{"id":77209,"date":"2026-04-15T13:34:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T13:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/i-fed-my-rescue-dog-ollie-for-30-days-and-the-difference-it-made-is-incredible\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T13:34:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T13:34:00","slug":"i-fed-my-rescue-dog-ollie-for-30-days-and-the-difference-it-made-is-incredible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/i-fed-my-rescue-dog-ollie-for-30-days-and-the-difference-it-made-is-incredible\/","title":{"rendered":"I Fed My Rescue Dog Ollie For 30 Days And The Difference It Made Is Incredible"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\n<h6><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b><i>iHeartDogs is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/h6>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the assistant editor with iHeartDogs, I think I\u2019m pretty well informed. I\u2019ve read nearly every piece of content that has gone out on our site in the last three years. I\u2019ve read almost every story, article, and recall, and have grown to love dogs more and more for the amazing, loving creatures they are.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I made the decision to adopt, I didn\u2019t take it lightly. I knew it would be a huge responsibility, and that I would be committing not only to loving a dog, but to giving them the best care I possibly could.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>This is Ziggy<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ziggy was adopted only recently from a local animal shelter. He is a two-year-old Corgi-mix and was one of the longest residents of the shelter. I fell in love the moment I saw his little face through the kennel door \u2013 we made eye contact, and I couldn\u2019t even look at the other dogs there. Ziggy was heartworm positive, he had a scab over one eye, and a messy, smelly coat. He had terrible dander, and his fur seemed to be falling out all at once. Looking over his paperwork, I saw he had been confiscated from his previous owners, and I knew I wanted to give him a better life than he had ever known.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2728891\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2728891\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2728891\" height=\"480\" width=\"640\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig1.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig1-100x75.jpg 100w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig1-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2728891\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ziggy at the shelter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having worked with iHeartDogs for a few years now, I knew that his diet was going to play a huge role in his health, happiness, and overall well-being. The shelter had him on low-quality food, so to keep his diet consistent while I did some research, I bought a bag and kept him on it. However, I have seen enough scary recalls and reports of dogs getting sick or worse, that it completely put me off feeding my new pup just anything. I was eager to find an alternative. It wasn\u2019t a matter of wanting to spoil him; I just wanted to keep him healthy, and I knew that fresh food was going to be the best and safest choice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Choosing Ollie<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were a few issues I wanted to address with Zig\u2019s health. The dander and shedding were a huge problem, and though it wasn\u2019t my first concern, the terrible gas he had quickly made it to the top of my list. As I researched different options, Ollie began to stand out as a clear winner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2728898\" height=\"427\" width=\"640\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/SHOT-04_5803-e1585783820887.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ollie has the highest rating possible from DogFoodAdvisor.com \u2013 which isn\u2019t an easy feat! Their food is vet-nutritionist-formulated and meets AAFCO standards for healthy dog food. Whereas many foods are made with low-quality by-products, mystery meats, and added artificial flavor, Ollie\u2019s food is made with human-grade ingredients. It\u2019s the same safe ingredients you can buy at the grocery store and cook for yourself. It tastes like real food because it is real, good food. Cost-wise, Ollie was one of the more affordable choices for fresh food, starting at only $2 a day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What I loved most was the transparency. Ollie lists all the ingredients in their meals right on their website, before you even place your order. They include superfoods like kale, blueberries, and spinach in each recipe and explain the benefits each has for your dog. I was confident Ziggy would be eating high-quality food with ingredients that could help his coat and skin, and absolutely no fillers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting Ollie\u2019s meals personalized for Zig was a breeze. After answering a few questions about him to let Ollie get to know him, his sensitivities, and preferences, we chose a recipe, and his food was on its way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Day 1 \u2013 Getting Acquainted<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2728911\" height=\"480\" width=\"640\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig2.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig2.jpg 640w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig2-100x75.jpg 100w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig2-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our first box appeared like magic on our doorstep two days later. We were so excited to see it, we immediately brought it into the house and opened it up. We pulled out several perfectly portioned meals and began putting them into the freezer. We could tell just by looking at them that they would be enough to keep Ziggy from feeling hungry between meals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We took the day to get acquainted with the food and the enclosed information. Ollie sent a few easy-to-read instructions for storing, preparing, and feeding the food they sent. And though their ingredients and nutritional information were available online, they sent it printed out along with the box, which was great to have on hand. We were a little concerned about how to transition Ziggy from his kibble to Ollie. We didn\u2019t want to do it too fast or too slow, but Ollie solved the problem by sending along a guide to make the transition easy on us.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That evening, we gave Zig\u2019s weight a quick check on the scale. We found that he had gained a few extra pounds since the day we took him to the vet. The label on his kibble hadn\u2019t been clear, but we realized we had probably been overfeeding him. We hoped that, with Ollie having portioned his meals for us, we could get his weight back down a little.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Day 5 \u2013 We<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2019<\/span><b>re Transitioning<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2728920\" height=\"480\" width=\"640\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig3.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig3.jpg 640w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig3-100x75.jpg 100w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig3-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The day we first received the box, I was worried that this food wouldn\u2019t thaw in time for him to start as planned. However, in 24 hours, the pack had gone from frozen solid to soft and ready-to-eat! It\u2019s easy to remember to move one from the freezer when you take one out of the fridge. Then, your dog will always have food ready at the right time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The guide has been a massive help in transitioning from kibble. At this point, Ziggy is eating half Ollie and half his old food each meal. He doesn\u2019t seem picky, but he definitely has a favorite \u2013 the Ollie always disappears from his bowl before the kibble is gone!