Feeding your English Bulldog can be a difficult science, especially if you have just introduced one to your household. Different sizes and breeds of dog, naturally, need different amounts of food. But how much should you be feeding your English bulldog or puppy per day?
How many cups of food should I feed my English Bulldog? How much you need to feed your English Bulldog will depend on their age and weight. It can vary between half a cup to 2 cups of food a day. Adult dogs are fed twice, puppies should be fed 3 times.
Adult English Bulldogs should eat two meals a day, at set dinner times so that your dog has a schedule to stick to, so they don’t try and seek out food the rest of the day. English Bulldog puppies are still developing and will burn through calories quicker, meaning their feeding schedule should be 3 times a day.
English Bulldog feeding chart and guide
Below you can see an English Bulldog feeding chart which gives you a great overview of how many cups of food you should feed an English Bulldog puppy or adult.
How many cups of food should I feed my English Bulldog puppy?
It’s not that easy to decipher, so here are my own notes on how much food to feed your English Bulldog based on that feeding chart schedule.
- English Bulldog puppy at 2 months: 1 third of a cup, 3 times daily
- English Bulldog puppy at 3 months: 1 third of a cup, 3 times daily
- English Bulldog puppy at 4 months: 1 third of a cup, 3 times daily
- English Bulldog puppy at 5 months: Half a cup, twice a day
- English Bulldog puppy at 6 months: Half a cup, twice a day
- English Bulldog puppy at 7 to 12 months: Half a cup, twice a day
This English Bulldog puppy feeding schedule should continue until they are 12 months old. After that point your English Bulldog is an adult and should switch to the recommended feeding guidelines shown on the feeding chart.
What vets say about English Bulldog feeding amounts
When you first get your English Bulldog, your vet should be able to recommend you an amount of food and how many times a day to feed them.
Puppies need less food than an adult dog, and as the dog gets older you will gradually have to increase the amount of food you give them.
Another important factor is your English Bulldog’s energy level, with more energetic dogs needing more food as they burn off a lot of their energy running around.
As a breed, English Bulldogs aren’t as athletic as other dogs and do tend to sit around a lot more, meaning that they often don’t need any extra amounts of food.
There are several different types of food available for dogs, each having its own pros and cons, and with each dog having their own preferences.
- Dry food: including kibble and flaked cereals, has very low moisture content, meaning that they will have a higher appetite. Dry food is also often made into dog treats and dog biscuits, which can be a great occasional in-between meal snack to keep your dog occupied or to reward them for good behaviour.
- Wet food: is far better for keeping your dog hydrated, cooked at high temperatures and being incredibly fresh. Unfortunately, they have a short shelf life when opened and can be a messy option for over-eager dogs.
- Semi-moist: has a combination of the chewiness of dry food with the hydration of wet food. Coming in sachets, they are a popular alternative for those who are unsure if wet or dry food is the best option for their dog.
How much food should I feed my English Bulldog puppy?
Feeding a puppy is rather different to feeding an adult dog, needing smaller amounts of food more often throughout the day, with their eating habits changing as they grow older.
English Bulldogs do have a tendency to eat whatever amount is put in front of them, so keeping an eye on your dog’s appetite and the consistency of their stool is a good judge of how much they should be fed.
Your vet should be able to recommend an amount per day to feed your new bulldog puppy if you are unsure about how to understand the puppy feeding chart shown earlier.
English Bulldog puppies are typically fed three times a day, with around a handful of kibble each time (around a third of a cup) per portion until they are around 6 months old. However, your vet may recommend a larger amount if they do not think they are getting enough.
When feeding English Bulldog puppies, make sure that the food is easily accessible, and that the food bowl or tray is not set too high that they struggle to eat it. English Bulldogs have naturally short muzzles and can sometimes struggle to lift their heads up high, so setting it lower down will make it easier for them to swallow.
If your puppy is turning its nose up at its food, make sure it is fully hydrated and well before trying out a mixture of dry and wet foods; every dog has different preferences to food, so finding out what your puppy likes can really help make dinner time easier and less stressful for you both.
Handy Hint: Your English Bully can throw up after eating too much food, but the vomit could also mean something else. Here are the top reasons why this breed throws up so much.
What food is best for English Bulldogs?
With so many different dog foods on the market, it can be difficult to choose what the best kind of dog food for your bulldog is.
- Pedigree – Adult Dry Dog Food w/ Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavor: Available in packets from 3.5lb to 33lb, this dry dog food offers a completely balanced meal for your English Bulldog. It contains Omega-6 fatty acids for skin and coat health, as well as other antioxidants and vitamins. Made in the USA, it contains no fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors or added sugar.
