Best Dog Food for Pitbulls

The American Pitbull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the Bull Terrier, and the American Bulldog are all classified as “Pitbulls”.

It really doesn’t matter what breed of Pitbull you may have. As a responsible dog owner, you want to make sure that you are feeding your dog a high-quality dog food that meets all of their nutritional requirements. 

‘Pits’, as they are commonly called, are generally high energy, compact and muscular dogs that can range in size from medium to quite large. To keep them in top form, it is important to know what they need and which food is the best for them. 

In this article, I’ll not just discuss the best food for Pitbulls – I’ll discuss the hows and whys of pitbull nutrition.  

I’ll take a look at puppy nutrition and feeding, maintaining your adult dog in optimal condition, and all the special considerations that you need to keep in mind when looking at the different food options for your pitbull.

Whether you want to feed your pitbull dry dog food, canned formula, or a mix, the following information will be helpful to keep in mind.

Why It’s Important to Feed Your Pitbull the Best

Before I jump into the nitty-gritty on the best dog food for pits, I want to take a minute to talk about the exact reasons why you should care about the weight of your Pit bull, how they are eating, and what they are eating.

The thing is, Pit bulls have a tendency for certain health problems. You need to carefully choose the right ingredients, monitor their weight and how they eat. Doing this, you can help keep them as healthy as possible.

So what are the main health concerns for a pit bull?

• Hip Dysplasia
• A susceptibility for bloat
• Allergies and skin problems
• Heart Problems
• A tendency toward obesity (and the health problems that brings)

Hip Dysplasia can be kept at bay by making sure your Pit bull maintains a healthy weight and receives plenty of exercise.

Pitbulls are amongst the breeds that can easily develop a deadly case of bloat. This condition can be caused by your dog eating or drinking too much too quickly. Bloat happens most frequently in breeds that have large, wide chests like the different pit bull breeds.

Allergies and skin problems frequently affect Pitbull breeds. Owners need to understand that many allergic reactions can be controlled through diet. Knowing exactly what the protein source is along with the other specific ingredients can help keep avoid allergies and keep your Pit bull healthy.

Genetic heart conditions can only be avoided by carefully selecting your pup from a high-quality reputable breeder. They should screen for those things. You can, however, do a lot to protect your dog’s heart health by feeding them a healthy diet. You also need to and provide your Pit with plenty of exercise.

You have most likely noticed that your Pitbull loves to eat. Like really, REALLY gobble his food down. This breed has a particular tendency to pack on the pounds. Obesity is the root cause of a whole list of associated health conditions.

For a Pitbull, there is a fine line between well-muscled and overweight. Avoid unnecessary vet bills by feeding your dog right. The best dog food and the correct portion sizes will go a long way in helping your dog stay healthy and avoid problems that result from a poor diet.

The Best Dog Food For Pitbulls

As I mentioned, the following considerations can be applied to dry dog food, canned preparations, or even commercial raw diets.

The best dog food for your dog may or may not be grain free. You will know what your dog needs through careful observation.

As your dog’s person, you are the only one qualified to decide what is best for your Pitbulls diet.

So, now that you understand why it’s important to feed your Pit bull the best dog food possible, let’s get into the meat of this article.

What is the Best Puppy Food for Pitbulls?

There is nothing quite as exciting as bringing home a new Pitbull puppy. They’re really stinking cute. They are also quickly growing high-intensity balls of energy. Dog owners need to be prepared from day one with the best food for their puppy.

Keep in mind that your puppy should already be weaned and eating dry dog food by the time you bring them home around eight weeks of age. 

Abrupt changes to your Pitbull puppies diet can result in stomach upset, diarrhea, or vomiting.

You want to avoid that. 

Here are a few rules about feeding your puppy that you should keep in mind.

1. Start off with a small amount of the food your breeder recommends, then switch it out gradually over the course of a week or so to the dog food that you prefer.  
2. Feed your puppy two to three times per day. If they are not eating all their food, reduce their portion. If they seem to be starving all the time, give them a bit more. Be careful not to overfeed them! Obesity, when they’re still puppies, can really hurt the hips and their developing skeletal structure.  
3. Make sure to properly socialize your dog with other animals you may have around feeding times.  
4. Pitbull puppies need ample opportunity for exercise every day.  

So, now that I’ve given you some tips about feeding your pup, you probably want to know what is the best food for a growing dog. You might even wonder how you can feed a pitbull to make it bigger.

The final size of your Pitbull is determined by genetics. You can support your pet reaching their full growth potential by providing them with the best food right from the start. Be patient, you do not want to rush your Pit’s growth. That could result in joint and skeletal problems later on.

