Last year, I was lucky enough to adopt a spirited blue nose pitbull named Lilo. Being a first-time dog mom I fed Lilo some “high-end” kibble his breeder recommended but I kept seeing videos and posts about how bad kibble is.Since I was going to be transitioning him off of puppy food anyway, I figured it was the best time to switch Lilo to something better. Because I kept getting ads for Ollie, and it seemed as good as any of the fresh-delivery options, I gave it a try.
Not long after, I got a chance to test out Little Hunter’s freeze-dried raw diet too. After a couple of months of feeding him the two (and a TON of research), here’s how they stacked up.
Kibble vs. Fresh-Cooked vs. Raw
First, some quick background! Kibble has a (deservedly) bad rep for being low in meat, low in quality, and full of protein fillers and additives to make up for its minimal meat and overcooking.
Fresh cooked, like Ollie, is a huge improvement to kibble. They use human-grade meat (and a lot more of it) and get rid of the overcooking (called “extrusion”). Way healthier food overall.
Raw diets like Little Hunter are also human-grade but focus on providing a diet similar to what dogs evolved on—uncooked, high animal protein, low carbs, and whole foods. The #1 ingredient is meat, balanced out with some fruits and vegetables for more nutrients and fiber; that’s it. Essentially, the raw philosophy is that ALL cooking is bad for dogs because it destroys essential nutrients in the process.
Little Hunter: More Meat, More Protein
While both Ollie and Little Hunter are made from fresh, quality, human-grade ingredients, Little Hunter packs in 4X more meat and protein and 75% less cabs! I read that on Little Hunter’s site and thought, really though?
So I emailed Ollie’s customer service to confirm their meat and carb percentage (info they don’t have on their site) and turns out, it was true. Little Hunter does have waaay more protein and waaay less carbs.
Healthiness: Little Hunter by a mile
Lilo is picky, turning her blue nose up at a lot of food. So, I tried a new protein – Little Hunter's Raw Rabbit Recipe. She gobbled it up day after day!
Both brands meet AAFCO guidelines and are vet-formulated, but that’s not a big win in my book since even kibble is AAFCO-rated.
Another thing that stands out about Little Hunter is their ingredient panel—it’s all unprocessed, whole foods; just meat, fruits, and veggies. No preservatives, no weird additions, nothing I couldn’t pronounce. LOVE.
Ollie had about twice the amount of ingredients, most of which I didn’t recognize. Definitely something to keep in mind if you have a dog with allergies.
Picky Eater Approved: Little Hunter
So let’s be honest…none of this matters if Lilo won’t eat it and, boy, can he be picky! While it took him a while to get used to Ollie (don’t think he loved the mushy consistency) he went nuts for the crunchy texture of Little Hunter’s Raw Rabbit Recipe.
Convenience: Little Hunter
Ollie and really all the other fresh brands I’ve come across require prep and cleanup.
Remembering to defrost it in time, dish up the right portion, store the rest, clean the counters and any dishes I used was a whole process. Besides the mess, it stunk up my fridge and kitchen, especially if he wasn’t in the mood to eat at mealtime.
Little Hunter had neither of those issues. It does smell pungent if you take a whiff of the bag, but who does that? I mean, I did, but only to see if it was going to smell as bad Ollie LOL. I didn’t notice a smell any other time.
Cost: Tie
Candidly, both options are pricier than kibble, but healthy food isn’t cheap. What’s a few extra bucks if it means Lilo can have a healthier, longer life? The cost works out roughly the same for both, maybe slightly cheaper for Little Hunter.
That said, I felt like I was getting more bang for my buck with Little Hunter because they use so much more fresh meat.
You can try Little Hunter without a subscription but they give up to 50% off ongoing orders plus a first-time discount if you subscribe, so I definitely recommend taking advantage of the subscription deals. You can always cancel later if you change your mind.
The Winner: Little Hunter
No surprise here. While I will say Ollie is a big improvement over kibble and worth a switch if that was your only option, switching to Little Hunter raw food is just no comparison.
In less than three weeks, I’ve seen improvements in his skin, energy levels, and even his poops are smaller and less stinky!
If you want healthier, more affordable dog food without any hassle, Little Hunter is the way to go. Trust me, your pup will thank you!
