Puppies are adorable! This is especially true when it comes to pitbull puppies. Like other puppies, pitbulls have cute faces but they tend to have sturdier bodies.
As with any puppies, you will need to carefully raise your pitbulls. This includes giving your precious pitbull puppy the correct amount of food. If you give your puppy too little food, it will not develop properly.
But if you overfeed your puppy, this can lead to obesity and further health problems.
Luckily, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about portioning your puppy’s food.
How Much Should A Pitbull Puppy Eat?
The amount of food you should give your pitbull puppy will depend on their age.
After all, a puppy that is just a few months old will be very different from one that is multiple months old. Therefore, you will need to customize your portions to the age of your puppy.
2 Weeks Old
By this age, puppies will now have eyes that are either partially or completely open. Yet, these puppies will still be very vulnerable. Therefore, they will not eat any dry or hard food. Instead, they will need the milk of their mother.
The mother pitbull will always stay close to her babies. After all, they are not able to move very far at this stage of development. You must remember to feed the mother pitbull well. She will require a lot of calories since she has to produce milk for the litter.
If the mother pitbull is unable to produce enough milk for her litter, you might need to invest in an alternative formula. These formulas are designed to have all of the nutrients that puppy pitbulls need.
4 Weeks Old
At this stage of development, pitbull puppies have improved balance and can now better control their legs. As a result, puppies will explore their environment and walk further from their mother.
Despite this, 4-week-old puppies will mainly consume their mother’s milk.
If you want, you can attempt to wean your puppy once it reaches the age of 4 weeks. This means that you will get your dog to eat food instead of having the milk of the mother.
Pitbull puppies will not have fully developed by this age. Therefore, if you are giving them solid food, you should add a little water. This is because the puppy will not be used to solid food. Namely, you should mix 1 part of food with 3 parts of water.
If the puppies do not eat the food, do not be disheartened. After all, not all pitbull puppies will be ready to start eating solid food by this age. As a result, you can continue to try weaning your puppies for the next few weeks.
6 Weeks Old
Hopefully, your pitbull puppies should be keener to eat solid food, particularly if you continue to add water. If your dog has started to eat this food, then you can try learning the quantity of water that you have been adding.
Otherwise, they will not become familiar with standard dog food.
Despite this, you shouldn’t be concerned if your pitbull puppy hasn’t been eating much of this food mixture.
This is because they still will not have much of an appetite, instead eating just a few bites of food. At this age, puppies will still be reliant on their mother’s milk.
8 Weeks Old
Once your pitbull has reached 7 or 8 weeks of age, it should be eating solid food (Find out How Much Should A Pitbull Eat Per Day? here). You should gradually reduce the amount of water that you have been adding to the food until you are no longer mixing water into the food.
Though puppies of this age might still occasionally visit their mother for milk, the amount of milk that they drink should be significantly reduced. Like you, the mother will be attempting to wean the puppies off her milk.
The amount of food you are giving to your puppy at this age should be reliant on its weight. If your dog weighs between 5 and 10 lbs you should give them a portion in the region of 1½ and 2½ cups of food.
If the dog is between 11 and 20 lbs, you should give them 2½ to 3½ cups of food. Though pitbull puppies are unlikely to weigh more than this, you should give them a larger portion if they are outside of this weight bracket.
10 – 12 Weeks Old
Puppies have a habit of eating anything that they find, so make sure that your pitbull doesn’t eat anything that they shouldn’t. Your pitbull will now have a decent appetite.
Yet, you should continue to feed them according to their weight. The portions will be the same as the previous age gap.
You should try to establish a regular feeding schedule. Ideally, puppies should be fed 3 times per day.
12 Weeks Old And Over
Once your pitbull puppy is 12 weeks old or over, you should feed your puppy 4 times every day. When your puppy is 6 months old, you can reduce this back down to 3 meals a day.
The puppies should have a minimum of 2 cups per day, though you should give more than this if you have a heavier pitbull than average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Difficult To Potty Train Pitbull Puppies?
Toilet training puppies can be hard. The good news is that pitbull are smart creatures. This intelligence means that pitbulls are quite quick to become toilet trained.
How Do You Calm Down A Pitbull?
Like other dog breeds, pitbulls can become agitated. If this occurs, consider taking your pitbull for a long walk. This is a great way of getting them to use this energy. Moreover, you should try to implement a daily structure in your pitbull’s life to reduce uneasiness.
Final Thoughts
Pitbulls may have a reputation as tough dogs but pitbull puppies are still vulnerable creatures. They will require extra care. At this stage of development, you must pay careful attention to the amount of food you are giving your puppy.
This way, you can guarantee that your pitbull becomes a healthy adult!
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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