How Often Should You Feed a Bulldog
Dog Care Tips · Dog Feeding Guide

How Often Should You Feed a Bulldog? – Ultimate Feeding Guide and Chart

Last Updated/Info Checked on February 18, 2023 by Linda Michaels

Working closely with Bulldogs has taught me one thing – it is an insatiable breed. It’s always hungry, wanting to munch on anything protein you present. But its diet isn’t limited to just that.

Over the years, I’ve also learned that you’ve to be careful not to feed anything to this dog because it has a sensitive stomach. Combine a hearty appetite and a sensitive gut, and you have a Bulldog.

Poor things don’t know that their strength is their weakness. 

Anyways, here’s how often you should feed a Bulldog, what you should feed it, and what you shouldn’t. 

An adult bulldog should be fed twice a day, but a puppy should be fed at least thrice a day. Choosing meal times or frequency also depends on the dog’s health, activity, and sex. Read the recommended portions at the back of the dog food you’re using.

In this article, you’ll find a chart for your reference and plenty of other questions answered. So, get along.

How Often Should You Feed A Bulldog – Feeding Guide And Chart

You’ll find the chart and the answers to some pressing questions here.

Why is my bulldog always hungry?

Understanding a Bulldog’s diet requires us to understand its appetite first. The latter is a door to the former. If you don’t know why your dog is always hungry, you may make mistakes in feeding it the wrong things. 

So to know that I recommend first comparing the dog’s previous feeding habits to current. See for visible signs of a sudden increase in appetite.

If that’s so, you may take it to a vet because anything sudden should be a cause for concern.

You don’t want your dog to be suffering from some underlying conditions such as a swollen colon, intestinal bugs, and some dreaded diseases. 

I always tell owners to keep an eye on their dog’s behavior because that’s going to give them a window into the problems that may arise. 

But if you know that there aren’t any diseases making the dog hungry, you may want to look into its routine.

Ask yourself, have you been exercising the bulldog more than you did before? More exercise will obviously make the dog hungrier.

Is the dog getting old because when it does, it starts eating more often to get going?

Have you changed the dog’s diet from dry to wet food? Wet foods tend to have more water and less nutrition as compared to dry foods.

You’ve to feed the dog more of that to maintain the same vigor as with dry food.

Are Bulldogs big eaters?

As I said above, Bulldogs tend to be hungry at all times. They love food. Yes, you could call them big eaters.

Again, the poor thing doesn’t know that its favorite pastime could be a problem for it. I’ve seen many dogs of the breed deal with obesity and related problems. 

I don’t blame the owners for letting them free-feed. I blame their lack of knowledge of the repercussions of doing so.

They think that the dog needs to be fed the moment it asks for food. Love could make some owners blind but love is love. You can’t argue with it. 

Thankfully, you’re not one of them, else you won’t be reading this article to understand how much and how often you should feed your Bulldog. 

How many meals should a bulldog have?

A Bulldog, as compared to bigger breeds, needs more food per day. I recommend doing that thrice a day if the dog’s still a pup and twice a day when it enters adulthood. 

What defines adulthood and puppyhood? The age, of course. 

From 2 to 5 months, you should feed the dog ⅓ of a bowl three times – morning, evening, and night. 

From 5 to 12 months, ½ bowl would do well in the morning and ½ in the night. 

Here’s a chart to help you get it better. 

Dog’s AgeFeeding Bowl to Be Divided Into Feeding Times
Morning EveningNight
2 to 5 months⅓ ⅓ ⅓ 
5 to 12 months1/21/2

The chart tells you how many meals your dog should have according to its age. It doesn’t tell anything about the total mass of the food per meal.

Keep reading and you’ll find out.

How Many Times A Day Do You Feed A Bulldog?

That’s evident from the chart above. A Bulldog puppy from 2 to 5 months should eat three times a day.

The best practice is to divide the bowl into ⅓ sections and feed the pup in the morning, evening, and night. 

However, make sure that you’re using the right amount of food. A 2-month-old pup shouldn’t eat more than 230 g.

