How Much Should I Feed My Pitbull?

Making sure your pitbull stays healthy isn’t just about picking the right chow, but also figuring out how much grub they need. The amount of food changes whether your buddy is a sprightly pup, a full-grown adult, or a wise old dog. Wondering how much to feed them and how often to keep them fit as a fiddle at any age? Well, you’re about to find out.

How Much Should an Adult Pitbull Eat?

Let’s start with adult dogs. How much should you feed adult pit bulls? From around 12 months to 18 months of age, your pitbull puppy will be considered an adult. Pitbull puppies will need a different nutritional profile than adult dogs, which is why it’s very important for you to switch from high-quality puppy food to a more age-appropriate recipe.

If you don’t switch your pitbull puppies to adult food at the right time, they will have weight issues because puppy food tends to be heavier in calories, protein, and fat because a pitbull puppy needs more to grow into a healthy adult.

The total amount you feed your pit bulls will depend on their size. A large pitbull, around 70 pounds or over will need 3 cups of dog food a day. A smaller pitbull may only need 2 or 2.5 cups of food a day.

The activity level of a pit bull should also be a consideration. For example, if your larger pit bull is not a very active dog and prefers to spend his days lazing around the room, then he may not need 3 cups despite his size.

On the contrary, a very active and lean but smaller pit bull will need more food than one that doesn’t like to exercise as much.

What About Senior Pitbulls?

As pit bulls hit seniority, which is around 7 years old, the need for food decreases even more. Just like a pitbull puppy switches out of puppy food when he becomes an adult, your adult pit bull’s diet will need to change when he hits his senior years as well.

Remember that it still comes down to the activity level of your pit bulls. A senior pitbull that still has a lot of energy will, of course, need more than one that has slowed down.

You’re looking at decreasing anywhere between half a cup to a cup of food from when he was in his prime.

How Much Should a Pitbull Puppy Eat?

Then we get to a pitbull puppy, who will need the most nutrients in his entire life, unless you have a female pitbull that will need plenty of nutrition to feed her babies because they get everything from their mother’s milk.

A pitbull puppy is also full of energy and rowdy, which means more calories and protein are needed to keep up with your pitbull puppy and his lifestyle. How much you feed your pitbull puppy will also vary by his weight and size. For example, if your pitbull pup has larger parents, then chances are the pup will be on the bigger side as well.

If this is the case, you can opt for large breed puppy food and look at the feeding chart to determine the feeding schedule.

A large pup could need 1.5 or even up to 2 cups of food spread throughout the day. One thing to make sure of when you’re feeding your pitbull puppy is to split his food into small meals, around 4 times a day. This is because a pitbull puppy will have an easier time digesting smaller portions.

As your pitbull puppy nears adulthood, the number of meals will eventually decrease to 2 times a day or even once a day for the free feeders.

How to Keep Your Pitbull at an Ideal Weight

Feed the Right Amount

Before you can figure out how to keep your pitbull at the best weight, you have to figure out what the ideal weight is for your particular dog. As we mentioned, a larger pitbull will be heavier need more to eat, while a smaller one will need less dog food.

How much to feed your dog may go through some trial and error, but your vet should have a very clear picture of your dog’s goal weight and offer you expert advice.

One thing is for sure, do not underfeed or overfeed your dog. You have to take the treats you give into account and make sure to give him fewer calories in his daily intake if you happen to give him more treats that day.

Make sure to give active pitbulls the right amount of food to match their energy output. Without the proper nutrition, a rambunctious pitbull won’t be eating enough to support his energy levels.

The Best Chow for Pitbulls

The Nutritional Profile

Aside from how much to feed, you should also aim to provide the best dog foods for your dog with a consistent feeding schedule. Good food will meet or exceed AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) for a specific life stage.

Contains Nothing Bad

Look for food that has the least amount of artificial additives or preservatives if any, and the best food will only contain high-grade and whole ingredients that are natural and even organic. Most if not all of the food on the lable should be made up of such ingredients.

Special Diets

If your dog has special dietary requirements and nutritional needs due to a sensitive stomach or allergies, then he could need a special formula.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should a 70lb Pitbull eat?

A 70-pound pitbull should eat 3 to 3.5 cups a day. The total amount will depend on your dog’s activity level, life stage, and age. Keep in mind that a dog’s weight will sometimes fluctuate, so feel free to tailor the amount of food according to his or her weight.

What should I be feeding my pitbull?

You should be feeding your pitbull high quality food. How much does a pitbull puppy eat? The number depends on the size and energy level of your dog. The same goes for adult and senior pitbulls as well as other dogs. One thing is for sure, the main ingredients should be high-quality protein, with no wheat or soy. Avoid feeding inappropriate foods to dogs in the wrong life stage.

For example, a puppy shouldn’t eat adul food because there isn’t enough nutrition in the food for growing puppies. Just like seniors shouldn’t eat adult dog food because too much protein or too much calcium could be bad for them.

How many cans of food should a pitbull eat?

If you’re going for canned or wet food and are confused about how many cans to feed your dogs, then we have a general rule that could help you. Your pitbull will need 3 ounces of wet food per 3 pounds of body weight. For example, if your adult pittie s 60 pounds, then he will need 20 ounces of food, split into 2 or 3 meals a day.

3 ounces of wet food is the equivalent of around a quarter of a cup of pet food. This formula should also help you better gauge the amount for a pitbull puppy, but make sure to split up the total amount into 3 or 4 meals a day.

What should I not feed my pitbull?

Knowing what not to feed is just as important as understanding what your pitbull needs. You should never feed your pooch food that does not contain protein in the form of real meats for as many of the ingredients as possible.

Make sure your pitbull is getting a balanced meal by scanning the ingredients list. Are there vegetables? Fruits? Micro-nutrients in the form of vitamins and minerals? What about supplements such as omega fatty acids, probiotics, and glucosamine?

Don’t feed your pitbull a pet food that seems lacking in any of the above departments.

Conclusion

An American pit bull terrier will require varying amounts of food at every life stage. For females, it can get even more complicated because puppies obtain nutrition from their mother’s milk. Make sure you are only giving your dog the best food no matter what stage.

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