What are the Best Dog Foods for Bulldogs?
In this article, we’ll share an overview of the bulldog breed, some potential health issues they may face, and diet recommendations for each stage of bulldog development.
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Breed Info
Breed Group:Non-Sporting | AKC Bulldog Profile
Ideal Weight:Female Adult: 36 to 46 pounds
Male Adult: 44 to 56 pounds
Exercise Need:20 to 40 minutes per day
Breed Summary
Bulldogs are easily identifiable, with their wrinkled faces, short snouts, underbites, and big barrel chests. They’ve even got a distinctive rolling gait that’s unique to the breed. Bulldogs have short, smooth coats and can be a wide variety of colors and patterns. They are generally easygoing, loyal, and docile, and while they will happily snuggle on your lap all day, they need moderate exercise on a regular basis to stay fit and maintain a healthy weight. Bulldogs’ short snouts mean they are not well-suited for particularly hot, humid areas, but they are great for families with children and can thrive in both urban and rural settings. Male bulldogs can weigh up to 50 pounds and females up to 40 pounds, so they may be happier in larger apartments or houses.
Physical Traits
Thick-set, short, pushed in nose, muscular, large head
Personality Traits
Easygoing, loyal, docile, courageous
Health Considerations
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Bulldogs can face some unique health issues due to their extremely short snouts and very wrinkly faces, which require regular cleaning to prevent food and oils from building up in the wrinkles and causing irritation or infections. Their shortened snouts also impact their eye cavities - they are shallow and can let in dust and other debris, causing vision problems. Bulldogs can also suffer from dry eye or cherry eye, which is a prolapsed gland in their third eyelid.
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Allergies
Bulldogs have notoriously sensitive stomachs and can suffer from food allergies. To prevent triggering allergies, make sure to introduce any new foods very slowly and under a watchful eye.
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Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome
Bulldogs have been bred to have extremely short snouts so their noses are pushed in and they have an underbite, which looks cute but can cause them a variety of problems like breathing issues, difficulty eating, and exercise intolerance. However, keeping your Bulldog at a healthy weight can alleviate some of these symptoms, so keep a close eye on body condition and look out for Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome. We also prefer foods with these ingredients or attributes:
Recommendations:
Large bites (to slow chewing)・ L-carnitine・ Low caloric density・ Low fat -
Joint Issues
Bulldogs are quite heavy for their size, so their joints can give them problems. Common issues include hip dysplasia, joint and ligament injuries, and osteoarthritis, so we recommend foods that contain:
Recommendations:
Antioxidants・ Chondroitin・ Glucosamine・ Green Mussel・ Methylsulfonymethane・ Omega-3 from Fish Oil・ Taurine・ Turmeric・ Vitamin E -
Thyroid and Heart Disease
Thyroid and heart issues, especially Hypothyroidism, often need to be treated with medication, but a healthy diet can be a useful preventive measure. We recommend dog foods for Bulldogs that are:
Recommendations:
Low Phosphorus・ Low Potassium・ Omega-3 from Fish Oil・ Potassium content
Get a tailored nutrition profile for your dog
Our free nutritional assessment tool provides individualized recommendations based on your dog's breed characteristics, age, weight, body condition score, and activity level. It only takes 30 seconds to receive science-based insights to support your dog's lifelong health.
Are Fresh Food Diets Good for Bulldogs?
Only if they’re properly balanced.
Many well-intentioned Bulldogs parents spend a lot of time preparing meals at home, but health benefits are lost if meals aren’t properly portioned and balanced with all the nutrients dogs need. Recently, a few companies have done an excellent job ensuring accurate portions and nutrient balance by delivering pre-prepped fresh meals customized to the size and needs of your dog. Farmer’s Dog, Ollie and Nom Nom have each been approved by our nutrition team as delivering truly quality and well-balanced meals. They can be a little expensive (usually 3-4x more per day than kibble), but many find the added health benefits worth the cost. They do offer discounts to new customers, though, if you’d like to try one out.
Pros and Cons of Fresh Food Diets
✓ Diets balanced by Nutritionists・ ✓ Customized portions for weight control・ ✓ Superior digestive and immune health ・✕ More expensive than standard dog food
Foods We Recommend for Bulldogs Puppies
How long do Bulldogss need puppy food?
Until they're 12 to 16 months old.
Bulldogs are very focused on growing, and how we feed them should help them do just that. Since they have so much growing to do, they need higher amounts of nutrients than adult dogs, especially proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and — don’t forget — water. It’s still important to not overfeed puppies, so make sure to portion food and keep treats to no more than 10% of their caloric intake. Since balance is so important, we recommend that your young Bulldogs is eating food that is made just for puppies from a reputable brand.
Find the best nutritional start for your puppy
Our recommendation tool evaluates your puppy’s breed, age, growth stage, lifestyle, and health needs to identify a scientifically appropriate diet from over 10,000 options. Obtain personalized guidance to help support healthy development and lifelong wellness.
Foods We Recommend for Bulldogs Adults
When should Bulldogs start transitioning to adult food?
When they're 12 to 16 months old
From a nutrition standpoint, Bulldogs become adults once they reach about 90% of their expected weight. Once adults, our two key nutrition goals are balance and maintenance. We want balance because a dog’s body is responsible for a lot of things, like digestion, fighting infection, keeping muscles strong, and chasing squirrels. These are all important tasks, so we want to make sure each body function gets its share of nutrients. We also need to maintain a healthy weight. Underfed dogs are at risk for malnourishment, and overfed dogs can become obese — both of which lead to even worse problems for a Bulldog
Find the optimal nutrition plan for your adult dog
Our assessment analyzes your dog’s breed, age, lifestyle, and health considerations to recommend a scientifically selected diet from over 10,000 options. Personalized insights to help your dog thrive through adulthood.
Foods We Recommend for Bulldogs Seniors
When should Bulldogs start transitioning to senior food?
All dogs can age differently, but medium dogs like Bulldogs can start to benefit from senior food around 7 to 8 years old
Ever watch kids running around the playground and wish you had that energy again? Yeah. Dogs get there, too. The metabolic processes in senior Bulldogs slow down as they age, which often means they aren’t needing quite as many calories as they did in their prime. Smart dog food companies have formulated senior diets to ease up on calories but still help them feel full and give them adequate maintenance protein. Still, like humans, everybody is different. Sometimes older dogs need just as many calories, or more, depending on how their bodies progress. So keep a close eye on their body condition, and look for dog foods made for seniors.
Support your senior dog's health with targeted nutrition
Our assessment analyzes your dog’s breed, age, and health considerations to recommend a science-based diet from over 10,000 options. Help maintain mobility, cognitive health, and quality of life.
Affiliate Disclosure:
We do not accept money to recommend pet foods. However, we do receive referral fees from online retailers (such as Chewy or Amazon) on qualifying purchases. Our recommendations are neutral, and diet recommendations are made without considering whether we will receive a referral fee.