In partnership with Nom Nom.
Just because your dog will eat anything, doesn't mean they should. Take it from me. My 2 year-old puppy Finneas (or Finny to his friends) is certifiably food-obsessed. He's bored by fetch, deeply skeptical of Tug of War – all he's after is the next treat delivery. So when we adopted him, we felt blessed that our guy wouldn't be a picky eater: when choosing his food, all we'd have to worry about is that it was reasonably healthy and sold for the right price.
Until the digestive issues started. I'll spare you the details, but suffice to say that Finny has paid many a price for his indiscriminate diet, and we've cycled through more kibble brands than I can remember trying to find the right fit. But recently, a friend pointed out that kibble itself might be the problem. Our dogs' systems weren't designed to process the majority of ingredients found in commercially dried kibble, which can often present challenges to their digestion.
Properly made fresh food, on the other hand, is so highly digestible that our dogs can more effectively absorb those nutrients (read: have smaller poops, less frequently). As intrigued as I was, the idea of switching over to an entirely new genre of food felt daunting. How would I know how much to feed him? Would I end up over- or under-delivering on daily calories?
Until I found a brand that figured it all out for me.
INTRODUCING NOM NOM
With a name that's impossible to forget, Nom Nom has taken the scene as the most intuitive, stress-free purveyor of fresh dog food there is. When co-founders and brothers Nate and Zach Phillips adopted mini Australian Shepherds nearly ten years ago, they were unpleasantly surprised at the quality of the commercial pet food options on the market. In fact, when Zach's dog Harlee developed health problems, a vet pointed to improved nutrition as a potential solution, recommending that they try out a homemade fresh diet.
The difference was night and day. Harlee's symptoms went away so quickly that the brothers realized just how much benefit there was in feeding our pups properly digestible whole foods. They quickly partnered with two board certified vet nutritionists, and their very first recipe was born: the Heartland Beef Mash.
That beef flavor now joins Chicken Cuisine, Pork Potluck and Turkey Fare as one of Nom Nom's four options, so even the most discerning canines can find their favorite (or switch things up for variety's sake). The brand’s company-owned kitchens – as opposed to the outsourced manufacturers its competitors often use – avoid over-processing the food and adding preservatives, leaving the ingredients in pieces you can actually see. The picture below is just one example of the Nom Nom difference: it looks like real food because it is.
Yet the biggest win for busy dog owners (speaking as one myself) is that Nom Nom portions all its meals for you, factoring in everything from your dog's breed to its age, activity level, weight and pre-existing health issues. That means you've got one easy-open pack to feed per day – with no guesswork and no portioning required. Not only does that save time and avoid uncertainty, it keeps your pup on track to stay healthy and satisfied.
With all of that taken care of well before delivery, I finally felt ready to see what all the fresh food fuss was about. I wasn't worried about if Finny would eat it – he'd work his way through a cardboard box – but how would it affect him otherwise? If I wanted to find out, there was nothing left to it but to do it.
MADE TO ORDER
I started out by taking the trial survey on Nom Nom's website, which checked in on Finny's current body composition and dietary issues. Once I input his information, Nom Nom recommended the Pork Potluck recipe, made from quality ingredients like pork, potatoes, green beans, squash, kale and mushrooms (and sounded a lot healthier than how I myself eat). I added in the Chicken Cuisine along with it for good measure, and found myself at a subtotal of $98.02 for 2 weeks of food – or $49.01 after the initial 50% off discount.
While his current kibble was less than half of the cost, I was also supplementing his meals with pricier wet food – and at the end of the day, was constantly dealing with his gut issues. Every other month he would have a bout of indigestion that would see us switching to a bland diet of white rice and chicken, foods that took valuable prep time out of my day. If this new high-quality, filler-free delivery service worked, it would be more than worth it.
A NEW CHAPTER
So it was with cautious optimism that I fed Finny his first few meals of Nom Nom. While he displayed no flare-ups at first, I waited around for several days to see how things settled in. And to my utter joy, I saw all kinds of benefits. Not only does he have the smaller, cleaner poops as advertised, his mood, energy, and activity level picked up almost immediately. It's hard to overstate just how strongly tummy troubles can spill into behavioral issues, and so much of Finny's anxiety and lethargy cleared up once he was feeling regulated again.
Since Nom Nom dog food is so fresh and delicious – even more exciting to him than the dinners on my plate – there’s no need to supplement it with anything else. I got to knock out our kibble and wet food in a one-two punch, stocking my fridge instead with stackable, easy-open packs that were portioned especially for Finny. Over time, even his notoriously bad breath got better, and his jet black coat became so shiny we started calling him our little seal pup.
Mr. Finn is so important to me, so I'm thrilled I was able to find an amazing solution for him. It wasn't clear what we were missing until I saw how much happier and healthier he was with Nom Nom, the fresh food that finally made us both feel good. Now I've got time to focus on all the other hurdles that come with being a dog owner – his habit of gopher hunting at 2 AM, our constant battle for couch space – without worrying about how and when to feed him.
For that, I've got Nom Nom to thank.
FIVE MORE REASONS TO START NOM NOM-ING
1. Nom Nom's nutritionists are on-staff and board-certified, as opposed to other competitor's dietitians who often lack proper certification.
2. The brand offers a no risk, money back guarantee: if you don't see the benefits of fresh pet food within 30 days, you'll get a full refund on your first order.
3. You can set the different recipes to auto-rotate, ensuring enough variety to keep your pup excited without any additional legwork on your end.
4. Subscribers get access to personalized insights on their dog's health, with reports on their weight, GI and joint health prepared by Nom Nom's team of scientists.
5. Want to know how your pet's doing internally? Nom Nom also offers a microbiome testing kit that yields a comprehensive analysis of their gut health to help you better fill in any gaps.
