Feeding Your French Bulldog Puppy (Ultimate Guide & Tips)
Source: https://topfrenchie.com/food/feeding-guide-french-bulldog-puppy/
If you’ve recently added a little Frenchie to your family, you may be wondering how much to feed your French Bulldog puppy.
With their small stature and seemingly big appetites, the question of how much to feed your French Bulldog puppy can be confusing to new pup parents.
We’re about to break that down for you so you’ll know the best way and how much to feed your French Bulldog Puppy to keep your growing and hungry Frenchie puppy healthy and happy!
How much should I feed my French Bulldog puppy?
As you introduce your pup to food at about 4 weeks, you’ll need to start slowly. I recommend introducing a quarter cup of softened kibble several times throughout the day.
As I mentioned my puppy prefers a little low-sodium chicken broth in hers. You can also use just plain water. I usually let it sit out a few minutes to absorb fully.
You can leave it out for them to sniff around and nibble but for no longer than twenty minutes. After that be sure to remove it as it may spoil.
At about 6 weeks of age, your pup will begin to transition to a diet of puppy food alone.
Remember, your puppy still needs to eat frequently and should be fed 3 times a day. They need about a cup and a half of kibble daily to meet their caloric needs. I found this easiest to divide into half a cup servings three times a day.
Once your puppy reaches about 6 months of age you can begin to feed them according to their weight and activity level. Typically you should not feed a French Bulldog more than 2 ½ cups of food a day.
Keep in mind, these are just general guidelines for feeding French Bulldog puppies. If your dog is particularly active, or more of a cuddly couch surfer you may need to adjust their diet to fit their nutritional needs.
How often should I feed my French Bulldog puppy?
Just like a human baby, growing pups are rapidly changing and have very specific dietary needs.
Once your puppy is weaned off its mother’s milk, typically around 6–8 weeks of age, you should begin feeding your pup 3–4 times a day. You may begin to introduce puppy mush, or wet dog food after 4 weeks of age.
Due to your puppies rapid growth, several meals throughout the day are necessary until about 6 months of age. Their small stomachs simply aren’t mature enough to consume enough calories in one meal.
At about 6 months of age you can begin feeding twice a day. However, if you find your pup does well with the structure of being fed three times a day, there is no reason to stop.
What should I feed my French Bulldog puppy?
It is important that your growing puppy’s caloric needs are met. You should be feeding your pup high-quality puppy food. Adult dog food simply doesn’t meet a puppy’s nutritional requirements.
While many people prefer to feed kibble you can use wet, dry, or even raw food. Raw foods such as carrots, broccoli, green beans and even raw meat are perfectly healthy for your puppy.
My own pup’s favorite meal is some kibble, softened with water and chicken broth, with a little bit of wet food mixed in. She can barely contain her enthusiasm at meal times.
What if my French Bulldog puppy eats too quickly?
Some French Bulldog puppies are very enthusiastic eaters. When we got my puppy at about 8 weeks of age, she would quickly wolf down her food.
The result was a bloated belly and near toxic gas.
It is important to rectify a puppy’s eating behaviors quickly if you find they eat too fast. It can actually be dangerous for dogs to bloat and lead to stomach distension.
Our puppy came from a big litter and was used to racing to beat her brothers and sisters to the food bowl.
To prevent the urge to compete we fed her in a separate room from our other dog initially. We also purchased a slow feeder dish which helped her to slow down quickly.
After about three weeks we successfully transitioned her back to a bigger bowl and she now enjoys nice leisurely meals close to her big sister.
What if my French Bulldog puppy eats too little or is reluctant to eat?
Some pups take a little longer to adjust to the kibble diet. Luckily, I’ve got a few tips on how to turn hesitant eaters into healthy eaters.
As I mentioned earlier, be sure you are softening the food. While this can be done with water, low-sodium chicken broth adds lots of delicious flavors.
Mix up meal times and try to avoid eating at the same time as your pup. Your puppy may find the scent of your food tempting or distracting.
It can also be helpful to offer food in smaller portions more frequently throughout the day. Try to keep them isolated from other dogs and feed them in a quiet place with limited distractions.
Since some puppies are pickier eaters than others, you may need to switch up your puppy food brands to find one that is suited for your pup’s taste.
What foods should I avoid giving my French Bulldog puppy?
We’ve talked a lot about what your puppy should eat, but you should also understand there are foods you should not allow your puppy access to.
You’ve probably heard that chocolate is bad for dogs, but did you also know that onions and garlic can be poisonous for your pup?
In fact, the list of foods to avoid is actually quite long.
- Chocolate
- Onions
- Garlic
- Leeks
- Chives
- Xylitol (artificial sweetener)
- Corn on the cob
- Cooked bones
- Avocado
- Grapes and Raisins
- Nuts (especially Macadamia and Walnut)
- Fruit Pits
- Mustard Seeds
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
This list is not all-inclusive. Often your veterinarian may have pamphlets or flyers available. You can also find free printables with a quick internet search.
Most importantly, be aware of what your pup needs to steer clear of. Puppies are quick to get into mischief so prevent issues by keeping unsafe foods inaccessible.
What should my French Bulldog puppy weigh?
Unfortunately, French Bulldogs are prone to weight issues. Obesity in French Bulldog’s can cause many health issues as they age. It is important to introduce proper feeding habits to your pup right away.
By about 8 weeks, your puppy should weigh between 2.3- 3kg (5–7 lbs). At 4 months a healthy weight is between 4- 5.5kg (9–12 lbs).
At six months old, male French Bulldogs typically weigh between 7.5–10kg (17–22lbs) with an average weight of 8.4kg (18.5lbs), while female French Bulldogs typically weigh between 5.9–9kg (13–20lbs) with an average weight of 7.7kg (17lbs).
At a year of age, healthy weights can greatly vary. Any weight between 8–12.5kg (18–28 lbs) can be healthy, accounting for size and activity level.
A great French Bulldog Weight calculator can be found here.
Keep in mind that other factors such as your pup’s gender may account for variations in size. Typically female French Bulldogs are not as tall, nor do they weigh as much as males.
If you are unsure what a healthy weight for your pup is, please consult with your veterinarian.
If you find your puppy gaining weight too quickly, you may need to slightly alter their diet slowly to see what amount of food best suits them and their lifestyle. Increasing activity by going on a couple of extra walks a day can also help.
Proper diet and nutrition can go a long way to keeping your pup healthy!
