Oliver’s Story: Preventing Allergies with Nom Nom

Elizabeth Carmichael's Cavalier King Charles, Oliver, was very ill due to allergies, but switching to Nom Nom immediately and drastically improved his health.

“The change was immediate. He’s 1000% better.”

Three years ago, Corona del Mar resident Elizabeth Carmichael realized something was very wrong with her Cavalier King Charles, Oliver. He was experiencing eye and ear infections, severe diarrhea, hot spots that he’d constantly lick, and other systemic issues.

“It was really sad to see,” says Elizabeth. “He was miserable and itchy all the time. He’s a really sweet dog and he just wasn’t feeling well or eating properly.”

The Cycle of Symptoms

A trip to the veterinarian confirmed that Oliver was suffering from allergies. Elizabeth tried everything her vet recommended: prescription dog food, bringing Oliver in every other month for injections, several types of vet-prescribed antibiotics and other medicine, and weekly bathing at the veterinary clinic. He’d get better for a bit, but the symptoms would return again and again. The process was costly, time-consuming, sad, and frustrating – and little Oliver continued to suffer. The cycle continued for three years and cost Elizabeth thousands and thousands of dollars.

Finding a Solution

Frustrated, Elizabeth decided to proactively research other solutions. After conducting some online research and asking the advice of other friends with pets, she learned about Nom Nom.

“It was pretty compelling, as far as the ingredient list,” says Elizabeth. She’d tried making fresh food from scratch for her dogs in the past, but says, “it was a failure. It was delicious but didn’t have the nutrients they needed. Dogs need more than food – they need other nutrients. Nom Nom had everything in one package and I didn’t need to worry how much of this vitamin or that vitamin he needs.” And she figured there was nothing to lose by trying: “I thought I should try it just to see. I figured, hey, they have every week. It'll be fresh, and I don’t have to deal with making anything.”

The results were immediate and drastic. “I started noticing an improvement right off the bat. His hot spots got better right away.” All of Oliver’s digestive, skin, and other health issues disappeared, and his coat got shinier and more luxurious.

Elizabeth was thrilled. Her vet’s office was impressed, too. “They noticed he wasn’t coming in as much, which is a good thing.”

Nom Nom – and Forever

Since this breakthrough a year ago, Oliver, who is now eight, has been on a steady diet of Nom Nom, and his health remains excellent. He’s “1000% better,” says Elizabeth.

And what did he think of the food? “He loves it. He can’t wait to get it. He knows when it’s time to eat and gets super excited.”

Elizabeth wants others whose pets are suffering from allergies to know Oliver’s story.

“I think that the right approach, instead of just being reactionary, is to go to the source of the problem. If a dog (or even a person) has allergies, don’t just treat the side effects. Treating it as a systemic whole is better in the long run. And you end up saving money as far as vet bills and the impact and wear and tear on your dog. Once there is damage to your dog’s health, there is no going back.”

Food is critical in the management of allergies of all types in dogs. Even in the case of environmental allergies, the nutrients provided by a wholesome diet – for instance, omega fatty acids – can reduce the severity of those bothersome symptoms like itching and hair loss.

And in dogs like Oliver, it can be a real challenge for veterinarians to figure out what allergen is to blame. When a dog is affected by food, they benefit from a clean, limited-ingredient diet without proteins they've seen before. Nom Nom offers a diversity of meals for this reason and all the recipes contain only ingredients that are and none which aren't. When food helps and the problem subsides, it's always better than the alternative of chronic treatment!