8 Best Dog Foods for Bulldogs in 2024 + Helpful Bulldog Nutritional Tips and Info

The Bulldog is easily one of the most recognizable dogs out there, easy to spot by his short, broad stature and his wrinkled skin. But Bulldogs are more than just wrinkles – they also have friendly and fun-loving personalities that makes them a great choice for a family pet.

The Bulldog is a medium-sized breed that has been around for 500 years. These dogs were originally bred for bull baiting, but today they are known to be faithful family companions and household pets. These dogs are easy to care for, though they do have some special needs when it comes to heat and exercise. Due to their heavy build and shortened facial structure, they are prone to overheating and cannot tolerate rigorous exercise. Another interesting fact about Bulldogs is that they can’t swim.

Bulldogs have short, stubby legs and a stocky build. They have large heads covered in loose, wrinkled skin and a slightly awkward bow-legged gait. Despite their somewhat odd appearance, however, these dogs are some of the most gentle and loving dogs you’ll ever meet. Bulldogs typically weight between 40 and 50 pounds and there isn’t an exact standard for height.

General Nutritional Recommendations

Just like humans, dogs require a blend of protein, fat, and carbohydrate in their diet. Unlike humans, however, dogs are mostly carnivorous which means that the majority of their nutrition should come from animal-based sources. Protein is the most important nutrient for all dogs, including Bulldogs, and it should comprise at least 18% of your adult dog’s diet and 22% of your puppy’s diet. High-quality sources of protein include fresh meats, poultry, eggs, and fish. These are also complete proteins which means that they contain all 10 essential amino acids that your dog needs. Essential amino acids are those your dog’s body cannot synthesize on its own, so they must come from his diet. A quality source of complete, animal-based protein should always be the first ingredient in whatever dog food you choose.

In addition to ensuring that your Bulldog’s needs for protein are met, you also want to make sure he gets the right amount of fat. You may think of fat as a bad thing, but it provides your dog with concentrated energy as well as essential fatty acids to promote nutrient absorption and to protect his immune system. Fat is particularly important for puppies to sustain their fast growth, though protein is a requirement for that as well. Like proteins, fats in your Bulldog’s diet should come from animal-based sources – some quality examples include salmon oil and chicken fat. Plant-based fats are not necessarily bad for your dog but they offer lower bioavailability. They can, however, work with animal fats to provide a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

In terms of carbohydrate, your Bulldog doesn’t have any specific dietary requirements. In fact, you should be worried about your dog getting too much carbohydrate rather than too little. Look for dog food formulas that don’t contain more than 5% crude fiber as a guideline. When it comes to the right kinds of carbohydrate for your Bulldog, make sure it comes from a digestible source. Digestible carbohydrates for dogs include whole grains, beans, legumes, and starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes and white potatoes. Your dog can also get supplementary fiber from fresh fruits and vegetables and various supplemental fibers. Some of the best whole grains for dogs include brown rice, whole grain oats, and whole pearled barley.

Not only do you need to make sure that your Bulldog’s needs for protein, fat, and carbohydrate are met, but he also needs a specific list of vitamins and minerals. Many dog food formulas contain synthetic vitamins and minerals to ensure complete and balanced nutrition, but that isn’t always the best way to go. Natural sources of vitamins and minerals (like fresh fruit and vegetables) offer higher bioavailability for your dog which means that his body will be able to absorb those nutrients better than it would absorb synthetic supplements. A high-quality dog food for your Bulldog will probably contain both – some natural sources for key nutrients with synthetic supplements to ensure balance. You should also look for a recipe made with probiotics for digestive support and avoid recipes made with any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

What is the Best Dog Food for My Bulldog?

