How Much To Feed Puppy Pitbull

Over the last few decades, pit bulls have gotten a bad rap, often seen as canines bent on terrorizing other dogs or attacking children. But when well-cared for and socialized from puppyhood, pit bulls can make loyal, loving family pets. One way to ensure pit bulls are healthy and good-tempered is to feed them a nutritious diet throughout their lifespan.

With their beseeching eyes and floppy ears, it can be easy to overindulge pitbull puppies. But proper nutrition from the start will help them grow into healthy adults. The best food for a pitbull puppy is one full of high-quality protein from such sources as muscle meats and eggs. Because puppies dont digest protein as well as adult dogs, look for dog food that is 34 to 40% high-quality protein.

Puppies also need a moderate amount of fat, but packing on the pounds too quickly can lead to skeletal abnormalities. Food should contain 14-to-17% fat from sources such as chicken fat and fish oil. Too much calcium can also cause skeletal issues, so pitbull pups need food that is only 1.1 to 1.5% calcium. Because the enzyme that helps puppies digest starches is low, the number of carbohydrates in their food should be less than 30%.

Given a puppys unique nutritional needs, its easy to see why you should opt for food formulated for puppies rather than adult dogs. Pitbulls range in size up to 80 pounds, so choose large breed puppy food to make sure your dog doesnt develop developmental orthopedic disease caused by too much growth too fast, according to the American Kennel Club.

Large breed puppy foods include less vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, and fat than those designed for miniature breeds. Look on the label for an “AAFCO statement” which says the brand “is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth/all life stages ​​including​​ growth of large-size dogs (70 lbs or more as an adult).”

This nutritional statement required by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is required on all labels and will either say “including” or “except for” the growth of large-sized dogs. Read the label carefully to avoid getting the wrong kind.

Pitbull Puppy Feeding Chart At A Glance
Age Type of Food Cups a Day
7 – 12 weeks Puppy Food 2 – 3
13 weeks – 6 months Puppy Food 3 – 4
7 – 15 months Puppy Food 4 – 5
Adult Adult Dog Food 4 – 5

How Much To Feed A Pitbull Puppy?

If you have a 2 week old Pitbull puppy, your puppy will have opened his eyes and begun teetering around slightly. Puppies at this age do not get very far. At this age, the puppy will be completely reliant on his mother’s milk.

The mother should never be too far from the puppies and she herself will also need a large amount of calories to make up for all of the milk that she is making and sharing with her puppies. If your Pitbull pup is looking small or even smaller than his littermates, talk to your vet about supplementing formula.

A 3 week old Pitbull puppy will have better balance, but still will not be straying far from his mother. A puppy at this age should still be completely reliant on his mother’s milk. Do not attempt weaning or introducing dog food yet at this age.

Some breeders who are eager to get their pups adopted out might try weaning, but it is not a good idea at such a young age. The mother should still be feeding the puppies on demand, laying down for them to nurse until they are full. The puppies should be able to move enough away from the litter to urinate.

When your Pitbull puppy has reached 4 weeks old, he will have more control over his legs and will begin to explore slightly. He should still be dependent upon his mother’s milk. If you are considering weaning at this point, you can try to introduce puppy food mixed with water.

It should be ¼ food to ¾ water. Your 4 week old Pitbull puppy will not be able to eat much at all and might not be remotely interested in eating the mixture. If he isn’t interested, don’t worry. He just isn’t ready yet and should still be getting his nutrition from his mother’s milk.

A 5 week old Pitbull puppy might be more interested in trying out puppy food. Still, try with the mixture that is primarily water. He is likely to be more interested this week than he was the week before, but don’t try to force him if he isn’t interested.

Hopefully, the puppy will at least taste the mixture. He should still be getting most of his food from his mother’s milk regardless. Even if your puppy is trying the food, don’t expect him to eat much food at all, because his stomach is still small and won’t take in much.

At the age of 6 weeks, your puppy should be a little more interested in that food mixture that you have been making. If he is eating it, you can try reducing the amount of water that is in the food to half, gradually getting down to not having any water in it at all.

The 6 week old Pitbull puppy will still not be eating much at all, but taking a couple of bites here and there can help get his stomach more used to eating it. He should still be getting most of his calories from his mother, but she might be less inclined toward nursing.

Your 7 week old Pitbull puppy should be eating the puppy food without any trouble. If you haven’t cut out all of the water yet, this is the time to get the puppy on the food by itself. If the mother is still willing to nurse, it is more likely to be a quick stop before moving on.