Keep your eyes peeled for the following details when you are analyzing the formula of your puppies’ food. Whichever food you decide on, the best dog foods will:

• Have a high-protein, meat based formula that provides at least 56g of crude protein daily.
• Have a moderate fat formulation that provides around 20g of healthy fats daily – including all the essential fatty acids.
• Provide them with at least 1,000 to 1,500 calories per day (depending on their exercise routines and the pitbull weight.)
• Is specifically labeled for puppies

Feeding your Adult Pitbull

In an ideal world, feeding your adult dog should be as simple as switching over to an adult formula of the dog food brand that you have been feeding your puppy. 

Sometimes, though, it’s a good idea to switch up foods as your puppy transitions into adulthood.

Maybe you want your dog to have more protein than the adult formulation of the puppy food offers. Do you want your dog to eat more fruits and vegetables? Maybe you suspect your dog is having an allergic reaction to some of the ingredients in the food. 

Rotating your Pitbulls dog food a good idea to avoid your pit developing food allergies in the first place.

Whatever your reasons, adult dogs have specific nutritional needs that differ from those of a growing puppy. 

They’ll need:

• Fewer calories overall
• Less protein and fat
• Different levels of vitamins and minerals

Best Dog Food for Pitbulls to Gain Weight

You may wonder, what’s the best dog food for Pitbulls to gain weight?

It’s normal to want a muscular pitbull that turns heads when they walk down the street. But not all weight is good weight. You want a pitbull that is healthy, not fat.

Pitbulls tend to be pretty active, so you should keep that in mind when making important decisions about the food you want them to eat. This might mean a super high protein content to help them gain weight and build muscle.

You need to be realistic, however. Take a good honest look at your dog’s activity levels. If your dog spends all day in the house and just gets around the block in the evening, they’ll still need a high protein diet. They probably do not need a dog food formula for high-energy dogs though. 

Remember – even though they’re cute – fat dogs are not healthy.

Pitbulls & Protein – How Much is Enough?

Make sure your Pitbull’s food contains a minimum of 18% crude protein. This is a healthy maintenance level if your dog is not too athletic. Protein should be the main ingredient in your dog’s diet.

If your dog is highly active, you may want to increase this percentage up to around 40%, depending on their activity level.

The best dog foods contain high-quality proteins from recognizable sources. In fact, the first ingredient on the package should list a named meat source, for example, chicken meal or venison. You should avoid any dog food that lists a generic “meat and bone meal” or just “meat”.

Bones can be a great supplement to your dog’s diet. When it comes to their primary protein source, though, you want to make sure that they are not eating industrial leftovers.

Allergy Alert!

As I mentioned back at the beginning of this article, bulldogs tend to have issues with food allergies more than other breeds. Many common sources of protein are known allergens for sensitive dogs.

Keep an eye out for the following ingredients:

• Lamb
• Beef
• Pork
• Fish
• Dairy ingredients

I’m not saying that these need to be avoided completely. Just be cautious and observant of your dog. Pay close attention to how they respond to these ingredients in their food. Certain brands, like Taste of the Wild, offer high protein blends featuring novel meat sources that are unlikely to cause allergic reactions.

Fats – An Important Source of Energy

A healthy adult pitbull should eat a diet that contains a maximum of 10% fat. This is down from approximately 15% or so that they need as growing puppies. 

It is also lower than what some other breeds need. 

This is because the Pitbull needs primarily protein. Too much fat can easily cause them to become overweight and can even cause problems such as pancreatitis.

All the same, fats are a really important part of your dog’s diet.

Good, healthy fats are super important for your dog’s body. Not only are they a great source of energy, but they also play a huge part in the functioning of your Pitbull’s hormonal system. They also play a fundamental role in the functioning of cells, nerves, and muscles.

Making sure your dog gets the right kind of fat is helpful for reducing inflammation. This is important if your dog is athletic and hard working.

Most importantly, fats are key in the absorption of the vitamins and minerals that they need to keep their bodies in great shape.

So what kinds of fats should you look for?

First of all – make sure the fats your dog is eating provide a balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. This is easy to do by reading the label on your dog food.

Omega-3’s can be found in fish sources such as salmon and herring. They are also found in flaxseed or canola oils.

Omega-6’s are typically found in pork fat or chicken fat. Plant-based sources include safflower, sunflower, corn and soybean oils.

Allergy Alert!

Be on the lookout for ingredients like pork fat or soy oil if you suspect your dog has allergies.

As previously mentioned, pork is a fairly common allergen in commercial dog foods. Pork fat can affect your dog in the same ways that whole pork meat can.