If you want to help your Bulldog maintain a healthy weight, you will need to be careful about choosing the right dog food formula to meet his needs without going overboard on calories. The best place to start looking for a dog food for Bulldogs is with a medium-breed recipe. Below you will find a review of several high-quality brands of dog food that could be a good choice for your Bulldog:

Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast Fresh Dog Food

Healthy Ingredients : Turkey breast, turkey liver, kale, carrots, lentils
Key Features :

• Human-Grade
• Subscription-based
• Portioned Individually for your dog
• Auto-ships direct to your door

Considering a fresh food option is a great place to start when looking for high-quality food for your dog. Ollie dog food is human-grade and is delivered fresh to your doorstep. Although it costs more than regular dog food, it has a lot of great benefits for keeping your dog healthy and active. Ollie has a few different recipes to choose from. The recipe shown here includes carrots (which are full of phytonutrients for eye health), blueberries (which are high in antioxidants), and chia seeds which are a source of copper, zinc, and manganese. The foods are cooked slowly to preserve nutrients and they don’t use any preservatives or fillers. They also include super foods such as chia to help support your pet’s active lifestyle. You can rest-assured, when feeding your dog Ollie, that you are choosing a premium food.

American Journey Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Peas, Rice Bran
Key Features :

• No corn, wheat, or soy
• DHA and ARA for brain and eyes
• Antioxidants for a healthy immune system
• Nutrient-dense

If you are in the market for a complete and balanced recipe that is specially crafted to meet the nutritional demands of your dog, this kibble is it. With real, deboned chicken as the first ingredient to support healthy muscle development, antioxidants added to help support a healthy immune system, omega fatty acids to help maintain skin and coat health, and a precise blend of calcium and phosphorus for healthy bones and teeth, this food is sure to keep your pet healthy and happy. American Journey dog food also contains DHA and ARA, naturally occurring fatty acids to help support brain and vision development. Plus, it’s made using nutrient-dense ingredients and there is never any wheat, corn, soy, chicken or poultry by-product meals, or artificial preservatives, colors or artificial flavors.

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry

Healthy Ingredients : Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas
Key Features :

• Grain-free
• Antioxidant support
• Reputable brand
• Highly-digestible carbs

One of the most popular foods we recommend to pet owners, Taste of the Wild is sure to not disappoint your pet. With buffalo as the source of protein, dogs find this recipe to be delicious and appealing. Peas and sweet potatoes provide your dog with highly-digestible energy to last all day and real fruits and vegetables provide antioxidant support. Taste of the Wild is a great option for dogs with food sensitives because it is made with ingredients from trusted and sustainable sources with no grain, corn, wheat, filler, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. Essential minerals are chelated with amino acids in this recipe, to optimize their absorption and ensure maximum benefit, for complete and balanced nutrition.

Blue Buffalo Basics Adult Grain-Free Duck and Potato

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Duck, Peas, Tapioca Starch, Pea Starch, Duck Meal
Key Features :

• Human-Grade
• Cooked to Order Weekly
• Portioned Individually for your dog
• Auto-ships direct to your door

If your Bulldog suffers from food allergies or sensitivities, a Limited Ingredient Diet might be the best choice for him. Blue Buffalo offers an entire line of LID dog foods made with novel proteins like salmon, duck, lamb, and turkey as well as novel carbohydrates like potato. This Blue Buffalo Basics Adult Grain-Free Duck and Potato would be a good choice for your Bulldog because it is made with a single source of animal protein and it is 100% gluten- and grain-free. This formula offers 35% crude protein and 13% fat, plus it is designed to support your dog’s lean muscle mass. You’ll also be glad to know that this recipe contains glucosamine for joint support and a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat. Supplemented with green peas and tapioca, this formula is highly digestible for dogs and it also contains dried fermentation products for probiotic support. Another benefit is that this recipe contains a precise blend of calcium and phosphorus to promote strong bones and to protect your Bulldog’s teeth. There are also fresh fruits and vegetables for nutritional balance.