She is going to be working on weaning the puppies as well and will help the process by separating herself from the puppies, allowing them to eat the puppy food as a primary source of nutrition. She should be allowed to escape from the puppies as she wishes.

Your 8 week old Pitbull puppy will be ready to be rehomed with a new family. He should not be getting any more mother’s milk and should be completely reliant on puppy food now. You should be offering your puppy food 4 times a day, if possible.

The food should be given in equal amounts to fulfill his need for calories. Make sure to remove any food that isn’t eaten after around 20 minutes so the puppy will get used to being on a consistent feeding schedule. It will help with digestion.

Your puppy should be in his new home by 9 weeks. If you are changing the food that your puppy is on from what the breeder was feeding, make sure to do it slowly so that you do not upset your puppy’s stomach. Mix in the new food with the old food to make the change.

You should be feeding the puppy around 2 cups of food a day, divided into equal portions. His energy level should be increasing as well, so he might be burning more calories, gradually increasing his appetite over time. Stick with your feeding schedule.

If you have a 10 week old Pitbull puppy, your puppy likely has a lot of energy and has started getting into some mischief. Be aware that puppies often will try to eat anything that they can get their mouths on, so watch what you have on the floor or what your puppy has access to.

If he eats anything that isn’t food, it could be dangerous to him. Otherwise, keep him on his feeding schedule. You can increase his food slightly to accommodate any increase in appetite that he might be experiencing as his stomach is growing in addition to his body.

When your Pitbull puppy is 11 weeks old, he should still be on a strict feeding schedule, sticking with 4 times a day if possible, 3 times a day if it’s not possible. Only leave his food out for 10 to 20 minutes at a time and remove any food that isn’t eaten.

This will help keep him on a schedule and teach him when he can expect food as well as teaching him to eat when it is offered. You will also be able to see how much he was actually hungry for and if he is not responding well to the food he’s getting.

Your 12 week old Pitbull puppy should be growing rapidly. He should have a lot of energy and be hungry enough to eat it all. You can reduce his food to 3 meals a day if you haven’t already, just make sure that his meals have been divided equally.

Do not switch your puppy from puppy food yet as he needs the calories that come with puppy food. If you have other dogs, it is tempting to feed everyone the same food, but you cannot feed a puppy adult food at this age. Keep his calories up for steady growth.

6 Month Old Pitbull Puppy Weight

At 6 months, your Pitbull puppy should weigh between 50 and 57 pounds. The weight gain should have slowed down even more and they should only have 15 to 20 pounds left to gain to reach their final adult weight, but they will still be getting taller as their bones are not yet done growing.

You should still be feeding your puppy in 3 equal meals throughout the day. Keep him as trim as possible as it is hard for Pitbulls to lose excess weight.

6 to 8 Weeks:

Food Type: Gruel/Puppy Food

Food Quantity: 1 Cup Gruel/2 Cups Puppy Food

Feeding Frequency: 4-6 times a day

The sixth to eighth week is the peak stage of weaning puppies off their mothers. During this time, most puppies will start to consume the gruel regularly while balancing off their remaining nutritional needs with milk.

The mother will naturally stop nursing around the eighth week, encouraging the pup to seek food elsewhere. You can initially reduce the portion of water to ½ cup with ½ cup of puppy food. Though whenever the puppy stops taking their mother’s milk, you must put their diet plan into effect.

Give them 2 cups of puppy food daily, divided into 4 or 5 meals. If they cannot finish most of the food at each mealtime, increase the number of meals by one until they can eat all their daily allowance. Keep the food out for around 30 minutes, and remove any left after your puppy finishes.

How Much To Feed Puppy Pitbull

FAQ

What do I feed my 8 week old pitbull puppy?

Six to twelve weeks

To ensure she grows into a happy and healthy adult, choose a wet or dry puppy-specific food for her to eat. These foods are higher in fat and calories than those designed for adult dogs, which give her the nutrients her growing body needs.

How much dog food should a pitbull eat?

As a general rule, large adult Pitbulls require three cups of food daily. However, as a pet parent, you need to know how much you need to feed your Pitbull at different life stages.

How many times a day does a pitbull puppy eat?

Pitbull Puppy Diets

Growing puppies need food with at least 22.5 percent of high-quality protein (based on dry matter). The amino acid profile (how the proteins are put together) matters too, as do other nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus or magnesium.