what to feed a pitbull puppy

Feeding adult food will rob your puppy of important nutrients. Mix in 10 percent of the new food with 90 percent of the “old” food on day one. That is because a fast growing puppy needs more energy from their food to help fuel their growth. It must meet all the AAFCO requirements for growing puppies. Feeding a Pitbull puppy starts with finding a commercial or homemade diet that contains all the right nutrition for their life stages. Even the ratios can play a role—for example, aim for a calcium to phosphorus ratio between 1:1 and 2:1. Don't miss out on the perfect companion to life with a purrfect friend. Choose the food you feed your Pit Bull puppy wisely, and pay extra attention to the ingredient labels on commercial foods.Canned foods are heavily marketed and pricey, but aren't entirely beneficial to a dog's diet. Are you thinking about buying a Pitbull puppy? It’s normal to get worried if your puppy refuses a meal. This theory has absolutely no scientific truth to it. Another problem associated with "free feeding" is that the dog will try to eat after it has been out for a run or other type of exercise. Don’t forget to account for treats. First 6-8 weeks Pitbull Puppy Nutrients. The term “Pitbull” can actually refer to one of several Pitbull breeds. Changes need to be made gradually, and the number of meals each day needs to reflect their age. Vitamin D and calcium also make for vital nutrients for a growing puppy, as well as a mature adult. So you recently purchased your new puppy and you can’t seem to find what to feed your new fur ball. If your puppy is too skinny despite eating a hearty appetite, have your veterinarian check for parasites. Give vet-recommended meal servings With a growing number of dog food products available in the market, it can be tricky to choose the best type of dog food for your pitbull. Training Your Pitbull Puppy Start training your puppy early. The moisture unfolds all the aromas in the food, making wet food extremely palatable for most dogs. To learn how you can support this site and the information we freely share, visit our Support page. It is recommended that your puppy dog food should have more fat and protein in than dog food for adult Pitbulls. First off, make sure your pup is not underweight and is getting the right amount of calories. Great Plains Feast Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. The … Feeding schedules vary depending on the age of your Pit Bull. Very young puppies need food every couple of hours, or else their blood sugar can drop dangerously. Before we choose the perfect food for your Pitbull puppy, let’s have a look at the nutritional needs of a growing Pitbull. Baby Pitbulls have a fast metabolism, which then slows down as they grow up. Best for Puppies: Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. Raw feeding, although a debatable practice among various dog owners, offers further nutrition and variation to your Pit Bull's diet. by Trey Clark October 24, 2018. And make sure you take a look at this guide for more information on bathing your new puppy! Four feedings a day are usually adequate to meet nutritional demands. Ideally, these should be deducted from your puppy’s daily calorie “allowance.”. Ideally, stick with the same brand. A quarter of a cup of puppy food, administered up to six times a day, keeps your American Pit Bull Terrier puppy healthy and well fed without overfeeding it. 2.31. Being underweight can interfere with your pup’s healthy growth. The difference from kibble is that wet food contains about 75 percent water. Here’s a general rule of thumb for the amount of daily feedings required: Now that we’ve seen the nutritional needs of a Pitbull puppy, let’s have a look at how to meet them. If you’d like to feed your Pitbull puppy kibble, it’s worth spending a bit more for an all-natural brand with premium ingredients. Knowing how much to feed a Pitbull puppy supports steady growth and sets them up for a healthy adulthood.. A Pitbull puppy’s daily calories can be calculated based on their exact age, but since all puppies are unique, it’s equally important to continually monitor their body condition score. Try to avoid ingredients like corn, soy, wheat, and fructose or glucose syrups. Do not leave the bowl of uneaten food available to be eaten at your dog's leisure. So any of the foods above can be mixed with raw meat in order to ensure your Pitbull is getting the nutrients they need. High-quality animal proteins like poultry, meat, and fish should be the first ingredient in your dog’s food. Raw feeding, not to be confused with giving your pet table scraps, involves the incorporation of fresh diced vegetables and meats with high quality dog food. Pitbull puppies need dog food that is specifically designed for puppies. 