Nutro Ultra Adult Weight Management Dry

Healthy Ingredients : Chicken, Chicken Meal (source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate), Whole Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Rice Bran
Key Features :

• Fresh ingredients
• Carefully balanced formula
• Helps maintain muscle mass
• Good for dogs with lower activity level

The Nutro pet food company follows a philosophy based on the nutritional needs of cats and dogs. They design all of their products to meet those needs in the healthiest way possible, using only the freshest ingredients available in carefully balanced formulas. Nutro understands that a dog’s food doesn’t just give him the nutrients he needs to thrive, but it also gives him the energy he needs to live a full and purposeful life. Nutro offers a variety of adult dog food recipes but this Nutro Ultra Adult Weight Management Dry Dog Food would be a particularly good choice for your Bulldog. This formula is designed both for dogs who need to lose weight and for dogs who have a lower activity level. It is still very rich in animal protein to help your Bulldog maintain lean muscle mass, but it is limited in fat content to avoid giving your dog too many calories. This recipe features fresh chicken and chicken meal as the primary proteins with digestible carbohydrates like whole brown rice and ground white rice. It also contains healthy nutrients in both natural and synthetic form, plus chelated minerals for maximum nutrient absorption as well as nutritional balance.

What is the Best Food for Bulldog Puppies?

Ensuring that your Bulldog puppy lives a long and healthy life starts with feeding him the right diet from the very beginning. Bulldog puppies need plenty of protein to sustain their growth and development as well as energy to fuel their growth. Below you will find a review of several high-quality brands of puppy food that could be a good choice for your Bulldog puppy:

Orijen Puppy Recipe Dry Food

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Chicken, Deboned Turkey, Yellowtail Founder, Whole Eggs, Whole Atlantic Mackerel
Key Features :

• No grain, gluten, or potatoes
• Protein rich
• Mimics dogs’ natural diet
• Fresh fruits, veggies, and botanicals

The Orijen brand is known for producing biologically appropriate diets for puppies and adult dogs using only the highest quality ingredients available. A biologically appropriate diet is simply one designed to mimic the type of natural diet dogs have evolved to follow – a meat-rich diet like the wild wolves eat. Orijen dog foods come in regular kibbles as well as freeze-dried kibbles for optimal protein content and natural flavor. The Orijen Puppy Recipe is a dry food recipe made with 85% poultry, fish, and egg ingredients with 15% fruits, vegetables, and botanicals – there is no gluten, grain, or potato in this recipe. This Orijen Puppy Recipe Dry Food features fresh free-run chicken and turkey as well as nest-laid eggs and wild-caught fish for maximum protein content as well as plenty of healthy fats. It also contains a single synthetic supplement – the rest of the nutrients come from natural sources like fresh fruits, vegetables, and botanicals.

NutriSource Small & Medium Breed Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice

Healthy Ingredients : Chicken Meal, Chicken, Brown Rice, White Rice, Fish Meal
Key Features :

• Smaller kibbles
• Protein packed
• Digestible carbs
• Chelated minerals for maximum nutrient absorption

The NutriSource brand belongs to the KLN family of brands which has been providing healthy pet foods for more than fifty years. This company designs each of their products so that they deliver safe, high-quality nutrition through the use of quality ingredients. This NutriSource Small & Medium Breed Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice is a great choice for your Bulldog puppy because it contains protein-rich chicken and digestible brown rice. This formula is specifically designed for puppies that grow to a maximum adult size of 50 pounds, so your Bulldog should fit well into that range. This recipe offers a whopping 32% crude protein and 21% fat, so your puppy won’t be lacking for nutrients. As an added bonus, this formula is shaped into smaller kibbles for your puppy’s small mouth and it is an easily digestible formula as well. You’ll also be glad to know that this recipe contains both dried fermentation products and chelated minerals for maximum nutrient absorption.

