One of the first things to learn about your French Bulldog is how much to feed them. This is a great question, as your Frenchie is a little creature with a tiny stomach, but French Bulldogs are known for their big eye appetite. Basically anything you put in your Frenchies bowl will get eaten! They can be little pigs! The question of How Much To Feed A French Bulldog is two fold. You will want to know how much to feed them and how often to feed them.
The short answer to this question is that French Bulldogs should be fed about 25-30 calories per pound of their body weight per day, which should be split into two or three feedings a day. I found that this food calculator from Merrick works well if you want to get an exact number for your Frenchies weight, age, and activity level. Here is a rough calorie estimate for a French Bulldog weighing 25 pounds.
Your Average Adult French Bulldog
- 550-600 calories per day
Your Highly Active Adult French Bulldog
- 750-825 calories per day
Your Older Average French Bulldog
- 470-520 calories per day
French Bulldogs can easily become underweight or overweight and because they are such small dogs you want to make sure that you are watching for signs of either of these situations. Some Frenchies are hyperactive while others are just plain old couch potatoes. French Bulldogs don’t actually require much exercise and it is recommended that you not push their exercise limits as it can be harmful to their health.
The other thing that helps when trying to feed your French Bulldog the proper amount is to make sure to feed them on a schedule. If you give your Frenchie their total calorie allowance in one feeding they will eat it all. I told you that they are little pigs! Usually after your Frenchie has left the puppy stage and is considered a young adult you can go from three meals a day to just twice a day, roughly 12 hours apart, but it is best to stick to three times a day if you can. This allows your French Bulldog to maintain consistent peaks of energy. French Bulldogs experience dramatic rises and decreases in their blood sugar levels based on their feedings. Simply said spreading out his/her meals three times a day can help maintain a healthy amount of energy and nutrients for your pup.
How Much To Feed A 10-12 Weeks Old French Bulldog
After you French Bulldog has been weaned from his or her mother’s milk they are switched to puppy food. Young Frenchies need a high caloric diet full of nutrients. You will want to feed your Frenchie a total of 1.5 cups of puppy food per day and this must be spread out into three feedings of half a cup each. It is highly encouraged to feed your French Bulldog three times a day for life but if that is not going to be possible you should make sure to do the three feedings a day for a minimum of 6 months once on dry food.
How Much To Feed A 6-9 Month Old French Bulldog
At this point in your Frenchies life they are ready and eager to be on an eating routine with set times that they know that dog food bowl will be filled. Around 6 months of age you can start feeding your French Bulldog a high quality adult dog food. At this point is when it is helpful to use a body weight chart to get the exact amount of food your Frenchie should be getting each day but on average you will want to feed your 6-9 month old French Bulldog between 2-2.5 cups a day, three times a day if possible. With this eating schedule you can feel free to add a few treats in between feedings. You want your bat eared friend to be tubby and happy so if you feel that they are looking a little thin (you should never be able to see your Frenchies ribs) feel free to up their food by a half cup a day, spread out over the three feedings until you feel your pup is looking healthy.
How Much To Feed An Older French Bulldog
Typically your older French Bulldog will not require as much food as they are slowing down and being a tad more lazy each year. You will want to feed your French between 1.5-2.5 cups of adult dog food. It is in your Frenchies senior years that you will have more of a range of food amounts as your French Bulldog may fluctuate between under and over weight at this stage of life but by this age you can also leave any leftover food in your Frenchies bowl so they can snack during the day.
How Much To Feed A French Bulldog Who Is Underweight
When deciding if your French Bulldog is underweight you will definitely want to check in with your veterinarian. The optimal weight of your Frenchie should be 17 pounds to no more than 30 pounds. You should never be able to see your French Bulldogs bone or bone structure. Frenchies are supposed to be plump or a little chubby and happy. If you feel that your four legged friend may be a little underweight you will want to try and hit 30-40 calories per pound or 2.5-3 cups of food a day, again split into three meals until you were within the happy healthy weight for your pup. Sometimes being underweight can be a sign of other health issues so you will want to follow up with your vet for sure.
How Much To Feed A French Bulldog Who Is Overweight
French Bulldogs are not overly active little guys and exercise is not their friend however if your Frenchie is overweight this can cause health issues from labored breathing to heart disease. If your French Bulldog is overweight you can first monitor how much extra food your pooch is eating. If you have other pets in the house then he may be eating their food. If not then make sure you and your other house members are not giving too many treats throughout the day.
The best way to drop some of your Frenchies weight is to decrease the amount of food you are feeding him/her. You should only decrease the amount by ½ a cup or roughly 10 calories a day, spread out over the three meals. When you do this you will want to make sure to increase their water intake and try to add in a brief walk each day. Once your Bulldog is back to a healthy weight you can go back to your normal feeding schedule. Again you should check with your vet to make sure that your Frenchie isn’t having any other health issues.
In Conclusion – How Much To Feed A French Bulldog
In conclusion, How much to feed a French Bulldog? That can be different depending on the weight and age of your Frenchie. You can follow the 25-30 calories of food per day per pound of your Bulldog. You can also use the food calculator from Merrick as a good reference. I also like this chart that shows how a healthy dog’s body should look. Of course it is always best to get the vets expertise when it comes to the health of your French Bulldog but using this as a guideline helps us to best know our Frenchie and when to seek a vets opinion.
PS – Wondering what to feed your French Bulldog? Check these articles out.
