Since pitbulls have very high energy and enjoy eating a lot, many might be curious, how much does a pitbull eat in a day? The answer would depend on what life stage your pitbull is in.
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How Much Should a Pitbull Eat per Day?
The amount of food an American pit bull terrier eats depends on his age. An American pit bull terrier puppy eats four meals per day. Adult and senior pitbulls eat two to three meals daily except that senior pitbulls have different nutrient requirements.
How Much to Feed a Terrier Pit Bull Puppy?
Since a pitbull puppy needs to grow, you’ll need to feed them four times a day. Growing puppies will start eating dry dog food at four weeks old. At this age, give your growing puppies a 1/4 cup of dry dog food four times a day until they reach two months old.
When your puppy reaches the age of three to six months, you can feed your pitbull three times a day using one cup of high-quality dog food per meal.
When your pitbull puppy turns six to 12 months old, you can start giving dry dog food twice daily as your pitbulls are already turning into adult dogs.
Puppy pit bulls need a huge amount of high quality protein in their diet to develop their tissues. However, young pit bulls can’t digest protein better than adult pit bulls do. So look for a puppy food that contains 34 percent to 40 percent of high-quality protein.
Other nutrient requirements in an average Pit bull’s diet include 14 to 17 percent fat, 1.1 to 1.5 percent calcium, and less than 30 percent carbohydrates.
How Much to Feed an Adult Pit Bull?
Similar to a Staffordshire bull terrier, when your pit bulls turn 18 months old, they’re ready to transition to adult dog food. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, when your pit bulls reach their 90% weight, you can give them adult dog food. Adult Pit Bulls require two meals per day.
Since Pit Bulls can vary from medium to large, every meal ranges from two cups to two and two-thirds cups.
Ensure you feed your adult pit bulls a completely balanced diet by checking the labels stating the nutritional content. The essential nutrients required for adult pit bulls should contain 15 percent to 30 percent protein and 15 percent to 20 percent fat. Always choose a meat-based food, not the grain-based one since a meat-based is the best food option.
The best food for pit bulls should adhere to the nutritional standard set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials or AAFCO.
You can also make homemade dog food for your pitbull. However, you need to make sure that the diet consists of complete nutrition such as protein, fats, minerals and vitamins.
How Much Food to Feed a Senior Terrier Pit Bull?
Similar to a Staffordshire bull terrier, a senior Terrier Pit Bull also requires two meals per day. However, the nutrient requirements will be different from the adult Pit Bulls. Contrary to myths, protein is essential for senior dogs.
As the dog gets older, it loses muscle mass. Lack of protein supply to a senior dog’s body will cause scarcity of amino acids to repair tissues and for energy metabolism.
As your dog ages, reduce the fat and calories he intakes. Food scraps are a big no. It’s best to consult your vet before you change your Pit Bull’s diet to a senior diet to get fewer calories without risking the dog’s health. Your vet might also prescribe diets, physical activities, and medications appropriate for your dog’s needs.
How Do You Know if Your Pit Bull is Overfed or Inadequately Fed?
An inadequately fed dog results in a malnourished one. An average pit bull exhibits signs to let you know you’re underfeeding him. Signs related to fewer calories in their diet include:
- Lethargy
- Unhealthy coats
- Weak immune system
On the other hand, overfeeding signs takes a while. You’ll see weight gain, more than normal. Other health issues such as diabetes and lethargy will follow the weight gain.
Related Questions
How Much Food Should a 50 LB Pitbull Eat?
An average pit bull whose weight is 50 pounds should eat 2 to 2 2/3 cups of dry dog food twice daily. Make sure the dry dog food is meat-based and contains high-protein and low-grain.
Do Pitbulls Eat a Lot?
Pit Bulls are happy when they get to eat a lot and have a healthy life. Due to this, it’s important to keep track of the food you’re feeding them to avoid overfeeding and obesity.
Conclusion
The amount of food required by a Pit Bull depends on what life stage he is in – is he a pitbull puppy, an adult dog or a senior? It’s important to watch the quantity of food I give to ensure I don’t overfeed nor inadequately feed my dog.
To help your Pit Bull live a healthy life, ensure you give him an adequate amount of food with the right nutrients.