Best Dog Food For Pitbulls: 7 Options And How To Choose

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There is no single best food for every Pit Bull. The right food depends on your dog’s age, size, activity and health, so this page focuses on how to choose.

Whichever food you pick, check that the label says it is complete and balanced for your dog’s life stage (puppy, adult or all life stages).

This page covers portions, changing food, storage, foods to avoid, and seven foods that were in stock when we checked.

Each product is described from its own Amazon listing; we have not tested them.

If your dog has a health condition or allergies, or you are unsure how much to feed, ask your vet. This page is general information, not veterinary advice.

How Much To Feed

Use the feeding guide on the bag as a starting point and adjust to your dog’s weight and activity. Your vet can check your dog’s body condition and tell you whether to feed more or less.

Treats count too. VCA says treats should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s daily calories.

Changing Food Gradually

VCA advises changing to a new food gradually over seven to 14 days to avoid digestive upsets. For example, on day one feed 90% old food and 10% new food, on day two 80% old and 20% new, and so on.

VCA says to watch your dog closely during the change. If you notice loose stools, vomiting or a drop in appetite, slow down, and if things do not settle within 24 hours, call your vet.

A Note On Grain-Free Foods

Some of the foods below are grain-free. The US FDA investigated reports of a heart condition, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), in dogs eating certain diets, many of them labelled grain-free, with peas, lentils, other legumes or potatoes high on the ingredient list. The FDA says the possible link is a complex scientific issue that may involve several factors, and that the reports alone do not establish that the diets caused it.

If you are thinking about a grain-free food, talk to your vet. The FDA says to contact your vet if your dog shows decreased energy, a cough, difficulty breathing or collapse.

Storing Dry Food

The US FDA recommends keeping dry food in its original bag, so the lot number, product name and best-by date are to hand in case of a recall. If you use a storage container, put the whole bag inside rather than pouring the kibble in, wash the container between bags, and keep it somewhere cool and dry (below about 27 °C).

The IRIS USA storage container listing describes an airtight container with snap-lock latches that holds up to 40 lb (about 18 kg) of dry food.

Seven Dog Foods To Consider

These were in stock on Amazon when we checked. Protein figures and ingredient claims are the brands’ own, from their listings. Check the full ingredient panel and feeding guide before you buy.

Bully Max High Performance

The Bully Max listing describes a 30/20 high-protein, high-fat dry food for puppies and adults, with chicken meal and white fish, at 535 calories per cup. It is a calorie-dense food, so measure portions carefully.

Merrick Backcountry Large Breed

The Merrick Backcountry listing describes a grain-free dry food for large adult dogs, with deboned chicken as the first ingredient and freeze-dried raw pieces.

Taste Of The Wild Wetlands

The Taste of the Wild Wetlands listing describes an adult dry food with duck as the first ingredient and 32% protein.

Rachael Ray Nutrish Beef, Pea And Brown Rice

The Nutrish listing describes an adult dry food with beef as the first ingredient, in a 40 lb (about 18 kg) bag.

Wellness Complete Health Chicken And Oatmeal

The Wellness Complete Health listing describes an adult dry food with grains, made with chicken and oatmeal.

Diamond Naturals Chicken And Rice

The Diamond Naturals listing describes an all-life-stages dry food with chicken as the first ingredient, 26% protein and 16% fat.

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula

The Blue Buffalo Life Protection listing describes an adult dry food with chicken as the first ingredient and carbohydrates from grains.

Foods To Keep Away From Your Dog

The ASPCA lists foods that can harm dogs, including chocolate, coffee and caffeine, grapes and raisins, onions, garlic and chives, macadamia nuts, xylitol, raw yeast dough, and milk and dairy, which can cause diarrhoea. It also warns against raw meat and eggs, bones, and salty foods.

Chocolate is dangerous in any form. The ASPCA says it can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, panting, a fast heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death, and that darker chocolate is more dangerous: baking chocolate and cocoa powder carry the most risk, white chocolate the least.

If your dog eats something on this list, call your vet or a poison service straight away and note how much was eaten (in the US, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is (888) 426-4435).

Can Pit Bulls Eat Eggs?

The AKC says eggs should always be cooked before you give them to a dog, and prepared plain, without oil, butter, salt or seasoning. Raw eggs carry a risk of Salmonella.

The AKC says eggs can be given occasionally but should not be a daily staple unless your vet recommends it, and that the right amount depends on your dog’s size, age, activity and health.

Final Words

Choose a complete and balanced food that suits your dog’s life stage, feed by the bag’s guide and your vet’s advice, change foods gradually, and keep the foods on the ASPCA’s list out of reach.