Though pitbulls may have earned an unfairly negative reputation, they are still highly beloved pets that make for truly excellent, friendly, and loving companions.
However, to become the incredible animals that we know and love, pitbulls need to not only be trained correctly, but their health also needs to be maintained.
One of the best ways to maintain the health of a pitbull is to feed it the right diet. But how much food should a pitbull be eating each day, anyway? And what kinds of foods should you feed it? How does age affect all of this?
If these questions have been causing you concern, then prepare to worry no longer and read on below, because we are going to take a look at exactly how much food pitbulls should eat per day, and how you should feed them!
How Much Should A Pitbull Eat Per Day?
Generally speaking, the average pitbull should be receiving around three full cups of dry food per day. These should be given to the dog at each of the important meal times: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
If the pitbull is slightly smaller than average, you should still feed them three meals per day, but try to only feed them two-thirds of a cup with each meal.
How Much Should A Pitbull Puppy Eat Per Day?
As mentioned before, how much a pitbull should eat can also depend on the age of the dog. If the pitbull is still under 18 months of age, then it should definitely be fed differently.
This is because, at this time, the pitbull is still growing and changing significantly, so it will process food very differently (Find out When Do Pitbulls Stop Growing?).
When puppies are still young, you should aim to feed them around four to six small meals every day. At most, you should be feeding them a half cup per meal.
This feeding pattern ensures that the puppy is not over or underfed and that it has enough time between each meal to process and digest the food, keeping it in its best health.
You should also ensure that you keep a track of the amount that your puppy is eating. Try creating a feeding chart that you can monitor every day to ensure that you are hitting the right meal targets every time.
You also should aim not to free-feed your puppy by leaving their bowl full of food all day. This is because puppies can have trouble monitoring how much they are eating, and thus they require you to monitor it on their behalf, to keep them from overfeeding.
How Much Should A Senior Pitbull Eat Per Day?
At around 12 years of age, a pitbull will officially become a senior dog, and at this stage in their life, it is important to cater their diet accordingly.
At this point in their life, you can generally keep feeding your senior pitbull at the rate of three meals per day. However, you may need to feed them slightly less per meal, such as two-thirds of a cup.
This is generally because, in their senior years, it becomes a lot easier for dogs to put on weight, and thus you need to ensure that your pitbull does not put on too many extra pounds.
You will also want to avoid feeding your pitbull empty calories and treats between meals unless said treats are designed with nutrition in mind.
What Should You Feed A Pitbull Every Day?
Now that we know how often we should feed a pitbull, it now begs the question of what we should aim to feed them.
You should aim to feed an average pitbull a diet of dry dog foods, especially those with plenty of meat among the ingredients. This is because the meat ingredients will contain all of the protein and fat that a healthy pitbull requires.
You should aim to purchase food for your pitbull that has around 30% protein in every cup, and around 20% fat in every cup.
You should also aim to only feed your pitbull with nutritional treats designed for dogs, and try to avoid feeding them bits of food from your dinner table, as these can often contain empty calories that are not beneficial to the dog’s diet.
What Should You Feed A Pitbull Puppy Every Day?
It is important that pitbull puppies receive plenty of protein, as at a young age they are not able to digest protein quite as efficiently as an adult pitbull. You should aim to feed a puppy food that has up to 40% protein content.
To ensure that the puppy grows properly, you will also want to make sure that the food has around 17% fat and no more than 30% of carbohydrates.
You should also ensure that calcium is kept to a minimum of around 1%, as too much calcium can cause issues for the skeleton.
What Should You Feed A Senior Pitbull Every Day?
Much like with pitbull puppies, you should aim to feed senior pitbulls food that is rich in protein, as they are less able to process and digest protein than average adults.
You should also try to ensure that the food is low in fat and calories, as in their senior years, pitbulls are far more susceptible to gaining weight. To help avoid gaining weight, try to also limit the number of treats that you feed to the dog.
To Conclude
There you have it. On average, an adult pitbull should receive three meals a day, while puppies should receive up to 6 for the first six months.
You should also aim to feed them meals that are appropriate for their age, and with the right nutritional content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Pitbulls Need a Lot of Food?
Pitbulls do not necessarily need a lot of food, and instead should be fed around 1,000 calories per day.
How can I Bulk up my Pitbull?
The best way to bulk up your pitbull is to give it exercise. Allow it to run around, and even give it some pulling exercises to improve muscle mass (Find out How Fast Can Pitbulls Run?).
How Long do Pit Bulls Live?
Pit bulls generally live for an average of around 15 years.
Hi everyone, I’m Emily Andrews and I can’t wait to explain why Bullypaw.org means so much to me.
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a veterinarian. I loved every dog, horse, bird, and squirrel. But from an early age, I noticed that bully dogs like Pitbulls and Staffordshire Terriers were given a different treatment than their friends.
Everyone said they were prone to aggression, but I didn’t believe it. They seemed just as friendly as my family Labrador. Turns out I was right. These dogs are loyal and were once considered the perfect nanny dogs.
My love for animals wasn’t just a childhood fantasy. In 2002 I graduated from my veterinary school in New Zealand with a BVSc. I wanted to travel the world and help rejected animals as I went, but to do that I needed to pass the American Exams. It didn’t take long for me to earn a DVM, and soon I was heading to Florida.
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