Provide the Pitbull with the right environment, care, and diet and you’re going to have one of the most amazing, most loyal canine pets there are. How much should a pitbull puppy eat is a question that every first-time pitbull owner wants answered.
The pitbull is no puny, frail, slender dog – they are medium- to large-sized, robust and muscular, after all they were developed by crossing various bulldog and terrier breeds together. You always recognize these strong dogs by some very defining characteristics – their broad, flat heads, powerful jaws and broad ‘smiles’.
They’ve got high energy levels too so that their diet will be a lot different from that of the Whippet for instance. Did you know that the American Staffordshire terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier, and the American pit bull terrier are all actuallyreferred to as pit bulls?
When you look at all of them they are stocky, well-built muscular dogs, bursting with energy, and each of them is going to require a healthy, high-protein diet if they are to remain healthy.
It is ridiculous to think of a gorgeous roly-poly pitbull puppy as being obese, but you have to start getting their diet right from word go as these dogs are prone to elbow and hip dysplasia, an ailment that can be exacerbated by obesity.
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How Much Should a Pitbull Puppy Eat?
When your pitbull puppy comes to your home as a strong, robust puppy of 8 weeks of age, you want to give him the right diet from word go.
How much should a pitbull puppy eat for the first 6 weeks of his life? He should be with his mother feeding on her milk to ensure the antibodies and nutrition he needs will give him a solid foundational start in life.
His mother’s milk is high in protein – perfect for a fat little puppy. If, for some reason, you have a pit bull puppy younger than 8 weeks of age in your care, you will want to provide him with a puppy milk replacement formula. This formula is designed to be similar to the ingredients found in his mother’s milk.
From 6 weeks on, how much a pitbull puppy eats will change now. This is because the puppy will start being weaned away from his mother’s milk diet and onto solid food.
Fortunately, pet food manufacturers have made it easy for us to feed puppies as they grow up. They’ve gone and provided us with a wide choice of wet- or dry puppy-specific foods.
These foods are totally different from the foods you get for adult dogs. They have been specially designed to ensure that the sturdy pitbull puppy gets every nutrient he’ll need, and in the right proportions.
There is no hard and fast rule as to when to switch from puppy food to adult dog food, As a general rule of thumb, puppies are ready to switch to adult dog food when they reach 6 months of age. Some dog owners prefer to wait until one year of age to make the switch.
Pit bulls range in size and they can weigh anything from 30 to 60 pounds. A large, full-grown pitbull puppy will then be eating two cups of food a day – morning and evening.
You’ve got to keep your eyes open for these mischievous puppies because as the grow older they try and eat anything they can. This is why it is important to watch what is lying around on the floor.
How Often Should You Feed a Pit Bull Puppy?
The pit bull puppy is so darn cute that you may just want to give in to him all the time. It’s so tempting to pop tasty little treats into that ever-smiling mouth. But of course, that can be totally the wrong thing to do.
The best pet food manufacturers have dog experts on their teams and after much research, they manufacture dog foods that are ideal for each season of a dog’s life.
They know that too much protein for instance can cause your puppy to grow way too quickly and this in itself can have a detrimental effect on the joints of your young dog later on.
Nobody wants to make it sound as though dog feeding has become all complicated – you just have to avoid overfeeding your puppy, stick to the food packaging guidelines and you and your pitbull puppy will be just fine.
Just remember this if you’re having any difficulties – that your local vet is a good source of dog feeding information and you can always get advice on how to feed your pitbull puppy from this professional source.
Providing the right food in the right portion sizes is important for achieving and maintaining a puppy’s ideal weight and for promoting good health.
Pitbull puppies up to 12-weeks-old need to eat at least 4 small meals a day. Smaller, more frequent meals like this are much easier to digest for the puppy. He is just a teeny weeny puppy at this age so the meals shouldn’t be much more than a ¼ of a tea-cup.
From 3 to 6 months of age, it will be time to reduce the 4 meals down to 3 a day. It’s easier now for you as 3 meals a day essentially means breakfast, lunch and supper for your puppy. At this stage, you will still be providing your growing pet with puppy food but the portions will be large. Check for directions of the food packaging label, whether tin, packet or sachet.
From 6 to 12 months, your pitbull puppy is turning into a young adult and it is time to look at transitioning to 2 meals a day. Also, from 6 months his growth starts to decrease as you change his puppy food to adult dog food too.
If you want more guidance as to how much should a pitbull puppy eat, as already mentioned, you can always be checking at the back of the commercial puppy food packaging for details on precisely how much to feed your pitbull puppy.