Here’s a chart detailing how much you should feed the pup based on its age and weight. 

Puppy’s Age (months)Weight (kg)Grams per meal (g)
20230
25260
30270
320270
25300
30320
420300
25340
30370
520300
25360
30400

How Much Should A Full-Grown English Bulldog Eat?

Bulldogs above 5 months aren’t adults, practically, but their feeding times match with those of the adults.

Beyond 12 months, the appetite increases but you’ve to make sure that there isn’t overfeeding involved in the dog’s routine for the sake of keeping it well inside the healthy weight regime.

And that’s why most vets and dog trainers, including me, recommend feeding a Bulldog from 5 to 12 months ½ bowl in the morning and ½ in the night. 

Obviously, it also depends on the weight of the dog as I shared above. 

Dog’s Age (months)Weight (kg)Grams per meal (g)
620300
35380
30440
820240
25300
30370
1020215
25270
30315
12 and beyond20215
25265
30320

Beyond 12 months, make sure that you understand your dog’s cues. It’s all in the way the dog’s losing or gaining weight.

If it’s losing, you add a few grams until the weight stabilizes and vice versa. 

However, if the dog’s weight is continually decreasing or abruptly increasing, you may want to visit a vet.

Anything alarming outside your or your pet’s routine could be potentially harmful. 

What Do You Feed A Bulldog?

Bulldogs are not hell-bent on eating meat only. They could eat a range of different foods based on their usual needs for healthy fat, carbs, and yes, proteins.

I’m not saying that strict protein-based diets are not recommended. All I’m saying is that the diet should be rich in micronutrients as well.

From a balanced diet perspective, you could feed it chicken, lamb, fish such as salmon and tuna, or beef/pork along with fruits such as apples, berries, carrots, and some dairy products.

However, don’t go overboard with dairy products because Bulldogs could easily develop bloating problems if you feed them too much dairy.

Also, no matter which veggies you’re going to feed them, they should be well-cooked to discourage any pests from getting inside the dog’s system. That goes with all foods except fruits. 

Here’s a chart detailing what I recommend you should feed the dog. 

MeatGrainsVegetableFruits
lambCornBroccolicucumber
chickenWheatAsparagusMango
Fish (salmon and tuna)RiceCabbagePineapple
EggsMaizeEggplantMelon
DucksOatsPeasCoconut
PorkQuinoaSpinachDates
BeefMilletSweet PotatoPeach
LiverOatmealCarrot, Lettuce, or other safe saladsOrange, watermelon, pear, peach, and Kiwis

That’s quite a menu. If you ask me, I cannot maintain a healthy diet from all these ingredients. They make up occasional treats for the dogs I feed. Just to, you know, lighten their mood and give them something to cheer on. 

Usually, I’m all about the different types of balanced foods available in the market. 

Kibble

This is my number one go-to food when it comes to feeding Bulldogs or any dog thereof.

However, I make sure that I choose the right brand from the pool because the manufacturer makes or breaks the whole point of choosing kibble. 

To give you a heads-up, I choose cold-pressed kibble because that’s the process through which each grain retains more nutrition than any other type. You could get it easily in the market.

Just make sure to check the label that says “cold pressed”. 

Water-Based Wet Foods

Some owners tend to choose these over dry food for a number of reasons. I’ve met some who say they want to make sure that the dog’s getting enough hydration.

While that’s a good point to ponder, you may not realize that wet foods have less nutrition per bite than dry foods.

Since you’ll be feeding your dog less as it ages to keep obesity at bay, it would become a hassle to maintain its diet or needs.

As a result, you may have to increase the wet food portions. 

Also, feeding your dog this kind of food may make you ask why it’s always hungry. 

Some owners take things a step further and mix both wet and dry foods. They are rich, to be honest. So, if you could do that, why not?

Dry+Wet Food 

That’s for the rich owners, as I said. However, since you’re owning a pet, meeting its needs is your job.

