
Beef – This variant contains fresh beef and beef heart as the top 2 main ingredients along with beef kidney as a supplemental source of protein. It also features easily digestible carbohydrate sources such as potatoes, peas, and sweet potatoes.
Protein is the most essential nutrient for canines, so you will be glad to know that all four variants start with a premium source of animal protein incorporated with other natural, wholesome ingredients.
When you decide to order from Ollie, you can choose if you want to feed your pet exclusively or supplementally. The choice is up to you. And you will be getting a discounted rate on your first order.
They know pawrents have a lot of options to choose from when it comes to feeding their dogs. With a booming pet obesity rate of 56% in the U.S., many brands are stepping up to the plate to provide healthier alternatives to over-cooked, over-processed kibbles.
Ollie has taken this a step further by providing a personalized and holistic approach that is beneficial to all dogs but tailored to the needs of your dog. Ollie is not just about feeding healthy ingredients but offering a nutritionally balanced and properly portioned diet based on a dog’s unique health needs.
Each pawrent receives custom feeding guidelines along with their food to help establish a healthy and consistent routine. Starting at $2 a day, Ollie is also one of the most inexpensive options within the fresh dog food space.
There are rules set by USFDA and AAFCO regarding a product's formulation, sale, and manufacturing processes of their products being sold on the market.
The primary role of AAFCO is testing commercial pet foods available on the market to see whether they adhere to the said nutritional requirements for pets while the FDA on the other hand handles issues about product safety.
And we are glad to inform you that no recall has ever been issued to Ollie fresh pet food, as of this writing. This may be due to the fact that they are very careful in sourcing their ingredients and keep a close watch while their products are being made.
Ollie Dog Food Review
What Did Jake Think?
As much as we love Ollie as a brand, we wouldn't totally recommend it if we didn't test it out for ourselves first!
To see to it that Ollie is everything we say, we tested it out with a very special rescued dog, Jake, a Golden Retriever.
See how excited he is when the package arrived!
Jake is allergic to beef which makes it a challenge to find the right food for him. Most of the dog foods are formulated with beef or beef meal, so we have to be extra careful before buying a certain product for him.
What makes Ollie a wonderful choice for Jake is that fact that there are other variants apart from Beef! Jake is neutered and fairly active, so he is in need of a certain number of calories to account for his daily activities and needs. Jake doesn't have the need to lose or gain any weight, just maintenance.
Ollie came in portioned tubs and Jake was drooling! You can see it in the videos that he is very eager to eat the food! It was an immediate hit!
As soon as the box arrived, he was so excited about it, I think he can smell what's inside and he knows it must be something delicious! We had a combination of Turkey and Lamb recipes. We waited for several hours to thaw the food since it was completely frozen. And once we opened it and mixed it with his regular food, he gobbled it up! Bowl-licking good!
Check out his video below:
Is Ollie Worth the Cost?
When you go out shopping for dog food, I am sure that you will notice the various price ranges of the brands. Some are pricier than others.
Do a quick review of the ingredients on the list and you will see why it is more costly than the others.
Wholesome, fresh, natural ingredients are not cheap. It is the fillers and by-products that make a brand more “affordable” than others. We are not saying that all expensive brands are good, but most of the high-quality dog foods cost more than that of your run-of-the-mill dry foods.
The most important thing to remember about fresh pet food such as Ollie is that, while it may be pricey, it could actually save you dollars in the long run.
Feeding your pets fresh food made from quality, wholesome, natural ingredients means that they are far from developing any certain type of illnesses. Feeding your pets fresh food made from high-quality nutrition will keep them happier and healthier. Not to mention fresh food will support his wellness both long and short term.
Though it is not a 100% guarantee that your pet will never get sick, however, he will be much healthier overall compared to feeding him cheap dog foods from the grocery.
As with any other brand, Ollie has its pros and cons. Though it may be a bit pricey than the average kibble, the health benefits your pet will get is truly worth the price.
The process for ordering Ollie pet food is surprisingly simple – all you have to do is log on to the website and click on the “Design Your Pup’s Meals” button to create an online profile for your pet.
You will be asked to provide detailed information including your dog’s name, breed, sex, and altered status (neutered or intact). You will also be asked for your dog’s age, activity level, weight, and body condition. If your dog has any allergies, you will be allowed to input that information and you will be asked for basic information about your dog’s current diet.
