Pitbulls are dogs that can survive on anything, but being a good pet parent, you want to have the best dog food for Pitbulls.
Pitbulls are a mix of several breeds, making it quite an uphill task to make the right choice and get good recommendations for getting the best food.
Breeds that are generally referred to as Pitbulls include the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, and the American Staffordshire Terrier.
Picking the best dog food for Pitbulls can be a challenging task because Pitbulls have a very complex that requires high proteins, healthy fats, good low carbs, and vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy.
In this article, you will learn all about the best diet for your pitbull as well as the best dog food brands out on the market for that loveable Pitbull you have.
We have a list of the absolute best dog food for pitbulls down below.
Pitbull Diet and Nutrition
Pitbulls are strong, masculine, and agile. They are also naturally stocky, but they are medium-sized in terms of their weight. Pitbulls can overeat, which means they should be watched so that they don’t eat more than they should.
An active Pitbull needs an average calorie intake of between 922 calories and 1740 calories. Pitbulls that are older, neutered, or spayed need lesser calories. This will depend on their individual metabolism; some Pitbulls may need more calories.
The best dog food for Pitbulls is one that has a good measure of proteins since Pitbulls require a lot of energy. Therefore, the best diet will be one that is balanced with high proteins, low to medium carb intake, healthy fats, and packed full of vitamins and minerals.
Below you will find more in-depth information about each component of a healthy diet for a Pitbull.
Protein
Protein is an important component in Pitbull’s diet. According to AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials), pitbull puppies need 22 percent of protein in their diet, while adult Pitbulls need 18 percent of protein to maintain those muscular bodies.
The best kind of protein you can give to your Pitbull pups is protein from eggs and a slice of muscle meat. This is easier for a puppy to digest. Protein is very important because it helps with bone growth and can also reduce injuries and repair muscle tissue.
Remember to pick out dog food with a good protein source listed in the first few ingredients. Protein can come from a variety of different sources. Here are a few:
Fat
As you are looking out for the best dog food for Pitbulls, you also need to understand that fat is an important component in your dog’s diet because it is an important energy source.
It provides your dog with energy, but it also helps to regulate your dog’s body temperature. The shine and sleekness of your dog’s coat also comes from the fat in their diet.
Pitbulls actually need more fat content in their food than other larger dog breeds. Owners think the fat leads to obesity, but this won’t be a problem as long as our dog is active. For puppies, the food should have 18 percent fat. For adult dogs, the fat content should be 15 percent.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are essential in all animal and human health. This is one of the main ways we process and get our energy from food.
Pitbull’s need around 25 to 30 percent of carbs a day in their diet. If your dog does not get enough carbs, the body will start to decrease its muscle mass, getting the nutrients it needs from there, which isn’t good.
Try to avoid certain grains as they give your dog too many carbs, which can also be bad. Some examples of high-quality, healthy carbs are:
- Oats
- Barley
- Brown Rice
- Sweet Potatoes
Vitamins and Minerals
After you have the basic things your dog needs in their food, like protein, fats, and carbs, we need to discuss the last few ingredients, vitamins, and minerals.
Your dog’s best vitamins and minerals will come from various fruits and vegetables. You will find vegetables listed in the ingredient list on your dog’s food label. Some of the best minerals your dog needs for a healthy lifestyle are:
- Calcium
- Iron
- Phosphorus
- B-Vitamins
- A-Vitamins
- C-Vitamins
- E-Vitamins
Feeding Pitbulls
As had been noted earlier, Pitbulls love food, which means you won’t have to work harder trying to feed your dog. On the contrary, you need to make sure that your dog does not overeat. Most Pitbulls do just fine with two meals per day.
Typically, Pitbulls need around two and a half cups of high-quality dog food a day broken up into two separate meals. Depending on what brand of dog food you have chosen will affect the cost of your food, but on average, you are looking between spending $1.25 to $1.50 a day on food.
Make sure that you are feeding your Pitbull a balanced diet that will keep them happy and healthy for the years to come. Any of the choices above from our list of the best dog food for Pitbulls will work great for your dog. We highly recommend picking out one of those brands.
Feeding Pitbull Puppies
Puppies can have three meals daily until they are old enough to have two meals daily.
Even though they are considered medium-sized dogs, it is good to feed pitbull puppies on puppy food designed for large breeds.
To encourage proper growth in pitbull puppies, you need to keenly look at the phosphorous-to-calcium ratio and make sure the proteins and calories are slightly lower.
Feeding Older Pitbulls
For your senior dog that is less active, the best dog food is food with omega-three fatty acids sourced from the fish. Also, foods with probiotics, antioxidants, and glucosamine are good for Pitbull’s joints and bones.
Freshwater is also a very important component; it will help in the digestion and absorption of minerals; keep your dog hydrated according to the weather, its size, and its level of activity.
If your dog’s food does not have any of these, it is good to get him or her supplements and include them in the dog’s daily supplements to make sure they get the recommended intake of some of these nutrients.
Skin Allergies
Pitbulls with white coats and pink skins tend to have allergy problems, and we all know that allergies can be quite an issue for dogs.
Most breeders recommend foods that do not have the common irritants like wheat, soy, and corn. However, beef, chicken, and dairy products are the significant causes of food allergies in Pitbulls.
Therefore, to be safer, the best dog food for Pitbulls who suffer from allergies should not contain chicken, beef, or dairy products, as well as corn, wheat, or soy. If you want your dog to be healthy, make sure that proteins and fats are from good food sources.
Select dog foods whose main ingredients are whole meats with that ingredient listed as the first two or three ingredients in the ingredients list. If you want your dog to have carbohydrates get a better source like sweet potatoes.