Your pit bull puppy may be inclined to gobble up his food too quickly which can create digestive problems. Maybe you can look at a slow-feeding bowl which is both mentally stimulating for your young dog and it can help with digestion. It does this by slowing down the rate at which your dog gobbles up his good.
This kind of bowl is designed to help with preventing bloat. Bloat is a deadly condition that food gulpers can succumb too and where the stomach swells up with gas.
How to Know if You’re Feeding Them Too Much?
Who of us doesn’t love to overeat and never feel hungry? Puppies especially love to eat, and they need a responsible pet owner watching over them to see that they aren’t overfed.
Overfeeding isn’t going to make your pitbull puppy grow bigger or faster but it is just setting him up to be miserable all his adult life. Let’s see what can happen to him –
Depresses Immunity
Overeating suppresses the immune system. Tests have actually been performed on animals and it shows that when animals are fed 50% fewer calories per day, their immune response was enhanced.
Diarrhea
Overfeeding can cause loose stools because of an overload of the digestive system. Your pitbull puppy’s digestive system isn’t able to absorb what it needs and it gets rid of it with loose stools.
Vomiting
Vomiting is often experienced by dogs that are overfed. Overeating can cause improper digestion and pancreatitis, causing your puppy to vomit. You will need to withhold food for a few hours. Once vomiting stops, you can introduce your puppy to a small amount of puppy food again.
Shorter Life Span
Your pitbull puppy’s health depends on a complete diet in the right portions. Overfeeding contributes to ill health and a shortened life span. Overfeeding can cause skin irritations, breathing problems, heart disease, cancer, hypothyroidism and arthritis.
How to Know if You’re Not Feeding Them Enough?
Surely no true dog lover buys a pitbull puppy and then doesn’t feed him properly? An underfed puppy is a concern for any dog lovers, but the good news is that the solution is pretty simple – the puppy needs more food.
If your puppy isn’t consuming enough food, it can lead to him becoming malnourished. A puppy that is underfed is skinny and can develop a host of health complications.
Canine Lethargy
A healthy well-feed pit bull puppy is full of energy, playfulness and high jinks. Underfeeding can lead to lethargy. There is nothing sadder than to see a puppy where the light has gone out – he just lies there disinterested. Lethargy is certainly a sign that your puppy may be underfed and this can lead to further health complications.
Weakened Immune System
If your puppy is more lethargic than usual and is sick and listless, these are signs of a weakened immune system. Poor nutrition compromises an immune system and he isn’t able to fight off bacteria and infections.
Their Coat Suffers
If your dog isn’t eating enough food and isn’t getting enough protein or fat, they can start losing hair in some areas of the coat. The hair is dull and brittle. It should be soft, shiny and velvety.
Interested In Training Your Pitbull The Right Way?
If you haven’t trained your pitbull properly, then this is the perfect time to start. Whatever bad behavior your shepherd has, whether it’s barking at night or other bad behaviors, using the right training program is the key to having an obedient and happy pup.
With Brain Training For Dogs you’ll save yourself a ton of time and effort. Instead of banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why your dog won’t listen, you’ll follow a path that has been tried, tested, and most importantly, that’s given proven results. Not to mention the fact, you’ll be able to fit the course around your schedule, not fit your schedule around a trainer or obedience class.
So instead of worrying about whether they’re going to be well-behaved or not, you’ll only have to worry about how much fun you’ll have with them!
And in most cases it’s still going to be:
Cheaper than hiring a professional.
Cheaper than replacing everything they might break.
And definitely cheaper than a lawsuit against you, if they decide to bite someone.
Just imagine how great it will feel to finally be able to trust your pitbull completely and never worry whether they’ll be naughty or not. Instead, you’ll have the peace of mind that you have a well-behaved pup, and the boundaries you set for them, will always be there, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT.
And the best part is it also has a 60-day money-back guarantee! So there’s no reason not to give Brain Training For Dogs a try!
So if you’re tired of your dog’s bad behavior, or how they react around other people and pooches, then give it a try! You’ll be amazed by the results!
(You can also check out a full review here, to learn exactly what the course has to offer!)
Summing Up:
So how much should a pitbull puppy eat then? We’ve just provided you with a guideline. Bear in mind that the guidelines offered on puppy food packaging are generalized and meant to help the first-time pet owner know how to proceed with feeding.
Your pitbull puppy will experience appetite fluctuations. Sometimes he will devour his food with relish and other times he will be disinterested in his food.
Because of lifestyle and environment, every dog develops his own diet pattern. Eventually, all puppies grow up and settle on two meals a day.
We’ve provided the common standards for feeding your Pit Bull puppy and the guide will make sure that the food you give your puppy really counts in the first very important year.