3 – 6 months – Switch your dog… Then, when you want to transition to your new chosen puppy food, start slowly. Puppies require more frequent chances to eat, as they are constantly growing and burning calories with their heightened energy. Yes, it’s possible to feed a puppy only on wet food, as long as the packaging says “complete” food (and not “complementary”). Pitbulls also have a high incidence of food-related allergies that manifest as skin problems. Pitbull puppies have a lot of growing to do. Another good thing you can do for your Pitbull puppy’s digestion is adding probiotics to the food once daily. What about feeding your dog home-cooked meals? Keep on feeding your pup that very same thing for at least two weeks. Canned foods make ideal treats when added by the tablespoon to a half-cup of dried commercial dog food. 3–6 months: Sometime during this period, decrease feedings from four to … Wet food is also a commercial type of dog food. And let’s not forget the most important thing. At three weeks, your Pitbull will remain close to their mother and will continue relying on her milk. If you’re feeding your dog a homemade or raw diet, recalculate nutrients and portion sizes accordingly. I Love PitBulls. Should your Pitbull pup miss more than two meals—or go without food for more than 12 hours—it might be a cause for concern. Additionally, there is no mechanical abrasion of your puppy’s teeth, so there is no “teeth-cleaning effect” as there is when feeding kibble. Large breeds should be fed unmoistened dry food by 9 or 10 weeks; small dogs by 12 or 13 weeks. The Happy Puppy Site is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk, The Happy Puppy Site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Show your support by linking to PitBulls.org. If you think that the amount on the packaging is too much or not enough, double-check with your vet. At this point, you should feed your dog about 4 times per day to space it out. Also, there might be an underlying reason why your pooch is not gaining weight like she should. If your pit bull is super, super active (or if he’s a workin’ dog), he’ll of course need a lot more: up to 1,700 calories for very active dogs. Could you feed your Pitbull puppy only on wet food, in spite of this? Additionally, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your puppy’s body condition score. You might think being a bit too “fluffy” won’t harm your Pitbull puppy. Avoid overfeeding your pooch, and you’ll be just fine. Required fields are marked *. This article will help ease those uncertainties and give you a step by step to feeding your pup. First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, brown… The most important thing to pay attention to if you want your Pitbull pup to thrive on a raw diet is meeting the AAFCO nutrient requirements. 6 – 12 weeks – You’ll want to start feeding your dog puppy food. Pitbulls should be eating food with protein content of between 25 and 40% and it should be supplemented with raw meat. Dog food should include protein, amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and many other nutrients that … Weighing your Pitbull pup regularly—at least once a week—is very important. Many people are concerned with raw diets because they involve eating bones, and bone fragments. In a breed like the Pitbull—that already has an unwarranted bad reputation, and certainly a dangerous bite—this is often used as a key argument against raw feeding. They … The extra nutrients found in carrot shavings, diced potatoes and raw egg improve the shine of the Pit Bull's coat and builds healthier muscle mass. For Pitbull puppies, we recommend feeding 3 to 4 small meals for the first few weeks after weaning. A Pit Bull's nutritional needs aren't much different than the needs of an athletic person, meaning protein, carbohydrates and various vitamins and minerals play an important role in the dog's health. From the time a Pit Bull is weened to its senior years, its dietary needs fluctuate as its needs fluctuate as well. It is important to provide your puppy with a balanced diet at all times. al., 2006, “Human Health Implications of Salmonella-Contaminated Natural Pet Treats and Raw Pet Food,” Clinical Infectious Diseases, Freeman, L.M., et al., 2013, “Current Knowledge About the Risks and Benefits of Raw Meat-Based Diets for Dogs and Cats,” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Gawor, J.P., et al., 2006, “Influence of Diet on Oral Health in Cats and Dogs,” The Journal of Nutrition, Greco, D.S., 2014, “Pediatric Nutrition,” Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, Hawthorne, A.J., et al., 2004, “Body-Weight Changes during Growth in Puppies of Different Breeds,” The Journal of Nutrition, “The Healthy Dog Weight and Body Condition,” Purina, Huber, T.L., et al., 1986, “Variations in Digestibility of Dry Foods With Identical Label Guaranteed Analysis,” The Journal of The American Animal Hospital Association, Kölle, P. and Schmidt, M., 2015, “Raw-Meat-Based Diets (RMBD) as a Feeding