The idea here is to keep the carbohydrates low. A healthy pitbull needs moderate levels of fat and proteins. We discuss Pitbull health issues more in-depth on our other page, all about Pitbulls.
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Recommended Best Food for Pitbulls
Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food
Taste of the wild dog food is the best dog food for Pitbulls because it maintains an extremely high protein content. In addition, it uses real meat and meat meals.
Taste of the Wild sets itself apart from the rest by using meat meals. The main ingredient is roasted lamb. The dog food also uses fermented soluble and acidophilus probiotics to enhance your furry friend’s digestion abilities.
The product guarantees not to contain grain, corn wheat filler, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Made right here in the United States and run by a family just trying to make safer and healthier dog food.
Wellness Core Natural Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Wellness Core contains an original formula that boasts 45% of the ingredients are made from high-quality proteins.
The main proteins are chicken, chicken meal, and turkey meal. This dog food does not contain corn, soy, wheat, or any meat by-products that frankly aren’t good for your dog. This formula also uses fewer fats, so it is perfect for dogs that are overweight or may become obese.
The company offers what they call a “wellness guarantee,” which basically means if your Pitbull doesn’t love their food or if you are unhappy, they will give you a refund.
There are great added vitamins and minerals, such as chondroitin and glucosamine, which help your dog’s overall joint health! Made right here in the United States, this is another great brand of dog food to consider.
Bully Max High-Performance Premium Dog Food
This dog food brand is like no other; this is an entire meat-based formula that makes protein the all-star in the food.
This food is a mixture of chicken meal, fish meal, eggs, chicken fat, and brown rice. The food is made up of 30% protein and 20% fat. Every Bully Max dog food cup contains 535 calories that will fill up your dog to be full and satisfied. This is a calorie-dense dog food. If Arnold Schwarzenegger were a pitbull, this is what he would eat.
This dog food is made from natural ingredients, and it does not contain any wheat, corn, or soy. One of the best things about this dog food is that puppies, even senior dogs, can use this formula. In addition, it will help your dog build muscle. This brand is made especially for Pitbulls, both male and female.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Dry Dog Food
Need dog food that a wolf could safely eat? We give you Blue Buffalo.
This dog food is packed full of protein and all-natural ingredients. Your dog’s muscles will start to grow when they eat this food. This is a grain-free dog food, so instead of using wheat or grain, the dog food uses healthy carbs such as sweet potatoes and peas.
The food also contains great omega threes and sixes to make your dog’s skin and coat nice and healthy. Each cup of dog food is 409 calories. Another excellent option for a Pitbull!
Fromm Gold Holistic Adult Dry Dog Food
Fromm Gold Holistic is yet another best dog food for Pitbulls because it has been made with red meat; as the name suggests, it is holistic.
It contains high levels of quality proteins making this food ideal for adult Pitbulls and senior dogs. This food has no fillers, and neither does it have grains like wheat.
This food is good for your pitbull because your dog will get all the energy it needs to maintain good health as well as replenish the lost energy used in running around and playing.
Recommended Best Food for Pitbull Puppies
Taste Of The Wild Grain Free Prairie Puppy Food
Here is another wonderful product from the Taste Of The Wild company. This variety is specially made for puppies.
The first ingredient in this brand’s dog food is always meat. This is made from smoke-flavored salmon. This dog food is extra special because it is made for growing puppies, so it contains superfoods, antioxidants, and even DHA to support your puppy’s brain growth.
The kibble pieces are made smaller, making it easier for your puppy to eat. In addition, the food is free from grain, corn, fillers, artificial flavors, and preservatives. This is our top recommended dry dog food for puppies!
Recommended Best Food for Senior Pitbulls
AvoDern Natural Advanced Senior Health Dry Dog Food
AvoDern prides itself on only using all-natural ingredients in all of its dog food. This dog food, particularly, is excellent for older senior Pitbull dogs.
The first few ingredients come from a good source of protein. The ingredients are lamb, chicken meal, and salmon. The food is also packed full of minerals, vitamins, and nutrients. The omega-three and sixes will help your dog’s immune health, digestive health, joints, and brain.
This dog food comes in a smaller kibble size, and it is slightly softer than regular dry food. This makes it easier for your senior Pitbull to eat and digest. Another great thing about this dog food is that it is priced very affordable.
FAQ
This is our FAQ section that contains common questions that people have about food for Pitbulls.
What is the Best Food to Feed a Pitbull
One of the reasons this food is so great is that it is made with real meat. Pitbulls need protein forward food to replenish their lost calories. This food also removes any grains, corn, artificial colors, and preservatives from your dog’s diet. This is also a very affordable dog food brand compared to some of the higher-end brands on the market.
Do Pitbulls Need Special Food?
What Foods Should Pitbulls Avoid?
What Meat is Best For Pitbulls?
Is It Okay to Give a Pitbull Raw Meat?
How Much Should a Pitbull Eat Daily?
Conclusion
Until now, you may have never thought how important your Pitbull’s diet was. Their muscular body needs rich protein foods to keep them healthy and strong. They are the jacked bodybuilders of the dog world, after all.
I hope this article helped open your eyes to a vast world of dog food and just how important it is to give your dog what they require.
I hope you thought over some of our recommendations above; We know that the choices above are the top-quality options for your dog to eat.
The best choice for dog food for your Pitbull would be the Taste Of The Wild Dry Dog Food because it provides more protein than other brands, low healthy carbs, healthy fats, probiotics, and all the minerals and vitamins your dog needs for a completely healthy diet. What food do you feed your pitbull? Comment below! We would love to hear from you!
