In this article, we are going to take a look at the features you should use as criteria to evaluate any dog food you might consider buying. The energetic and engaged nature of the pitbull is arguably its most distinctive quality. However, this aspect of their personality depends on good nutrition. A pitbull who isn’t getting the proper nutrition will tend to lay on the couch and sleep all day. It is also generally true that pitbulls have a fast metabolism that requires plenty of fuel to keep your little ball of energy looking strong and healthy.
Best Dog Food For Pitbulls in 2019
| Product | Features | Rating | Checkout | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Adult Dry Dog FoodCheck price |
Made with: finest natural ingredients Special Ingredients: holistic, protein-rich Age: 1 year + |
5 of 5 | Check price |
| 2 |  CANIDAE Grain Free PURE Dry Dog FoodCheck price |
Limited Ingredients: 7-10 simple ingredients for sensitive dogs Special Ingredients: grain-free Age: 1 year + |
4.9 of 5 | Check price |
| 3 |  Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Dry Dog FoodCheck price |
Premium quality ingredients: supports healthy skin & shiny coat Special Ingredients: grain-free, limited ingredients Age: adult, puppy, senior |
4.8 of 5 | Check price |
| 4 |  Hill’s Science Diet Healthy Mobility Dry DogCheck price |
Natural fibers: promotes healthy digestion Special Ingredients: all-natural Age: 1 year + |
4.7 of 5 | Check price |
| 5 |  Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain FreeCheck price |
Contains Blue’S Exclusive life source bits: selected by holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists Special Ingredients: grain free Age: 1 year + |
4.7 of 5 | Check price |
| 6 |  Purina Beyond Grain Free Natural RecipeCheck price |
Beef: #1 ingredient Special Ingredients: grain-free Age: 1 year + |
4.6 of 5 | Check price |
| 7 |  AvoDerm Natural Health Solutions for Senior HealthCheck price |
Protein rich: promotes healthy skin & coat Special Ingredients: grain-free Age: senior |
4.5 of 5 | Check price |
| 8 |  Natural Ultramix Grain Check price |
Ultramix: grain-free & poultry-free salmon recipe Special Ingredients: grain-free Age: 1 year + |
4.5 of 5 | Check price |
| 9 |  High PerformanceCheck price |
Meat-based dog food: contains the amino balances More Calories: 535 per cup Age: 1 year + |
4.5 of 5 | Check price |
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Adult Dry Dog Food - best food for pitbulls
This product is best-suited for an animal with high nutrient requirements, such as older dogs or those recovering from illness.
We recommend giving this one to your dog in small amounts at first for proper evaluation of the results.
CANIDAE Grain Free PURE Dry Dog Food - best dry food for pitbulls
This brand is advertised as having a simple recipe, making it a good choice for a dog with a sensitive stomach or allergy problems.
Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Dry Dog Food - best food for a pitbull
The other primary ingredient is the sweet potato. Dogs are known to love sweet potatoes, and they have a very high potassium content which is an excellent choice
Would you give an energy drink to your dog? Yeah, me neither. Avoid this one.
Hill’s Science Diet Healthy Mobility Dry Dog - good food for pit bulls
Nutritional figures for this brand show a very high carbohydrate content, but this can be explained by the fact that this product is made specifically for dogs over 55 pounds who require a little bit of extra energy.
We would recommend this one for large breeds, though it would be best to supplement with some beef stock for extra protein.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free - best pitbull food
Other than that, it contains a simple blend of fruits and vegetables.
Purina Beyond Grain Free Natural Recipe - best dog food for pit bulls sensitive stomach
Its carbohydrates are derived from pea flour, cassava flour, and other vegetable sources.
Our only real problem is that we have some serious doubts about the safety of using egg material, as it can be a carrier of salmonella.
