Being a dog owner, especially that of a French Bulldog, comes with many perks. That being said, it is impertinent to provide your Frenchie with a balanced and healthy top-notch diet. After all, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your furry friend is doing well on every front!
It’s true that proper nutrition is necessary for the Frenchie’s growth, physiological function, and reproduction. And if you have been wondering about the optimal nutrition for your French Bulldog, look no further! This article will delve right into the different food options and ingredients necessary for your Frenchie to provide optimal nutrition. By the end, you can rest assured that your dog will be well on its way to living a long and heal
thy life!
Raw Food
One of the foods you can give your Frenchie is raw food. This homemade, DIY diet is a diet consisting of natural muscle meat, vegetables, fruits, and raw meaty bones and thus, eliminating all processed foods.
You may be well aware that Frenchies are more prone to health complications and allergies. Therefore, a raw food diet is a better option for them. And since you will be administering the food, you have the advantage of minimizing any kind of compl
ication down the road!
However, you need to remember that a raw food diet requires additional care and attention. Therefore, you need to spend some time figuring out the balanced diet for your Frenchie during its different growing stages.
The optimal nutrition for French Bulldogs in raw food consists of 70% muscle meat, 10% natural edible bone, 7% vegetables, 5% liver, 5% other secreting organs, 2% seeds or nuts, and 1% fruit. The most critical step for a raw food diet plan is finding the right ratio and mixture of meat protein, vegetables, fruits, and other supplements according to your Frenchie’s personal preference. No two Frenchies are alike. So, the correct nutrition and quantity will be different for every dog and at their different ages.
For Puppies
When it comes to raw food diet for your Frenchie puppy, things can get tricky. These puppies typically need to be fed around three to four times a day. Additionally, they have higher requirements for fats, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins than adult Frenchies. Therefore, the supply of these essential nutrients should be in sufficient amounts when it comes to their daily diet.
For Adults
Two meals a day should suffice for adult Frenchies. At an ideal weight, an adult Frenchie should eat 2-3% of their current value in pounds per day. However, it is essential to note that the percentage of meat protein and other dietary requirements also depend on the dog’s age, size, and energy level.
Now, let’s take a look at the list of ingredients considered highly nutritious for a raw food diet:
Meat
- Pork
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Beef
- Fish
- Lamb
Fruits
- Apples (without seeds)
- Bananas
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Cranberries
- Blueberries
Vegetables
- Sweet potato (steamed, boiled, or baked)
- Brussel sprouts
- Broccoli
- Green beans
- Peas
- Watermelon
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
Kibble:
The next diet that can provide optimal nutrition for your Frenchie is the commercially-processed dry dog food, kibble. It is one of the most popular ways to feed pet dogs, than
ks to its ease-of-preparation, affordability, and long shelf life.
When choosing dry dog food for French Bulldogs, make sure to check if there’s any food specifically designed for Frenchies. That’s because, as mentioned earlier, this breed needs a high-quality, balanced diet for maintaining healthy body weight. The right food will also reduce its risk of certain health conditions like obesity, breathing problems, and skeletal issues.
The optimal nutrition for French Bulldogs in terms of kibble food diet should consist of high vitamins, proteins, and minerals. This breed also requires other fundamental nutrition like essential fatty acids and carbohydrates to help with the body’s metabolic process.
For Adults
The kibble nutrition requirement of protein is ideally 25% with a minimum of 18%. And to support their muscle mass, adult Frenchies require a minimum of 5% fats. An enriched diet with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is highly recommended. A hypoallergenic diet filled with lots of nutrients and vitamins is also highly advisable for the diet. An equally divided two-meal diet is good to go for adults.
For Puppies
For Frenchie puppies, selecting the right kibble food can get a little stressful. That’s because these little ones need extra minerals and nutrients for maintaining their energy as they grow. These essential nutrients will help with strength, teething, and bone growth. This way, they will stay nourished and develop well, too.
The kibble nutrition requirement of protein is a minimum of 22%. This need is higher in growing puppies because of their faster metabolism in comparison to adults. Plus, and they need more calories per weight. Puppies also have a different nutrient need, requiring 8% fat. Besides proteins and fats, puppies are also recommended food ingredients with 1.2% phosphorus, 1% calcium, and phosphorus ratio: 1:1. So, make sure to look for nutrients supplements with DHA, an OMEGA-3 for supporting healthy eye and brain function. OMEGA-3 is also known to aid in giving dogs a healthy coat and skin.
Make sure to avoid foods that have high sugar concentration and processed ingredients.
As a general guide, the best practice before buying any dog food is to check the ingredients list in the packet. This way, you can make sure that you’re getting the right requirements for your Frenchie. Remember, preservatives are to be avoided at all costs!
Dog food allergies
Allergies are one of the most common problems among the French Bulldog breed. Environmental factors and food-based allergies can make them feel discomfort and sometimes, even pain, too. Frenchies can also be allergic to dyes, chemical preservatives, and antioxidants like BHT. You may also find that your Frenchie is allergic to multiple food components.
Some of the most common symptoms of a Frenchie’s allergies are itchy skin, watery eyes, shedding of hair, diarrhea, or vomiting.
Therefore, while choosing dog food, you need to pay attention to certain aspects. If you already know the kinds of food your Frenchie is allergic to, make sure to check out the list of ingredients.
Conclusion
Owning a Frenchie requires undivided time and attention from your end. Not only that, you need to make sure that it’s well-fed and gets all the necessary nutrition. So, we hope that this article has helped you get an idea of the various food and diets you can follow for your Frenchie. Lastly, don’t forget to give it all the love and happiness it rightly deserves!