After providing all of these details, you will be presented with a summary of your dog’s nutritional needs including his total daily calorie needs and the amount of food he should be fed each day. You will then have the option to choose from their dog food formulas and then you will be taken to the checkout page.
If at any time you need to pause, skip, or cancel your order you are free do to so – you can log in later with your email address. You can also update your dog’s profile if there is a change in weight or activity level – Ollie will update your dog’s food formula accordingly.
After you have completed your dog’s online profile and placed your order, you will be given a confirmation number and sent a confirmation email.
This email contains all the information pertaining to your order including your dog’s name, your recipe selection, the calorie content of your dog’s custom diet, and a confirmation of your shipping address and billing info.
When your order ships, you will be sent another email to confirm your order number, your delivery date, and the tracking number. Most orders ship within 1 to 2 business days of ordering and shipping is expedited to ensure that your product arrives fresh.
You will be sent another notification email when your product arrives along with instructions for how to store it for maximum freshness.
What Comes With Your Order?
Ollie pet food is shipped in a standard cardboard box with the Ollie logo on it. Inside you will find Ollie dog food prepared in individual packs, with plenty of padding and two freezer packs to keep the product cold. Each tray is vacuum sealed for freshness and the product arrives frozen.
Also included in your shipment is a feeding guide on how to thaw and serve your dog’s food as well as a puptainer to keep your Ollie pet food fresh, and a plastic scoop to dish it up.
Once your first tray of pet food has thawed, it is ready for your dog to enjoy – just follow the feeding instructions for the correct serving size and let your dog go to work on it!
Since Ollie's fresh pet food is made from natural ingredients it is much easier to digest compared to the low-quality pet food that contains by-products and fillers.
However, in some rare instances, your pet may experience a slight intestinal upset if you don't make the proper transition and end up switching her food too fast.
The best way to be sure that her transition is smooth is by feeding your pet small portions of Ollie with his/her regular food at first. You can then increase the amount of Ollie fresh food while decreasing the amount of the regular food during the first week.
By the end of the week, you will be able to make the complete transition with no complications whatsoever. If you need more information about this matter, please refer to the how-to guide included in your parcel.
Only has 4 variants for now – if your pet has serious sensitivities or allergies, shop carefully.
Fresh pet food has a shorter shelf life compared to kibbles and canned goods.
Bottom Line
Ollie is not just a premium pet food manufacturer – this company offers a product that is completely unlike anything else on the market. While there are certainly other manufacturers who offer fresh and frozen dog food, no other company customizes its products for individual customers.
Not only does Ollie produce top-quality products, but they also offer excellent customer service. Within days of receiving your order, you should receive a phone call from Ollie customer service to check in on you and your dog.
You can ask any questions you have at that time and customer service is always an email or a phone call away. You will also find a list of FAQs on the Ollie website as well as detailed information about the company’s history and production process. Ollie also has a blog on their website that provides helpful information for pet owners.
We don't want to make any false promises here about the benefits your dog will get from this brand but trust us when we say that fresh food is one of the best foods you can give to your pet and Ollie is a worthy brand to consider.
How much does Ollie dog food cost?
Prices start at around $3 per pound with the average price being around $6 per pound range, depending on the needs of your dog. Ollie offers four dog food products, chicken, beef, lamb and turkey and they plan to expand their offerings to include cat food products in the future.
When am I charged For Ollie?
The card on your account is charged on a regular schedule in accordance with your shipments.
How long will the food stay fresh after it's delivered?
Ollie uses a special modified atmospheric packaging to seal their trays so they’re airtight and keep food fresh, without using any preservatives or chemicals. After you put it in the refrigerator, the food will be good to serve your dog for up to 4 days opened or unopened. Always remember to put the Ollie resealable lid on your tray after you’ve opened it to preserve the freshness.
Does Ollie make cat food?
Ollie does not currently sell any cat products or recipes. However, it is likely that Ollie or other fresh dog food companies will soon expand into the cat market, just as Nom Nom has done.
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An individual with a profound affection for animals, who was brought up in an environment surrounded by dogs, cats, and chickens. A self-taught enthusiast in the realm of pet care. At present, the proud caretaker of two rescued felines and two lovely mixed-breed canines.
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