What Is The Best Dog Food For Frenchies? An Expert Guide To Feeding Your French Bulldog

• The Unique Dietary Needs of French Bulldogs
• Dog Food Nutritional Needs: Proteins, Fats and Carbs
• Ingredients to Look for and Those to Avoid in Frenchie Dog Food
• Food Requirements Throughout a Dog’s Life Stages
• Homemade Food vs. Commercial Dog Food Brands: Pros and Cons
• 7 tips to find the best food for your French Bulldog
• The best food for French Bulldog with a sensitive stomach
• The best dog food for Frenchies with Allergies
• The best food for gassy french bulldog
• The best wet food for Frenchies
• The best dry dog food for French Bulldogs
• The best raw food for Frenchies
• Food FAQ

Choosing the best food for your frenchie can be tricky, as French Bulldogs are prone to many allergies and have rather specific dietary needs. And on top of that, there is a lot of noise online about feeding Frenchies, from grain free diets, to raw foods, dry food verses wet food, homemade food versus commercial brands… It really is a minefield out there! We want to cut through all that noise and dispel some of those issues, so you can feel confident your Frenchie is getting the right food for a healthy and long life.

So, what factors are essential to consider when choosing the right food for your frenchie? 

The Unique Dietary Needs of French Bulldogs

Every French Bulldog owner will agree that there is something special about their chosen dog breed. As well as a unique personality and appearance, this dog also has a number of prerequisites that pet parents should be aware of. An important one of these, is their dietary requirements.

As a rule of thumb, these doggos thrive on a high protein, limited ingredient diet that is packed full of essential fatty acids. Let’s take a closer look at why this is.

Dog Food Nutritional Needs: Proteins, Fats and Carbs

Here is a quick recap of the main dietary needs to consider:

1. Proteins
   Help maintain muscle mass and should typically be sourced from meat or fish. For healthy dogs, we are usually going to want the proteins to be the first listed ingredient.
   
2. Fats
   Should make up about 10-15% of the diet and are used as an energy source. They are also important for several processes, including hormone production and organ insulation.
   
3. Carbohydrates
   Are also used by the body as fuel and are found abundantly in foods including grains and potatoes. They’re not essential for every dog, but are important for those who do a lot of exercise or who are pregnant or lactating.
   

Ingredients to Look for and Those to Avoid in Frenchie Dog Food

The best dog food for Frenchies is going to depend on the individual and their specific needs. We will go through the best foods for specific health concerns a bit later but for now, if your dog doesn’t have any know specific issue, typically, some of the best ingredients will be:

• Protein sources such as oily fish, turkey or lamb, to maintain muscle mass.
• Salmon oil, to provide lots of omega fatty acids, for a robust skin barrier and sleek coat.
• Carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, which release energy slowly throughout the day.
• Prebiotics and probiotics for good digestive health.
• Fruits and veggies such as blueberries, carrots and cranberries, which are packed full of antioxidants
• It is best to avoid the top allergens i.e. chicken, beef, dairy, soya, egg and grains.
• Steer clear of foods that do not specify their ingredients and use vague terms such as ‘meat by-products’ or ‘vegetables’. This typically means that they will regularly vary the recipe, to keep costs down.
• You’ll want to avoid any added flavours, colours or artificial preservatives.

Below is a list of the top 10 ingredients to look out for in your dog food that could be harmful and provide no nutritional benefit:

Food Requirements Throughout a Dog’s Life Stages:

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), French Bulldogs require a highly-balanced diet to maintain an ideal weight for their age. As obesity is an issue for many Frenchies, you must be sure to give your Frenchie the right amount of nutrients for its stage of life. 

Best Dog Food For Frenchie Puppies

The best dog food for French bulldog puppies will be easy for them to eat, given their small mouth size. This can mean small kibble soaked in warm water, or a soft food that is easy to eat.

Pups also require calories dense foods, as well as a good amount of calcium and phosphorous for skeletal development.

Suggested portions:
A Frenchie puppy from eight to 12 weeks of age needs 1.5 cups of high-quality commercial puppy food or kibble daily. Spread it out into three meals or ½ cup each meal. When your pup reaches six months, reduce feeding to twice daily.

Food Requirements for a Frenchie Adult Dog 

Adult French Bulldogs will require smaller amounts of proteins and fats than puppies.

So once your Frenchie is an adult, between the ages of 1-10, we want to stop puppy food, as it contains too many calories, which can lead to obesity. Given that Frenchies are prone to joint disorders including IVDD and hip dysplasia, this is to be avoided at all costs.