I’ve seen some Bulldogs turn an indifferent eye toward kibble or entirely wet foods. They are cats in the guise of dogs.

We can’t do anything about changing their eating preferences because that’s what’s going to keep them alive, but we can opt for foods that have at least 60% of water. 

They are available in the market and again, they don’t have as much energy as kibble. 

Raw Things

I’m against feeding dogs or any other pet raw foods. The number one reason, of course, is that they could harbor all sorts of different pests that could cause intestinal problems.

The other reason is that I don’t like raw foods being shoved into the mouth of the dogs I feed. 

However, in your case, if you think you’ve taken care of all the baddies that could harm the dog, it’s fine to let it eat raw.

Again, I’ll say that it boils down to your preferences. Like me, you may want to spice up the pet’s routine every once in a while. 

What Should I Not Feed My Bulldog?

There are some foods that aren’t recommended based on their toxic nature. They may not kill your dog but they’ll make sure that it goes through a lot of stomach-related issues.

You wouldn’t want that for your pet, so it’s best to avoid the following foods.

  • Grapes – Almost all dogs have something against them. 
  • Chocolate – Causes bloating and gas. 
  • Raisins – They are dried grapes. 
  • Cocoa – What makes chocolate? 
  • Salt – Salt toxicity could lead to muscle cramps and digestive problems.
  • Onions – A key component of onions may cause anemia in dogs. 
  • Cherries – Overconsumption could lead to cyanide poisoning. Yikes. 
  • Garlic – Some compounds in garlic could lead to red blood cell damage. 
  • Caffeine – Raises blood pressure 
  • Mushrooms – Certain types could cause eye-related problems and seizures. 
  • Nutmeg – Small amounts in baked treats are okay but overconsumption could lead to disorientation and heart-related problems. 
  • Green Tomatoes – Solanin and Tomatin in green tomatoes have harmful toxins. Avoid at all costs.
  • Black Walnuts – While most walnuts are okay to pose as treats, black walnuts may contain fungi that could cause toxicity. 
  • Chives – They belong to the garlic family and thus, are poisonous. 
  • Raw Potatoes – These include Solanin. Again, very toxic. 
  • Yeast – Anything that has yeast may cause bloating in dogs.
  • Alcohol – It’s not recommended for humans, so why would it be for dogs?
  • Avocados – Persin toxin could wreak havoc with your dog’s health. 

Why Should Dogs Eat Kibble?

Kibble is love. I prefer this over all kinds of foods because of the benefits it yields. 

1. Improved Teeth 

Kibble is dry food. So, naturally, the dog chews it more than the wet food, which it slurps as you may have seen it. Chewing leads to the strengthening of tooth roots. You’d want that, won’t you?

2. Healthy Gums

Wet food sticks to the gums. That’s not a good sign if you want to eliminate plaque from the canine’s teeth and gums.

Kibble, on the other hand, does not stick to any of those, thus, reducing plaque and also promoting gum health. 

3. Fewer Bacteria 

Wet things harbor bacteria more than dry things. Therefore, wet canned food may have become spoiled and have bacteria without your knowledge.

Kibble has fewer of those because it’s dry. 

4. Good Poop 

You don’t want slurpier and wet poop, trust me.

While there will still be some moisture on the feces, kibble will make sure it doesn’t exceed the point where you may have to wash unsuspecting linens for days.

I didn’t even mention the smell of that thing. 

Besides, fibers in the dry food make pooping less trauma-causing event for the dog.

The poop will get out in one go without the dog straining as if it’s getting rid of a demon. 

5. It Doesn’t Spill

Dry food like kibble doesn’t spill because it’s not inundated with water. You put it in the bowl and it stays there.

Even if your dog is a messy eater, which it will be, you could always vacuum the grains it has spread luxuriously on the floor. 

6. You Can Store It Easily

Although every kind of dog food has its own storage bag, you could easily store dry food in any container.

Kibble doesn’t have water or any moisture that could try to escape the container onto the counter or anywhere you’ve stored the food. 