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Day 11 \u2013 He Loves It!<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2728927\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig4.jpg 640w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig4-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig4-100x75.jpg 100w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig4-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ziggy knows the sound of his \u201cpuptainer\u201d opening the same way some dogs know the sound of kibble hitting a bowl. He has been eating 100% Ollie for three days now, and it\u2019s safe to say he loves it! The moment the lid comes off the puptainer, he appears at my feet. We give it a quick turn in the microwave to take the chill off, and by the time it comes out, he is spinning, jumping, and dancing. It\u2019s easy to warm up in the packaging it comes in, and if I\u2019m being honest, it smells good enough that I\u2019ve been tempted to try it! The only challenging part is getting Ziggy to sit still long enough to put it into his bowl.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Day 17 \u2013 No More Grocery Store<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2728939\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig8.jpg 640w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig8-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig8-100x75.jpg 100w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig8-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since Ollie is coming straight to the door, we don\u2019t have to worry about it being out of stock, and it saves me a trip I would rather not make to an overcrowded grocery store. It has been incredibly convenient, and if worst comes to worst, it\u2019ll store in the freezer for up to six months.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Related: 5 Best Dog Subscription Boxes<\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>Day 24 \u2013 Wow, the benefits! Good Poos, Weight Loss, and Less Shedding<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2728930\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig5.jpg 640w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig5-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig5-100x75.jpg 100w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig5-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re really amazed at how easy it\u2019s been to feed Ollie, and how much Ziggy loves it. The routine has been easy to keep up, and I don\u2019t miss shopping for dog food at all \u2013 especially not now.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I didn\u2019t think it was an issue, but I notice that his poos have been easier to pick up. He has no problem going, but they\u2019re not runny the way they were before switching to Ollie, which makes it a much cleaner job when I have to bag it. They\u2019re also more predictable \u2013 we can guess when he might be ready to go and be prepared to take him for a walk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve been weighing Ziggy regularly, and he hit his weight loss goal last week. We were also concerned that he might lose too much weight, but he\u2019s been maintaining the ideal weight for his breed! We\u2019re going to continue to keep an eye on it, but so<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">far, we\u2019re really impressed with how well-balanced Ollie is for him, specifically!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ziggy has been livelier at playtime, too. He seems to have an interest in more of his toys than he did before, and I find that my throwing arm tires out before he does!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the horrible gas he had before we switched? Totally gone. If he has had any, I haven\u2019t smelled it, and that might be the best news of all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Day 30 \u2013 Thank You, Ollie!\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2728933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig6.jpg 640w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig6-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig6-100x75.jpg 100w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig6-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thirty days in, and you might not believe this was the same little pup we adopted not too long ago! You\u2019ve never seen a dog so excited about his food \u2013 he loves Ollie!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We love Ollie, too! We had hoped to see some changes in Ziggy\u2019s health, and though we didn\u2019t see it all, the difference is remarkable for just 30 days! His gas is gone. His dander, which covered his coat in big white flakes, is now significantly reduced. He still has flakes, but they\u2019re much smaller, and there are many fewer. We hoped to see less shedding, and though it seems to be better, it\u2019s hard to say \u2013 especially now that it\u2019s time for his Corgi coat to blow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re so excited to see what difference more time can make while he\u2019s being fed, Ollie! See the difference fresh food can make when you switch to Ollie! <\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2728934\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig7.jpg 640w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig7-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig7-100x75.jpg 100w, https:\/\/iheartdogs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/zig7-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"\/><\/p>\n<h6><em>Subscription will auto-renew with standard billing. Offer only valid for new subscribers. Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion. Cannot be retroactively applied. Valid to continental US orders only.<\/em><\/h6>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>\n\t\t\t\t!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n\t\t\t\t{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n\t\t\t\tn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n\t\t\t\tif(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n\t\t\t\tn.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n\t\t\t\tt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n\t\t\t\ts.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n\t\t\t\t'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttry{\n\t\t\t\t\tvar hlmUserData = {};\n\t\t\t\t\tif (hlmUserData && typeof hlmUserData === 'object' && Object.keys(hlmUserData).length > 0) {\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Manual Advanced Matching: Meta will auto-hash these values\n\t\t\t\t\t\tfbq('init', '412240925577439', hlmUserData);\n\t\t\t\t\t} else {\n\t\t\t\t\t\tfbq('init', '412240925577439');\n\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\tfbq('track','PageView');\n\t\t\t\t}catch(e){}\n\t\t\t<\/script><script>!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script','https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n\t\t\tif(typeof fbq != 'undefined'){\n\t\t\t\t\/\/if( determine_if_permission_accepted(\"TC\") ){\n\t\t\t\t\t\/\/fbq('dataProcessingOptions', []);\n\t\t\t\t\/\/}else{\n\t\t\t\t\tfbq('dataProcessingOptions', ['LDU'], 0, 0);\n\t\t\t\t\/\/}\n\t\t\t\tfbq('init', '345172824095794');\t\t\t\tfbq('track', 'PageView');\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>iHeartDogs is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. As the assistant editor with iHeartDogs, I think I\u2019m pretty well informed. I\u2019ve read nearly every piece of content that has gone out on our site in the last three years. I\u2019ve [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":77210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_daextam_enable_autolinks":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pets-and-grooming"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/zigfeature.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77209"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77209\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}