Food & Supplements - All Stages

BulliesofNC

Bull Terrier Nutrition

Weaning Stage: (4 weeks – 6 weeks)

During this stage the puppies have developed teeth and should be weaned from the mother. During this time puppies will require their food to be prepared so they can eat it. In order to accomplish this you must grind up some dry puppy food into a powder form. This food will then be placed in a shallow bowl and mixed with a good quality puppy milk formula (or water). This mixture is often referred to as “Mush.” During the first few days during the weaning stage puppies will require their mush to be watered down with the milk in order for them to learn to lap and eat. Puppy mush too dry will not provide the proper hydration for the puppies since they will also be learning to lap water from a bowl during this time. Puppies normally catch on to eating mush very quickly and begin drinking water from a bowl without much encouragement. As the days progress the objective is to add less and less milk into the mush and grinding the food less so they are actually learning to chew their food and turn to the water in their bowl for hydration. Once the puppies are about 6 weeks old they should be able to eat solid foods without the need of grinding the food or adding milk. By the time puppies are 8 weeks of age they will be very versed with eating solid foods and require no assistance. This is usually the time in which puppies will be going to their new homes. New owners should maintain the same procedures as directed by their breeder in regard to the type of puppy food they are eating, quantity, and schedule. For our puppies, at 8 weeks of age, they are eating about ¾ cup of dry food mixed with a spoonful of canned wet food. They are fed twice a day – Once in the morning and once in the evening.



Puppy Stage: (8 weeks – 14 months)

Puppies grow FAST and during their puppy stages they need to be on a good quality puppy food that will provide them with the proper nutrition for optimal growth and development so they remain healthy and energetic. Most puppy food products have a higher content of protein, minerals, vitamins and essential fats than food designed for adult dogs. Puppies also have the ability to digest foods better than an adult and ingest far more calories than adult dogs. For these reasons, puppy foods are fortified with higher amounts of weight gaining ingredients suitable for dogs that are still growing and developing.
We are often asked, “When should we switch from puppy food to adult food?” Everywhere you look this question is answered differently depending on breed specifics. The best rule of thumb to remember is the proper time to switch from puppy food to adult food is when the individual dog reaches his or her final height in growth. For a Bull Terrier, they usually reach their final height at around 14 months of age. Yes, a Bull Terrier will continue to fill out and get heavier but at 14 months of age their height is usually at their peak. It’s at this time the transition from puppy food to adult food should be conducted.



Adult Stage: (14 months+)

Now is time where maintaining a balanced diet for an adult Bull Terrier will vary depending on the exercise level, height and weight on the individual dog, and current age of the dog. Obviously some Bull Terriers are more active than others and easily burn off calories during the day due to their level of activity. However, an older Bull Terrier that may not have been kept as active as need be might be the type to prefer lounging on the couch verse chasing a ball in the yard.

This is the time where proper weight management needs to optimized by the responsible owner for the best interest of the individual dog. Bull Terriers require a lot of exercise in order to stay fit and energetic. Often if a Bull Terrier isn’t afforded the opportunity for exercise and play they can have a tendency to become overweight and lazy especially in their later years. Food and nutrition plays an important part in their energy levels as well as their health and longevity.

We feed our adult Bull Terriers twice a day; once in the morning and once in the evening. During each serving they receive 2 cups of dry food mixed with some quality can (wet) food. If raw meats or vegetables are provided they will substitute for the canned food.



Supplements:

Although the dry foods we give our Bull Terriers provide an excellent balanced diet we still find it beneficial to supplement their diet with other things that provide additional nutritional value. There are literally thousands of different supplements on the market for canines. There will also be a thousand opinions on the best supplements and ones that truly make a difference in the health of their dog or dogs. We recommend that proper research be conducted on supplements to ensure you receive a product that has a proven reputation for enhanced nutritional value that will benefit the overall health of your dog. Here are a couple supplements that we provide our family of Bull Terriers:

   • NuVet Plus® – This is a powerful, all natural supplement available; recommended by leading veterinarians. NuVet Plus is a natural, full spectrum supplement that will boost your dog’s immune system, helping them lead healthier and longer lives. http://www.nuvet.com/

   • Grizzly Salmon Oilâ„¢ - Grizzly Salmon Oil supplies a daily supplement rich in EPA and DHA - the right omega-3 fatty acids. The recommended daily dose of Grizzly Salmon Oil yields approximately 500 to 2500 milligrams of these important fatty acids, depending on your dog's weight. We have noticed good results in the thickness, health, and shine of our Bull Terriers coat from this product as well. http://www.grizzlypetproducts.com/


Raw Meats:

Many people will swear by raw meat diets. Some will even choose to stick solely to raw meats vice any form of dry and canned food. I will agree that there are many good benefits with raw meat diets. Meats will always be an essential part of a dog’s diet. Natural meats and vegetables provide many nutritional values to all dogs. There are even some companies that specialize in nothing but raw meats like BARF.

We often provide our Bull Terriers with raw meats and we believe it’s a good source for building muscle mass and weight. We have some good raw meat recipes for weight gain that have proven very successful. For those interested in these recipes feel free to email us.

Recommended Dry Dog Foods:

Although our Bull Terriers are provided a well-rounded diet, with supplements and raw meats, we believe the foundation for a good diet begins with a good quality dry food that’s specifically developed to provide all essential ingredients that are formulated to ensure proper health and nutrition is obtained. The additions or modifications you provide by means of supplements, raw meats, vegetables, canned foods, etc. are excellent in the aspect of keeping a gainful appetite for your dog as well as providing increased benefits in nutritional value while specific aim can be met for certain growth and health criteria for each individual dog.

Many Bull Terriers are prone to skin allergies which often are caused from improper diets. Many times the underlining cause of food allergies stems from foods high in grain. Grain has never been a natural food source for dogs and it’s always been a mystery why so many dog food companies like to load different forms of grain in their foods.

For years we have provided Bull Terrier rescue for the state of North Carolina and we have come across many Bull Terriers with the common ailment of skin allergies. Veterinarians unfamiliar with the breed will be the first to prescribe medications for mange and other skin disorders when many times the problem can be corrected with a change in their diet. In the event your Bull Terrier starts licking their paws, showing redness and/or loss of hair around the feet, stomach, neck, and ears these can be early signs of skin allergies. If left untreated, this ailment can even be mistaken for demodectic mange or other skin disorders.

Here are our recommendations on grain free dry foods that are excellent for the Bull Terrier breed:

   • Blue Buffalo Wilderness

   • Victor Grain Free

   • Taste of the Wild

There are plenty of other excellent quality grain free foods that you can try as well. The three we have listed are provided based on years of use with proven results.

I encourage anyone who’s researching dog foods to visit: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/. This website provides a comprehensive analysis of individual dog foods and rates them on a 5 star scale based on total nutritional value.

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Very well written as always! So far we've had good luck using Blue Buffalo Basics, its limited ingredient and has no corn, wheat, dairy, soy, chicken/poultry byproduct meals or eggs in it.