Ollie Foodie: Chewbacca the French Bulldog

We hear from humans almost every day about how our food has made their pups healthier and happier (and exponentially more excited about mealtime.) In this series, we’ll share some of the stories that make us especially proud to fill dogs’ bowls with wholesome goodness.

After months of taking their Mini Frenchie to endless veterinarians, specialists, and emergency pet hospitals, Kelly Smith and her boyfriend were left with more questions than answers. No one could tell them why Chewbacca was constantly vomiting and invariably refusing to eat, despite elimination diets, inconclusive x-ray reviews, and anti-nausea shots. "There is nothing more debilitating than a dog who cannot tell you what’s wrong. When you go to the vet, the x-rays and blood tests are showing nothing, there’s no diagnosis," says Smith.

They switched his food seven times, to no avail—and in the process, Smith became concerned about the current state of dog food: "After endless hours of research and horror in realizing just how little oversight and scrutiny that pet food companies are subject to, I became convinced food was the issue," she says. As the eighth food they tried, Ollie finally did the trick: Chewie hasn’t had any symptoms since he started eating it. "He now wakes us up for breakfast and whimpers by his bowl for dinner," says Smith.

"We tried cooking for him, and while giving him a bland diet of chicken and rice didn’t upset his stomach, I knew he wasn’t getting all the nutrients he needed."

"He would skip meals but now he wakes up and wants to eat, he’s begging for the food. He freaking loves it and feels good when he’s eating it—there’s no more farting and belching, which is beautiful!"

"I like that there’s a set amount with the scoop that we’re supposed to be giving our dog—having all that information formulated for you and not having any side effects with having too much food, it’s such a peace of mind, it takes a weight off. It’s easy in all senses of the word."

The Ollie blog is devoted to helping pet parents lead healthier lives with their pups. If you want to learn more about our fresh, human-grade food, check out ollie.com.