Harold's Story: A Healthy Weight Loss Journey

Susan Miller's Havanese, Harold, was just a little too heavy for his size. Nom Nom helped him reach and maintain a healthy weight—and helped eliminate his allergies and stomach issues, too.

"Nom Nom helps control his weight, and it doesn't let me mess up."

Susan Miller adopted little Harold several years ago from the rescue group she volunteers with. He's Havanese, or "Havan-ish," as she puts it, since his mother was rescued from a puppy mill and they have no official paperwork about his background.

Weighty Issues

Sweet and lovable, Harold also grew to have a handful of issues. He was, as Susan puts it, "a little chunky. He was never obese, but he’s only 11 or 12 lbs, so a little bit of extra weight can add up really fast and impact their health."

Harold also suffered from other issues, like allergies and stomach problems. "We've been to the allergist, the whole shebang," Susan says. "And he was to the point where giving him just a little too much food or treats meant we would have to go on antibiotics for diarrhea." Harold was also a picky eater, turning his nose up at even the most expensive foods.

Susan thought about making her own food, but realized that getting the right nutritional balance can be quite difficult for home cooks. She also knew that making food from scratch would be extremely time-consuming, and was never quite sure exactly how much she was supposed to be feeding him.

Fresh and Healthy

Determined to find another way to help Harold lose weight and feel better, Susan did a lot of reading about the different dog foods on the market. She loved how Nom Nom took away the guesswork from portion control, and decided to give it a try.

As she'd hoped, switching to Nom Nom helped Harold drop the extra weight. Once he slimmed down a bit, she reached out to the Nom Nom team to further customize his portion size to help him maintain a steady, healthy weight. 

"Having the portioned food, the individual servings, was great for Harold. It helps control his weight, and it doesn't let me mess up."

In addition to the weight loss, Nom Nom has helped with all of Harold's other issues. "He's certainly not as itchy," says Susan. "His allergies have been reduced by far." As for his digestive ailments, she's seen incredible improvements. His stools are now completely normal and "he's like a different dog. It's been a huge difference." His "unsightly tear stains" have also gone away, another nice benefit. And he never turns away a Nom Nom meal. "Before, even if we’d give him really expensive food, I'd have to put cheese on top of it because he wouldn't eat it. With Nom Nom, oh my gosh, he comes and bugs me when it’s time for dinner."

To anyone who thinks a fresh diet will cause their pets to gain weight, Susan says to think again. Between the individual portioning and the human-grade food, she knows that it's a terrific way to keep pets healthy and at a stable weight. "Looking at Nom Nom, you can see that you're feeding them real food. It's important to show people that there are healthy alternatives."

Having been born to a puppy mill-raised mom who was very anxious and passed on some of those behaviors, Susan wanted to do everything she could to give Harold a healthy, happy life. With Nom Nom, she knows she's doing just that.