How Much To Feed A French Bulldog – Diet Recommendations

How Much To Feed A French Bulldog Each Day?

The answer to this question relies heavily on many other factors, such as the age, body weight, and overall activity of your French Bulldog. However, there’s a certain formula that you can use while calculating the amount of food you should feed your Frenchie. As a rule of thumb, the majority of French Bulldogs, especially the healthy ones, should be fed about 25 to 30 calories per pound of their body weight every day. This usually translates to anywhere between 1 to 2 cups of food every day depending on the French Bulldog’s age, weight, activity level, and the number of calories available in every cup of food. For example, a typical healthy French Bulldog that weighs around 20 lbs and has a moderate activity level should be fed a total of about 550 calories of food every day. Provided that a cup of food would typically have about 300 calories on average, that’s about 1⅘ cups in total every day. As the Frenchie progresses in age, this amount may change, so you have to keep an eye constantly on your doggie’s overall weight and activity level.

Should I Give My Frenchie The Recommended Amount of Food All At Once?

The previously mentioned calculation describes the total amount of food you should feed your French Bulldog every day. However, you shouldn’t feed your dog their food ration for the day all at once. Instead, you should split this amount of food, usually equally, into 3 separate meals throughout the day through an 8-hour interval. An adult dog can also be fed their meals split into two portions every day. You can feed your dog once a day if your Frenchie is lazy and a bit overweight. However, when this happens, you’ll be also restricting the amount of food he or she gets every day as well. Feeding a healthy Frenchie all their food at once is exactly like stuffing all your daily meals into one large meal, which will cause digestive problems, Gastric Dilation Volvulus (GDV), and stomachache.

What Is Ideal Weight For A French Bulldog?

For both male and female French Bulldogs, the ideal body weight varies according to body shape, age, and genetics. Generally, male Frenchies weigh slightly more than females, so they usually need a bit more food. The ideal weight of a male Frenchie is usually about 20 to 28 lbs (9 to 13 kg) while females weigh between 18 to 26 lbs (8 to 12 kg) Anything higher than these number is considered overweight, which you can easily tell by noticing:

The dog’s inability to groom itself easily
Lack of muscle definition
Heavy breathing after exercises

On the other hand, an underweight French Bulldog is usually characterized by the highly visible rips cage bones. For a healthy Frenchie, you should easily feel the rips but they’re usually covered with a thin layer of fat that they lose easily when they’re underweight.

How Much To Feed A French Bulldog Who is Underweight?

If your French Bulldog is underweight, you need to supply it with more calories per pound to help him or her gain more weight, especially in the case of an overly-active dog. Ideally, an underweight French Bulldog will need about 30 to 40 calories for each pound of their weight every day, split into 3 meals. You’ll need to feed them these extra calories until your dog falls within the healthy range of 20 to 28 lbs if they’re a male or 18 to 26 lbs if they’re a female.

How Much To Feel A French Bulldog Who is Overweight?

An overweight French Bulldog is at risk of many diseases, especially that most Bulldogs tend to be on the lazy side. In that case, feeding your Frenchie an average of 15 to 20 calories for each pound of their weight every day is usually enough. Since these portions are usually small, you can split them into two or even one meal a day. Make sure to maintain the minimal range of calories per day (25 calories per pound daily) once your Frenchie hits its goal weight, as overweight dogs tend to be lazy and more likely to gain the weight back.

How Much To Feed A French Bulldog Puppy & Feeding Tips For Puppies

Unlike adult dogs, puppies need extra food to help them build their body and grow. In most cases, opting for the maximal range of the healthy adult is usually enough for a puppy, aka 30 calories per pound per day. Some puppies tend to be a bit hyperactive, which requires them to eat a bit more, which is around 40 calories per pound a day, split into 3 meals to avoid overeating. However, staying vigilant while feeding your puppy Frenchie is crucial. If you feel that your puppy is gaining more weight than it should, you need to turn their calories down a notch and so on!

What Should I Feed My French Bulldog Who is Older?

As your Frenchie gets older, the amount of activity typically decreases. Therefore, you’ll need to reduce the number of calories for every pound This typically translates to around 20 to 25 calories per pound every day, split into 2 to 3 meals depending on the dog’s preferences.

Raw Food vs. Dry Food vs. Wet Food

When it comes to choosing the type of food that you French Bulldog eats, it really depends on the dog’s preferences. However, if your Frenchie doesn’t have a problem with dry food, it’s the most convenient one for you in terms of storage, price, and counting the calories right when finding the right amount of food per meal. Wet food is great for French Bulldogs too, especially if they’re underweight because it typically consists of a higher amount of fats when compared with raw and dry food. Raw food is usually great for all dogs because dogs’ stomach is designed to tolerate and digest it with ease. However, feeding your dog raw food puts them in the risk of bacterial infections, especially if the meat is not fresh and has been left out for long.