7. Cheap 

I’m not rich enough to afford semi-wet foods or cans after cans of wet food. Kibble does well in keeping the load off my pocket.

It comes cheaper and has loads of benefits as compared to wet or semi-wet foods. 

8. Less Usage 

Measuring dry food is so easy as compared to wet food. This makes feeding your dog the right amount per meal.

In the long run, you’re able to keep the dog’s weight where it should be. 

Is Chicken Bad For Bulldogs?

As per the chart I shared above, chicken is perfect for all kinds of dogs. It is a cheap source of protein.

However, as with all other foods that you feed to your Bulldog, make sure that chicken does not cause any sort of allergies, especially, raw. 

As a trainer, I believe in introducing new foods in small amounts until I’m sure that the dog will not develop any sort of complications if I increase the portion.

The same goes for chicken. 

Also, no two dogs are the same. I remember feeding chicken to a bull terrier and an English bulldog. The bull terrier developed an eerie skin rash after a few minutes.

I had to take her to the nearest vet. That was a heavy day. But the English bulldog didn’t budge at all. He was well over the moon to have eaten something out of his daily routine. 

What Meat Is Good For Bulldogs?

You may think that meat of all types is good for a Bulldog. You’re wrong. I would be wise enough to first test or try the meat and then go for a full-blown OKAY.

But there are certain sources that have been used for a long time. Chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, and beef are some of the sources that go well with Bulldogs. 

However, make sure that the meat isn’t raw or that you’re sure that it doesn’t have any bugs even if it’s raw.

I prefer boiling the meat for a few minutes to get rid of the disease-causing things and then feeding it to the dogs. 

Also, try to make the diet more protein-dominated than carbs. Carbs tend to make dogs obese as compared to proteins.

That certainly doesn’t mean that you should go overboard with the protein. Refer to the feeding chart that I shared above to not make things worse for your dog.    

Can English Bulldogs Eat Raw Meat?

Yup, they can eat raw meat, but I tell this time and again that the meat should be processed enough.

I don’t prefer raw and even if I bring it in, I make sure that it gets boiled for a few minutes. 

What Human Food Can My Bulldog Eat?

One thing stands clear and bright as a sunny day – you cannot feed all human foods to your dog(s). But what you can feed them include:

  • Popcorn – yes, but it shouldn’t have salt or any other ingredient. 
  • Salmon – boneless salmon is wow. 
  • Eggs – not raw ones but also not overcooked
  • Peanut Butter – high protein content but should be fed in moderation. 
  • Carrots – yes. 
  • Cucumbers – moderate. 
  • Blueberries – have antioxidants.
  • Blackberries – low in calories and rich in taste. 
  • Pineapple – feed it in small amounts. 
  • Bread – plain white bread should be an occasional treat. 
  • Corn – moderate. 
  • Coconut – dogs love coconut meat or oil. 
  • Milk – limited.
  • Rice – your dog will digest it in no time. 
  • Beef – yes, please. 
  • Bananas, strawberries, and oranges – don’t go overboard. 

These are some of the human foods that your dog will eat without any problem.

However, whenever you’re feeding it something new, search about it online to see if it’s good for the dog’s health or not. 

I understand that it’s hard to not bow down to the puppy-dog eyes your pet makes when you’re sitting at your dining table.

But I implore you to control your motherly impulse and feed the dog things that it can digest. Refer to the charts and the lists I’ve shared with you so far. 

Are Raw Eggs Good For English Bulldogs?

Please do not feed your dog raw eggs. They could cause digestive problems because of the presence of Salmonella.

It’s a bacteria you wouldn’t want your dog to ingest. So, avoid raw eggs at all costs. 

Instead, boil or scramble them for the larger good of the dog because this way, it will be able to get the maximum benefits the eggs provide.

They are vitamins, fatty acids, protein, and essential minerals. 

What Vegetables Can Bulldogs Eat?

Veggies should make a part of the dog’s diet if you’re avoiding kibble or wet food. I’ll say again that they should be boiled at least before being given to the pet. 