Solid Gold Wolf Cub Bison & Oatmeal Puppy Formula

Healthy Ingredients : Bison, Ocean Fish Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Peass
Key Features :

• Easy to digest carbs
• Includes fruits and veggies
• Protein-rich
• Probiotic support

The Solid Gold brand of dog food was founded in 1974 and has always been devoted to giving pets the high-quality, holistic nutrition they deserve. Solid Gold began with a single recipe but has grown to offer dozens of different formulas for dogs in all life stages including this Solid Gold Wolf Cub Bison & Oatmeal Puppy Formula. This formula is a great choice for your Bulldog puppy because it is formulated for puppies of his size. Made with protein-rich bison, ocean fish meal, and eggs, this meat-based formula offers 26% crude protein and plenty of healthy fats for concentrated energy to sustain your dog’s growth and development. Other beneficial ingredients found in this recipe include digestible carbohydrates like brown rice and oatmeal as well as fresh fruits and vegetables as natural sources for key nutrients. There are also dried fermentation products for probiotic support.

Special Dietary and Nutritional Considerations

Though some might consider the Bulldog a small dog, their tendency to put on weight easily increases their risk for obesity so you want to avoid choosing a dog food recipe with too much fat for your Bulldog. This means that a small-breed formula is probably not the best choice. Unfortunately, most dog food brands only offer small-breed and large-breed formulas, so you might not be able to find a recipe for medium-sized dogs. This being the case, you should look for a high-quality dog food formula designed for adult dogs. Avoid recipes made specifically for active and working breeds because these will be too high in fat for your Bulldog. At the same time, a low-calorie or weight reduction formula probably isn’t necessary unless your Bulldog actually is overweight.

One of the best ways to ensure that your Bulldog gets the energy he needs without going overboard on calories is to calculate his daily needs according to weight. The average dog needs about 30 calories per pound of bodyweight which would put your Bulldog in the range of 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day. You must keep in mind, however, that Bulldogs are not as active as most dogs, so they won’t burn as many calories. This being the case, your Bulldog might only need 20 calories per pound of bodyweight, putting his daily range somewhere between 800 and 1,000. While your Bulldog puppy is growing, it is probably best to err on the higher end of the spectrum to avoid stunted growth. Once he reaches his adult size, however, you might need to scale back.

In most cases, a balanced adult dog formula will be sufficient to meet your Bulldog’s nutritional needs. There are, however, a few nutritional considerations you might want to take into account. For example, your Bulldog might benefit from a recipe made with higher levels of glucosamine and chondroitin – two supplements that help to support bone and joint health. Your Bulldog’s shortened stature and heavy build will put a lot of strain on his joints. Some Bulldogs are also prone to food allergies or sensitivities which could cause digestive issues. One way to deal with this is to switch your Bulldog to a grain-free formula or to try a limited ingredient diet (LID). If you aren’t sure which ingredient your dog is allergic to, switch to an LID made with a novel source of protein and carbohydrate and stick to it for about 12 weeks, or until all signs of the allergy have disappeared. Then you can introduce potential allergens one at a time until you find the culprit then simply choose a dog food that doesn’t contain that ingredient. You can also just keep feeding your Bulldog the LID.

Bulldog Food Comparison Table
Rank	Product	Price	Rating
Human Grade	Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast Fresh Dog Food  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Save 50% Here	Varies	A+
Best Value	American Journey Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$1.12/lb	A+
Most Popular	Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$1.55/lb	A+
#1	Blue Buffalo Basics Adult Grain-Free Duck and Potato  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$2.36/lb	A
#2	Nutro Ultra Adult Weight Management Dry  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$1.74/lb	A
#3	Orijen Puppy Recipe Dry Food  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$3.56/lb	A
#4	NutriSource Small & Medium Breed Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$1.85/lb	A
#5	Solid Gold Wolf Cub Bison & Oatmeal Puppy Formula  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$2.49/lb	A

Conclusion

When it comes to picking a dog food formula, there are many options to consider. What you have to remember, however, is that all dog foods are not created equal and it is up to you to find a formula that will meet your Bulldog’s nutritional needs. Take what you’ve learned about your Bulldog’s nutritional requirements and put it to work in selecting a dog food formula. If you need a little help getting started, consider one of the top-rated brands reviewed above.

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