Soy is also a common ingredient in dog foods, especially lower quality formulations.

It is often used as a source of protein and carbohydrates.

There are many good reasons to avoid soy as an ingredient in your pitbull’s food. It’s worth noting that it is one of those ingredients that is really well known to cause stomach upset, bloating, diarrhea and other symptoms of allergic reactions.

I recommend that you avoid soy as a source of protein and soy oil as a source of fat. 

Carbohydrates – More than Just Fillers

Some people have the perception that all carbohydrates are simple fillers. People think they are included in low-quality commercial dog foods as a way to lower costs and increase bulk. This is only partially true.

There is also a strong misconception that grain free dog food does not contain carbs, making it somehow healthier for your dog. Grain free formulas of dry dog food and even some commercially available raw diets actually do contain some carbohydrates. Think sweet potatoes.

There are many sources of high quality carbs that you can feel comfortable giving to your Pitbull.

Just remember, a carbohydrate such as brown rice, for example, should not be the first ingredient on the package.

In fact, considering the Pitbull’s tendencies toward food allergies, it’s a good idea to keep the carbohydrates to a minimum and make sure that they are of the highest quality.

Make sure to use a dog food that includes digestible fiber that your dog’s body can easily absorb.

You’ll also want to take care not to eliminate all fermentable fiber.

Sure, these don’t easily break down in your dog’s gut.

But important immune system functions are enhanced by the fermentation process that happens when they reach the colon. Once in the colon, important microbes go to work and break down this stuff into short-chain fatty acids that help to regulate your dog’s blood sugars.

I think it’s important to note that you should avoid non-fermentable fibers like cellulose and even wheat bran. These are unnecessary ingredients that have no or minimal nutritional value. They help your dog feel full longer but don’t really offer a lot to their nutritional well being.

The only time these non-fermentable fillers may even remotely be a good idea is if your dog is severely overweight.

If going grain free does not seem necessary to you, and it may not be, it is best that you look for ingredients such as brown rice, oatmeal, or even barley.

Grain-free formulas and limited ingredient formulas, such as those offered by The Taste of the Wild, may include ingredients such as sweet potatoes, peas, and other veggies.

Other healthy sources of carbohydrates that you may want to include in your Pitbull’s diet include bulgar, buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, and millet.

Other vegetable-based sources of carbohydrates include taro root, potatoes, tapioca, and other fruits and vegetables.

Allergy Alert!

As previously mentioned, soy is a well-known allergen for Pitbulls. It is also possible that your Pit, while not completely allergic to soy, shows intolerance to this ingredient through unfortunate digestive issues.

This is also true for wheat and corn ingredients.

In my opinion, the best dog foods for Pitbulls avoid these ingredients altogether.

Other Factors to Consider

1. Vitamins and Supplements

As previously mentioned, Pitbulls have a tendency to develop hip dysplasia. They can also develop other problems with joint health, especially in their knees.

Keeping your dog a healthy weight by providing them with the best food and adequate exercise is a great first step in preventing hip dysplasia.

But if your Pitbull develops this unfortunate condition, can diet help to alleviate the symptoms?

Your best bet is to look for a dog food formula that includes glucosamine and chondroitin. Both of these substances are proven to alleviate joint pain and increase mobility in animals, just like in people. 

If you cannot find a commercial dog food that contains glucosamine and chondroitin, consider purchasing a separate supplement that you can add to their daily meals.

If you are feeding your dog a high-quality commercial diet you should not need to supplement with other vitamins or minerals. Ingredients like fruits and other vegetables like sweet potatoes provide natural sources for a variety of essential vitamins and minerals.

2. A Word About Dry Dog Food

It is recommended that you give your Pitbulls dry dog food. Dry dog foods keep your Pitbulls teeth in good shape as they age. The crunchy texture creates an abrasive action on the teeth that cleans your dog’s teeth as he chews. 

Keeping your Pitbulls teeth healthy is just as important as keeping their weight in check.

3. As Your Pitbull Ages

As your Pitbull ages and slows down, you will want to adjust their diet yet again. Older Pitbulls will need to eat a higher percentage of protein but a lower quantity of calories in general. 

The protein should help them maintain muscle mass.

Fewer calories are necessary because of their reduced activity. 

Some animals in their senior years will actually get skinny (because of muscle loss) whereas others may show signs of obesity.

It’s best that you consult with your veterinarian at this point before changing up your senior Pitbull’s diet. Be sure to analyze any and all health conditions they may have developed throughout the course of their life.

Your veterinarian can point you in the right direction for the best food for your older Pit bull.

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