Originally, bulldogs were developed for fighting bulls and helping butchers by grabbing a bull by its neck thereby holding it in place. Long before the 18th century, the bulldog breed was bred for fighting and other bloody sports. Thanks to the outlawing of these activities, the bulldog came to be a loving companion pet, which is how they are known today.
Bulldogs are known for their weight, about 40-50 pounds, and have no standard in regards to height. In terms of health for a breed with some health problems, a high-quality diet is a must.
This article talks about bulldog’s dietary requirements that are beneficial for maximizing your pet’s lifespan.
Bulldog’s Diet requirement
For a massive breed like the bulldog, protein as a class of food is the most important nutrient. When you have a puppy bulldog, protein ensures the provision of the building blocks for healthy muscles. For an adult bulldog, protein helps them maintain lean muscle mass as they are known to increase in weight while growing.
Another vital class of food is fats. Fats serve as a source of energy for your bulldog. While it provides energy, the amount of fat intake for your pet should be controlled to prevent overgrowth as a puppy, and obesity as an adult.
In terms of provisions for fiber, energy, and essential nutrients, carbohydrates are a must for your bulldog. The carbohydrates need to come from digestible sources like vegetables, grains, legumes, and beans. Because of allergies, it is also advisable to consider a grain-free diet.
A balanced diet is needed for strengthening your dog in terms of healthy nutrition and hygiene. With this, we look at different proportions suitable for different stages of your pet.
Puppy Bulldog diet
As a puppy, your bulldog pet needs 8% of fats and a minimum of 22% protein for fast growth and development. For a puppy, it is important to have a higher protein and a lower-fat diet or you run a risk of your bulldog gaining unhealthy weight. For your puppy bulldog, you want to consider a steady growth and not excessive weight gain.
Adult Bulldog Diet
A bulldog becomes an adult once he/she is in a range of 11- 12 months of age. At around 12-months-old, you should consider switching your dog’s diet to a protein level in the range of 24%- 30%, with a low moderate fat of about 12% -16%.
Senior Bulldog Diet
The life expectancy for a bulldog is around 8-10 years. Following a very low-fat diet formula will help prolong your dog’s life expectancy. At this stage, a very low-fat diet is recommended as a higher fat diet will run the risk of giving your dog obesity and cutting their life span short.
Bulldog’s feeding chart
When it comes to feeding your bulldog pet, a good diet proportion is not enough. The focus is on maintaining a healthy body weight and providing high-quality nutrition. As a puppy, you can feed your bulldog three meals a day to support growth while as an adult, two square meals a day is not bad.
The best way to know how much to feed your dog is to pick a high-quality dog food made with moderate fat and high protein. We have handpicked the top best dog food for your bulldogs to grow steadily and strong.
Click to view our top pick for best dog food suitable for bulldogs.
Edited by: Ayelen Sforni
Picture Courtesy: Tu perro hoy
