What should I feed my french bulldog puppy?
The backstory
A quick online search of this question will return tens of thousands of opinions, some based in science and some leaning a little too heavily on word of mouth and the 24 hour news cycle. A good example of this is the debate between grain-free and grain inclusive foods.
Back in 2007, there was a MASSIVE recall in pet food manufactured overseas due to diseased grain. This opened the door for a new wave of pet food that eliminated this risk for conscientious pet-owners: grain free diets. Seems logical, right? Dogs don’t need grains, after all they descended from wolves, didn’t they?
Fast forward to 2018, the FDA cautioned that there was a study that correlated grain-free
pet food to cardiomyopathy. This launched a wave of panic in the pet community and pet owners flocking to pet food retailers to purchase grain-inclusive foods for their beloved pets once again.
Feeling confused? We were. Turns out that the veterinarians that issued their case study to the FDA had significant ties to companies that manufactured grain-inclusive food. Feeling betrayed? Yup, us too but at least there was a course correction and consequences for those bad actors. Here’s a link to the AP article that explains it all
At Novastar French Bulldogs, we believe that a raw diet that includes some starch (pumpkin, sweet potato) is best for our dogs, but we also understand that there’s a lot of folks who can’t do it (time, cost, storage), their vets have cautioned against it (vets often operate on dated nutritional knowledge or just know a lot about the kibble they sell), or it makes them uncomfortable.
It’s ok. We got you! Whether you are pro raw or pro kibble, there’s a good option out there for your puppy.
The skinny on what to feed your french bulldog puppy
Sure, today’s dogs descended from wolves, but at this point we have been domesticating these creatures for 11,000 or more years. Their dietary needs must have changed, haven’t they? Yes, they have. Here’s a super interesting article from Science.org that talks about genetic differences.
So what are the options? There are more categories of food today than ever and each one claims to be the best. How do you decide? In our opinion, a fed puppy is the best puppy. So decide the level of effort you’re willing to put in, then the amount of money you’re willing to spend, and finally be “ok” with a little trial and error.
It’s no secret that frenchies can be tricky to feed. Some thrive on whatever forever, while others need a carefully curated selection of hand-prepared meals and others need sciencey synthetic proteins found in highly specialized formulas only available through a veterinarian.
Where to start? Here’s our opinion from best to good.
(pricing is as of the day of authorship)
Fresh/Raw food:
Do you have time to prepare meals for your best pal?
This includes breaking out the calculator to determine, based on your frenchie puppy’s weight, how much protein and macro nutrients they need.
A rule of thumb we use is 6% of their body weight in ounces of protein per day for the first year.
Do you have roughly $5-7 a day to budget for their meals in their first year?
Do you have a place to store this fresh food?
Answering no to any of these questions means preparing fresh food with supplements for your frenchie is probably not in the cards, but that’s ok! Onto the next option.
Fresh/Raw food delivery:
There are a lot of great meal delivery services for your dog today. This is a great option for those without the time, but have the space to store and budget to make it happen:
Ollie, Farmer’s Dog, Darwin all have plans that would serve your frenchie for between $5-7 a day
Other great raw or fresh prepared foods brands that we can vouch for are and can be found in big box pet stores or boutique pet food stores: Instinct, Prymal, and Small Batch
Need/want something shelf stable due to freezer space constraints?
Spot and Tango - Unkibble is fresh food air dried and will run about $4 a day. We have one of our frenchies on this as she prefers it!
OC Meaty Rox is a freeze dried raw dog food that can be found online or at retailers like Amazon or Chewy and in boutique pet shops.
Can’t budget this much for your frenchie’s food? There are kibbles that do a great job and have a track record for transparency and high standards:
Instinct Raw Longevity Puppy (little harder to find and only available right now in 3.8lb bags)
This is 80% kibble and 20% freeze dried raw. $3 a day (roughly)
Instinct Raw Boost Puppy (Can be found on Chewy, Amazon, and in Petco/Petsmart)
Which is 95% kibble and 5% freeze dried raw. $2 a day (roughly)
Petcurean NOW Fresh puppy kibble is a great option and what we are currently feeding our new puppies before they go to their homes.
This comes in 22lb bags and costs $2.5 per day (roughly)
Why did we choose this one?
Primarily accessibility. Instinct has had supply chain issues they haven’t been able to resolve with the puppy formula of 80% kibble 20% freeze friend raw.
They use human grade whole ingredients and are manufactured in North America.
If you need something that is south of $2 a day, you’re wandering into the territory of traditional kibble which often has questionable ingredients and manufacturing practices. Here are some that do a decent job of balancing affordability and quality, but may use fewer whole ingredients and more “meals” or derivatives in their formulas:
Taste of the Wild, Fromm, Lotus (has a great baked formula with low ash content if you've got a frenchie that has a hard time digesting), Solid Gold, Stella and Chewy, N&D
How do I know the food I chose is working for my puppy?
Is your puppy happy, playful, and otherwise presenting as you would expect including a shiny, soft coat, urinating regularly, and has firm poop?
Yes to all but the firm poop?
This is the first sign that your puppy’s diet may need some attention.
Yes to all, but seems to scratch a lot (no welts or obvious signs of dermal irritation)?
Try adding a squirt of salmon oil
high quality oil like Zesty Paws, Vital Pet Life, or Nordic Naturals.
It will take at least 2 weeks to see the impact of adding this supplement . Be patient and consistent.
If excessive scratching persists definitely see your vet to ensure there’s not a skin issue, and reach out to your breeder to discuss.
In conclusion, a black and white approach to feeding your puppy is never helpful. Raw may be great for most, but not for all, and while fresh is great for your dog, you might not be able to make that work. Kibble is easy, but may not work for your baby for any one of a hundred reasons. The idea is to keep a watchful eye, and listen to your gut. If something seems off, it probably is. Take an analytical approach to trying something new and be patient. Partner with your breeder and your vet.
Feel free to reach out to us if you need some advice. We’re always happy to help whether or not your frenchie is a Novastar!
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