Principle for Dogs,” Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere, Joffe, D.J. Weigh your dog often and adjust accordingly. Just as with raw diets, ensure your puppy is getting all the necessary nutrients in the right ratios and amounts. The hard chunks of dried food allow for the removal of the soft food particles that wind up between the dog's teeth. As a pet owner, a dog lover, or a canine enthusiast, you can learn a thing or two while reading further as we share more convenient ways to feed your pitbull. Pit Bulls, as with all dogs, shouldn't eat for up to a half hour after exercise. As your puppy grows, she can also go longer without food, so you can get by with fewer feedings. If you’d like to feed your Pitbull puppy kibble, it’s worth spending a bit more for an all-natural brand with premium ingredients. Then increase the “new” food slowly over the course of at least a week. But being overweight during the growth period can put a lot of stress on the bones and joints of your Pitbull. We suggest working closely with an experienced vet or canine nutritionist to put together a complete and well-balanced meal plan. If raw feeding isn’t for you, cooking for your pup can be an option. In fact, over-feeding your Pit Bull, or other dog breed, of canned food can result in premature tooth decay as well as irritable bowels. The keys to a healthy and happy Pit Bull include a balanced diet and plenty of exercise. Because of that, they have specific nutritional needs that are different from fully grown Pitbulls. Studies haven’t been able to conclusively prove that raw feeding is better than commercial diets. If you prepare a raw meal for your dog, make sure to get natural ingredients from a reputable butcher to ensure that they're free of contaminants. It’s not advisable to just give your puppy treats whenever she is begging. Puppy Feeding Timeline. When you bring your Pitbull puppy home, make sure that you know exactly what the breeder (or shelter) was feeding her. Find it on Amazon ($51.99) Find … Four feedings a day are usually adequate to meet nutritional demands. Puppies also need a moderate amount of fat, but packing on the pounds too quickly can lead to skeletal abnormalities. Studies have shown that more expensive kibble is often more easily digestible. When you’re in doubt, talk to your vet and try out different options. Feeding schedules vary depending on the age of your Pit Bull. Instead, offer it to the dog three hours later to begin the schedule. This involves preparing your dog’s food at home, often with raw meat, to achieve a natural diet similar to that of wild dogs or wolves. Mother's milk is high in protein, fat, and sugar, all of which your little pup needs for proper growth. It’s too early to wean the puppy from their mother or introduce dog food. Orijen Senior Grain-Free Food. Puppies require more frequent chances to eat, as they are constantly growing and burning calories with their heightened energy. The best food for a pitbull puppy is one full of high-quality protein from such sources as muscle meats and eggs. Set up three times a day to feed your pup … Your pooch no longer needs the higher protein amount provided in puppy foods. At four weeks, your puppy will have more balance and mobility. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. The first nutrition rule for puppies is to feed them puppy formula, not an adult recipe. Many dogs have loose stools when fed wet food in large amounts. Kibble is very handy to use for puppy training. You can choose a commercial dog food (kibble, wet food, or both) or you can prepare your puppy’s meals yourself (either cooked or raw). If it’s just one meal that your pup skips, no need to fret. Feeding puppies a complete and balanced puppy food ensures they get the proper nutrition to develop and grow into healthy adult dogs. Your email address will not be published. But make your puppy work for them. Their legs will start to stretch, and they will begin to explore. Best Dog Foods For Senior Pitbulls. It’s easy to store, can be used as treats or fed on the go, and it comes in all sorts of different flavors. What happens if your puppy is too skinny? A Brief History of the American Pit Bull Terrier. It adds flavor and texture to your Pit Bull's food while giving it a boost of nutrition. Too much protein and too many “bone building blocks” can cause your puppy to grow too quickly and develop joint problems later in life. Since American Bullies need to pack on a lot of muscle within the first few months of their lives, opt for a high-quality dog … Mix the “new” and “old” food together, slowly increasing the amount of the adult dog food over the course of one week. Transitioning a grown Pit Bull that is accustomed to "free feeding" requires patience and determination as the dog may refuse to eat when the food is placed in front of it. 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