AvoDerm Natural Health Solutions for Senior Health - best food for pit bulls with skin allergies
Key Features And Benefits:
Formulated for older dogs
Contains chondroitin and glucosamine for bone health
Contains avocado extract
High in protein, low in fat
Contains DHA to promote eye and brain health
Natural Ultramix Grain - best food for a pitbull
Natural Ultramix Grain Free Duck, Sweet Potatoes And Whole
Key Features And Benefits:
The primary ingredient is duck meat
Loaded with good probiotics
Grain-free
Made to be rich in antioxidants
Made with care in the USA
Really high in protein
High Performance - best food to feed my pitbull
Key Features And Benefits:
Bully Max High-Performance Super Premium Dog Food
Meat-based, with very few vegetables
Loaded with omega acids
Grain-free
No corn, wheat, or soy
Contains helpful probiotics
Buyer’s Guide
Deciding what to feed pitbulls can be difficult, with the overabundance of options you can find on the shelves at the store. Every brand promises to be the best brand with the best ingredients, and offers the greatest health benefits for your dog. However, you should not listen to marketing, and instead, make your decision based on knowledge of your dog’s dietary needs. Much of this will depend on your ability to educate yourself about the essentials of canine nutrition. The rest will depend on observing your dog’s individual qualities. For instance, if your dog seems to be itching and scratching all the time, it might be the result of a food allergy.
How Much Should a Pitbull Eat?
First, let’s talk about what you should not do. You should never allow a pitbull to free-feed. That is to say; you should never just leave the food bag open and allow the dog to eat as it pleases – All too often, they will have a tendency to stuff themselves. This is a natural behavior for all dogs, because of the way they eat in the wild. A pack of wild canines has to eat ravenously when they eat because there is no way to know when the next meal will be.
It is best to feed your dog three small meals a day rather than giving them one large meal, as it will balance their metabolism and keep them happy and energetic all day long. For puppies, each meal should consist of about half a cup of dry food. For adults, three cups per meal would be the preferred amount. As your pitbull grows older, you may notice their metabolism slowing, resulting in weight gain. This doesn’t happen to all pits, but it is common. Keep your eye out for any weight issues with your dog so you can adjust their food intake accordingly.
What’s a good dog food for pitbulls?
The best diet for pitbulls is a diet rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fat. However, these nutrients are not all created equal.
High-quality sources of these three nutrients are an essential part of your dog’s health. In choosing the best food for pitbull puppies and seniors, you need to be especially careful about nutrient quality because of their digestive and immune systems are not as strong as those of an adult dog. You must also consider any allergies your dog might have. In our experience, pitbulls are not particularly prone to allergic food reactions, but it is still something you need to consider.
Allergies are usually not life threatening for an adult dog, but they can be a risk to the life of a puppy. The trouble is, you never truly know your dog’s allergies until they are exposed and show a reaction. In the case of a small puppy, you cannot afford to take this risk. As such, you should go ahead and buy hypoallergenic (low risk of allergic reaction) puppy food to be on the safe side. You can always experiment later when they are old enough.
Any food you select should contain:
- 45% protein
- 25% fats
- 30% carbohydrates
Protein Requirements
Pitbulls are an active and muscular breed that requires plenty of protein. AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) recommends a minimum of 18% protein content for adult dog food and a minimum 22% for puppies. However, a pitbull needs a bit more. 45% protein is ideal, but it is wise not to exceed this number. If you do, your dog can experience serious health problems, and you will experience some problems of your own due to horrible flatulence issues!
Some dogs are allergic to beef or other common meats. If your dog is among them, you will need to choose a fish based dog food for allergies. For a pitbull, the protein in food must come from good sources like meat, eggs, and fish, not low-quality sources like wheat and bone meal.
Carbohydrates
You might be surprised to find that it is perfectly natural for dogs to ingest plant-based carbohydrates. For instance, coyotes have been known to raid watermelon fields. Some people consider carbs to be filler because dogs do not require complex carbohydrates to survive. When trying to find a great dog food for pitbulls, you need to make sure the carbohydrate level is not higher than 30%. Any more is just waste. The most common source of carbohydrates in dog food is grain. This may work well for humans, but it isn’t so good for dogs. Grain can sometimes cause skin infections (i.e. yeast infections), so the best dog food for healthy skin should derive its carbohydrates from elsewhere.