- Ziwi Peak – Air-Dried Dog Food: available in Venison, Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Mackerel and Tripe, this traditionally air-dried dog food contains 96% fresh ingredients including kelp, green tripe and green muscles, with zero peas, legumes or potatoes included. 100% ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients from New Zealand with no added hormones, antibiotics or growth stimulants.
- Pedigree – Choice Cuts: with flavors including Chicken Casserole, Beef & Noodle and Grilled Chicken, this wet food is an excellent addition to dry kibble for a mixture of wet and dry food, made with real meat and served in a pouch for easy serving.
- Natural Balance – Ultra Premium Wet Dog Food: made with real beef, this wet dog food comes in many different flavors such as Beef, Chicken, Lamb and Liver, all mixed with brown rice, carrots and potatoes. With zero artificial colors or flavors, this dog food promotes healthy digestion and supports your dog’s overall wellbeing.
What human food can bulldogs eat?
Sometimes you want to share your food with your English Bulldog, but you do have to be careful as many foods we eat every day can prove harmful if not fatal to our furry companions.
Aside from meat, some other human foods that dogs can freely eat are:
- White and brown rice: with many dog foods containing some form of rice as an ingredient.
- Dairy products: in small quantities, this does not include lactose intolerant dogs, who should not eat dairy products at all.
- Fish: like meat, salmon, tuna and shrimp are all great sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which aid in your dog’s immune system and keep their coat glossy.
- Peanut Butter: this is a favourite for many dogs, make sure that it is natural, unsalted peanut butter with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners such as xylitol, which can be toxic to dogs.
- Fruit: such as blueberries, goji berries, bananas, cucumbers and watermelon are all suitable for dogs to eat. Make sure any watermelon has been deseeded before allowing your dog to eat it.
- Vegetables: everyone needs their five a day, and English Bulldogs do too. Green beans, carrots, peas, sweetcorn, cauliflower and broccoli are all safe for your dog to eat, with many already included in dog food.
Related questions
Now you know how many cups of food your English Bulldog should eat, the types of food they can eat, and what the best feeding schedule is (see chart), you might want some extra information.
What can English Bulldogs not eat?
There are certain foods that English Bulldogs should never be allowed to eat. This is due to differences in their digestion and immune system that means that harmless human food such as chocolate is fatal to dogs.
English Bulldogs will often eat whatever they can find, most dogs do, but what should you keep away from them?
- Raw bread dough: if you are a baking household, make sure your English Bulldog doesn’t eat uncooked dough as the yeast can ferment in their stomach, creating air bubbles and causing ruptures in their intestinal tract.
- Chocolate: the best-known no-go treat. Dog-friendly chocolates are available, but human chocolate can cause major issues for dogs.
- Grapes: unlike other fruit, grapes can cause everything from nausea to kidney failure in dogs. Other fruits they shouldn’t eat include cherries, tomatoes, avocados and apple cores (the apple itself is perfectly fine, however).
- Mushrooms: wild mushrooms are especially toxic to dogs, as they are humans. Other vegetables that dogs should avoid include asparagus and onions.
- Bacon: while the meat itself is fine, fatty and crispy bacon can cause your dog digestion and pancreatic issues, slowly losing its functionality over time.
- Macadamia nuts: these have only been recently discovered to be bad for dogs, although nearly all other animal species do not suffer the same issue. While it isn’t a fatal food, it can cause pain, vomiting, tremors and even difficulty walking.
How many calories should an English Bulldog eat?
While amounts of food per day are usually measured in cups for English Bulldogs, there are recommended guidelines about how many calories a bulldog should be eating, depending on its age.
This doesn’t just stop overfeeding, it can also prevent underfeeding, with dogs not getting enough nutrition because of overly careful owners.
While your vet will be able to recommend a more personalised eating regimen, once your dog has grown out of its puppy stage, young, energetic adult dogs eat around 1,500 calories a day, while less active adults only need around 1,300 calories per day.
A lot of this depends on how active your English Bulldog is on a day to day basis, dictating how many calories they burn off and how much needs to be replaced.
Most packets, cans and bags of dog food contain a recommended serving size for certain types of dogs, so check the packaging for more information.
Handy Hint: English Bulldogs need daily exercise. I’ve written a guide explained how often and how far you should walk them each day, with some tips for other exercise routines.
Conclusion
Now that you know how many cups of food you need to feed your English Bulldog; I would also recommend implementing a decent exercise regime.
Without it, your furry friend could develop a lot of health issues including diabetes. Especially if they start eating more cups of food that is recommended in the English Bulldog feeding guide.
Vets say English Bulldogs should have at least 20 minutes of exercise each day. Don’t exceed 40 minutes as a maximum as it can lead to pain and discomfort.
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