I’ve shared a list of different veggies you can feed it. However, here’s a reminder:

  • Broccoli 
  • Carrots
  • Green beans 
  • Peas 
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Corn
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Spinach

Do Bulldogs Have Sensitive Stomachs?

Bulldogs generally have sensitive stomachs. However, more than the breed, it depends on what you’re feeding them.

Just like humans, some Bulldogs may not be sensitive to certain foods while others could be. You’ve to make sure by trial and error.

If you’re trying out new food, feed the dog in small amounts and then increase the portions once things seem okay. 

Here are the signs you should look for to know if your dog’s stomach isn’t doing well with certain foods. 

  • Vomiting out of nowhere
  • Going to potty frequently during the day. You’ll know when the dog goes a lot. 
  • The stool is loose. Almost like undercooked meat. Ew. 
  • Excessively passing gas. Get ready for some noise here and there. 
  • Weight loss after a period of an upset stomach.
  • Bulldogs are couch potatoes but the one with a sensitive stomach would prefer lying down more often. 
  • Whining or seeking attention could also count as a symptom that something’s wrong with the dog. 

When you see these symptoms, make sure that you remove any kind of excess food that you’ve been feeding it. That could include treats, human food, or raw meat.

Switch back to kibble for some time and monitor the dog’s behavior closely. You may feel that the symptoms are improving but if not, you should seek an appointment with the vet ASAP.

Ingredients That May Cause Sensitive Stomach

  • Are you feeding your dog chicken? Switch to lamb or beef because certain protein sources like chicken do not work well with your dog. 
  • Check the amount of fiber in the food you’re feeding it. A lack of fiber could make the stool loose. 
  • If your dog’s food has more fat, then that could be a cause of the sensitive stomach. Dogs have a hard time digesting a lot of fat. 
  • A dog suffering from vitamin and mineral deficiency may experience a sensitive stomach. Check the label, please. 

Can English Bulldogs Eat Bananas?

English and French Bulldogs both can eat bananas as a special treat. Make sure that you feed yours in moderation because excess of anything could be bad. Bananas are rich in fiber and have low calories.

Both of these prove to work like a charm for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Besides, it could also brighten their moods. Eating something out of the ordinary elevates the mood, doesn’t it?

Do English Bulldogs Need Supplements?

They may or may not need supplements, depending on the food you’re feeding them. For example, kibble mostly has all the elements, minerals, or vitamins needed to get the dog’s health going in the right direction.

Compared to that, wet food may not have everything. The portion size plus frequency also plays a role in supplying the right nutrition to the dog. 

Read the label of the dog food you’re using. Most of them have everything your dog would need.

However, if you think yours lack in any way, then there are dog supplements to use.

The vitamins you should be looking for are vitamins A, C, K, and E. Avoid vitamins that are fat-soluble. They are toxic. 

Is Fish Oil Good For English Bulldogs?

Yes, fish oil fights the inflammation in your dog’s body. If your dog has sensitive skin that flares up every time you feed it something new, then consider feeding it fish oil.

It reduces rashes, and skin allergies, and helps the dog fight auto-immune diseases. I recommend going for Omega-3 supplements. However, just with any other supplement, make sure that the dog doesn’t consume them in large amounts. 

Too much Omega-3 could alter the dog’s blood chemistry, thereby, disturbing the overall platelets count.

These are cell fragments that block a wound to stop bleeding. If you notice sudden bleeding from your dog’s nostrils or unstoppable bleeding from a wound, seek professional help. 

Conclusion 

Bulldogs as a breed have different dietary needs. However, before feeding your dog all the things mentioned here, know that they too have individual preferences.

I have listed down all the things that are safe for them. I have also listed things that you should avoid feeding it at all costs.

In between these lists, if you choose to give the dog something out of ordinary, then do it in small amounts. Look for the signs that tell you about the distress of the dog.

If there isn’t anything suspicious, you could continue with it. All you want is to be careful! That’s it from me!

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