Carbohydrates are also very important for maintaining the muscular appearance that is desirable for this breed. When your pitbull’s body cannot get enough energy from carbohydrates, they will start burning fat and muscle. This results in a skinny pitbull.
Fats
Fats are essential for canine digestion and nutrient use. It is no coincidence that dogs love to eat anything that is greasy or fatty. Their bodies require fat reserves to make use of certain essential vitamins. Naturally, you don’t want to overdo it, lest you’ll wind up with a big fat dog that looks like a barrel with legs. As a short-snouted animal, pitbulls can develop breathing problems if they become overweight due to their relatively narrow nasal passages.
Common sources of fat for dog food include chicken fat, pork fat, cottonseed oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, fish oil, safflower oil, and a whole lot more. Virtually any fat can be safely ingested by dogs, but we personally prefer to stick with simple fat from meat. This is more like the diet that they would eat in the wild. What’s a good dog food for pitbulls? When it comes to fat content, a healthy dog food for pitbulls should contain at least 25% fat.
Minerals and Vitamin Requirements
When choosing the best pitbull food, you should not concentrate only on the “big three” (fats, proteins, and carbs). Canine bodies require vitamins and minerals just like we do. Vitamin K, for instance, is important for blood clotting and healthy bone growth. Likewise, vitamin B1 is essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates and even has a slight effect on brain functions. Vitamin B6 is important because of its role in glucose generation. As glucose is the primary source of cellular energy, your dog’s activity level will be directly affected by this nutrient or the lack of it. A healthy dog food for pitbulls should contain a wide assortment of various vitamins that are deemed essential.
Food Allergies
Skin allergies in pitbulls are somewhat common. These can sometimes be mistaken for mange, but are distinctly different in their effects. Mostly, these are the result of dogs eating things that nature had never intended them to eat. Unfortunately, there is no way to ensure a dog food will be completely hypoallergenic. You can also avoid obviously allergenic dog food.
The recommended food for pitbulls is a grain-free food. Grains like wheat and corn make great energy sources for us, but dogs need a food for sensitive skin like one made with oats and quinoa. Pitbulls are not known to have a sensitive stomach. Mine sometimes seem like garbage disposals in he will eat nearly anything. However, this does not mean you should let them do so. Control all known allergens as soon as you notice even the slightest symptom of a reaction.
What dry dog food is best for pit bulls?
We have already discussed the qualities you should look for when trying to select the best dog food for pitbulls. Now, we’re going to look at ten contenders to see who is worthy to feed your furry knuckleheaded friend.
Q/A section
Here are a few of the more common questions we have received on this subject:
1. What is the best puppy food for pit bulls?
Once a pup is weaned, the very best dog food on the market for them is probably Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy Chicken Formula. It is specifically made for active pups and contains nothing but the finest ingredients. The total lack of GMO’s or chemicals is also a big plus.
2. What’s the best dog food for pit bulls to lose weight?
If you are dealing with an overweight pit bull, you should definitely switch their food. One of the best choices would be Wellness Core. This reduced-fat blend does a good job of giving your dog the nutrition that they need without the fat that they already have.
3. How much dog food should a pit bull eat?
There is no one right answer to this question, as it all depends on the specific food that you are feeding them. We recommend about 6 cups per adult dog, per day.
What is the best dog food for pitbulls?
Assuming that price isn’t an issue, we would recommend the Blue Buffalo Wilderness High-Protein Diet. This product is packed with lean protein, without being packed with a whole lot of fat, due to its’ use of lean meats like duck. There are no weird or questionable ingredients as far as we can see, and it comes from a trusted name. Pitbulls need a good high-protein diet and plenty of good carbs. The well-rounded mix of fruits and veggies make it the best dog food for pit bulls.
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