Suggested portions:
Feed your adult dog one to two small meals daily or 1-2.5 cups of commercial dog food based on their needs. Less active and an overweight Frencies may require less food.

Best Dog Food for A Frenchie Senior

Once a senior (over the age of 10), we want to change the food, once again. A senior Frenchie food contains less calories than an adult food, so we are preventing the pet from becoming over weight. These diets should also be highly digestible and supplemented with joint supportive ingredients such as Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate.

Suggested portions:
Ideally, give your senior dog 1-1.5 cups of food in the morning and another at night.

Homemade Food vs. Commercial Dog Food Brands: Pros and Cons

There are a lot of owners online talking about the benefits of homemade food for their dogs.

But ask most vets, and they will tell you, they are not huge fans of these homemade diets. From the vets perspective, it is way too easy to make a nutritionally lacking diet, which does not contain the right balance of micronutrients that a French Bulldog needs to thrive. Unless you have a veterinary nutritionist who you work with to develop a meal plan, there is a high risk your dog won’t get the necessary nutrition it needs.

Most owners are surprised to know that a dog requires around 37 nutrients daily, for healthy body function. An interesting study by UC Davis analysed 200 homemade dog food recipes from various sources and found that 95% lacked at least one essential nutrient, and 84% were deficient in multiple required nutrients. So while it is not impossible to create a nutritionally balanced diet at home, it’s a lot more complex than most owners understand and with minimal room for error. Add to that, the fact that home making food is also time consuming and not always practical, for the busy pet parent.

Still, if a homemade diet is curated alongside a nutritionist and adapted to the life stage of the Frenchie, it can have its benefits. Owners know exactly what is being fed, and they’re able to avoid any known allergens. This can also be a good solution for very fussy eaters, who like their food ‘just do’.

Commercial diets tend to be cost effective, convenient and easy to store. However, they are more processed than homemade diets, and may be harder for a dog to digest. They also tend to include ingredients that we would not necessarily choose to feed our dog (such as preservatives). Given the thousands of options on the shelf, it’s very confusing to know the good from those that just use good advertising. 

Why is it so hard choosing the best food?

Keep in mind that pet food companies usually have a profit as their main driver. They often want to keep their costs low, which can mean scrimping on the best ingredients. They also want to sell as much as possible so may use unscrupulous selling techniques on their packaging to make you buy their product over the one sitting next to it. As well as this, many companies rotate their protein source and use meat by-products, which can spell disaster for a French Bulldog. The best dog food for Frenchies with allergies should contain limited ingredients which are clearly listed.

So, what should the considered pet owner do?  First thing would be to talk to your vet who can help you select the right food that meets your Frenchies specific needs at different ages based on their activity level and their body health. The label on the pet food should also always be the first place you look to see the quality of the food. You can also rely on one very useful piece of information on the label – the nutritional adequacy statement or sometimes it is called the AAFCO statement

7 tips to find the best food for your French Bulldog

When sourcing your furry friend’s food, consider the following factors:

1.     The ingredients of the dog food

The ideal ingredients for your dog will depend on their taste preferences and any known medical issues or allergies. Try to choose diets with a limited number of whole food ingredients.

2.     Dog foods without chicken and grains

Given how common food allergies are in this breed, it makes sense to avoid the most common triggers in both their daily food and their treats and chews.

3.     The price of the dog food

Of course, you’ll need the dog food to be affordable in the long-term. It is best not to chop and change diets, depending on what is on special offer. Choose the best quality diet that you feel you will be able to reasonably afford for your dog’s lifetime.

4.     The size of the kibble

This is a brachycephalic (small skull) breed with a small jaw, prone to dental issues. Kibble should not be too large, to ensure it can be easily chewed. Feeding some kibble (rather than just wet food), helps prevent plaque and calculus build up, meaning less periodontal disease.

5.     The flavor of the dog food

Dogs are not machines and even the most food-driven French Bulldog is going to have a food preference. If your pooch adores meat, stick to a meat-based recipe, to ensure they enjoy mealtime.

6.     The stool of your Frenchie

Many Frenchies will require a higher fibre diet, to keep them regular, avoid sloppy stools and prevent anal gland disease. In some cases, their diet will also need to be supplemented with extra fibre.

7.     Signs of a food allergy in your Frenchie

If your Frenchie has signs including chronic itchiness, a yeasty smell to their skin, ongoing vomiting, diarrhoea, bloating, flatulence, ear infections or anal gland disease, they may well be dealing with food allergies. Talk to your vet about the best way forward, which may mean a limited ingredient or hydrolysed diet.

The Best Food For French Bulldogs depends on your dog

Not all dogs are the same. Some Frenchies can enjoy a varied diet and are fine on any food while others are far more allergic and will suffer from gassines, diorhea upset stomoach, skin issues if given the wrong diet. Lets take a look at each of these issues in more detail and which foods are best. 

The best food for French Bulldog with a sensitive stomach

If your dog has a sensitive stomach you need to get to the bottom of what is affecting them.

Whilst you can have a blood or saliva test done, we would say don’t waste your money as they can be wildly inaccurate. The best way to diagnose if your dog has a food allergy is through an elimination diet. With this form of diet you must only feed your dog a veterinary diet specifically created for an elimination diet for a certain period of time.

This really is the best way to find out if your dog is allergic and to what, which is a darn sight better than burning through money trying every brand of dog food under the sun hoping for the best. My advice would be to get to the source, find out what exactly your dog is allergic to and then make an informed choice on their food. Frenchies have a whole range of foods they can be allergic to – chicken is a big one, as is beef, lamb, salmon, duck, pork and dairy. It won’t matter how expensive or high quality the food is if they are allergic to an ingredient it will upset them.
If you are ready to jump into an elimination diet, there is a good guide here that might help you.

Once you’ve found out what your dog is allergic to you can shop around for a new food that has no allergens that will affect your dog. 

The best dog food for Frenchies with Allergies

As mentioned above a full elimination diet to determine what your dog is allergic to is the best way to find the right food. French Bulldogs can have allergic reactions from skin issues like itching skin, vomiting, diorhea, all from their diet. It is essential you find out the cause of their allergy in order to make the right choices to help your Frenchie. Then you can make an informed decision based on what you find out in the elimination trial.

Below is a table of the most common food allergens for Frenchies and their symptoms:

The best food for gassy french bulldog

Firstly I would suggest a slow feeder bowl, this improves their digestion and means they are not taking in as much air which can contribute to a lot of farts. They also assist with portion control, which is essential as overeating can lead to excessive farting as well.
When looking for a food to reduce gassiness, look for foods that have limited ingredients making it easy to identify and avoid foods that cause the gas. Avoid the common allergens for French Bulldogs as in the table above.

We recommend:

Nulo is a high quality dog food brand that has the following benefits:
– many grain free formulas if that is what you are looking for
– single source proteins like turkey or salmon which are easier to digest and limited ingredients
– they includes probiotics in their food which can reduce gas
– the formula you choose depends on the specific needs of your dog, but we find the Nulo Freestyle is a good place to start.  

FlortiFlora Probiotic Supplement

If your Frenchie is excessively gassy, you might also want to try a probiotic supplement like Fortiflora
A supplement like this can reduce gassiness in many dogs.

The best wet food for Frenchies

Some owners only feed their Frenchies wet food and some Frenchies will ONLY eat wet food. Some great brands that offer wet food are:
Stella & Chewey’s
This brand offers a quiz that can help you find the right products for your particular Frenchie depending on what  they are allergic to. Some great options are:
Cage Free Turkey Stew
Sounds good enough to eat yourself, right? It is 100% human grade so you could eat it…if you wanted to. Being a limit ingredient wet food it’s perfect for those Frenchies who might have allergies to a lot of ingredients.
Gourmet Beef, Green Bean & Sweet Potato Stew for Dogs
Rich in protein this dog food is made without by products, artificial colours flavours or preservatives. and no grains.

The best dry dog food for French Bulldogs

Again, the dry dog food we would suggest here depends on your particular dog. 
There is quite an argument around grain free, however, what we have found is that quality grain is more the key.  What this means is no animal by products, which a lot of the pre prepared foods have.  So no gluten, corn, wheat, fillers. Unfortunately, any food that is not a prescription can have a certain amount of filler without having for this to be identified on the label so this can be a problem if you have a dog with certain allergies. So if you have a dog that has allergies we would recommend trying  a prescription dog food like Hill’s Prescription Diet Skin/Food Sensitivities Potato & Venison Dry. 

The best raw food for Frenchies

Raw dog food is an option for fussy Frenchies for many reasons but the main reason many Frenchie owners switch to a raw diet is due to allergies.
Many Frenchie owners whose dogs may have skin issues, diarrhea, vomiting, excess gas make the switch and never go back. The reason raw food is good for allergies is because it is easier for them to digest which in turn can improve issues like vomiting, diarrhea or gassiness.
The essential fatty acids and high quality proteins found in raw foods can improve your Frenchies skin and coat as well. Being lower in in carbs and higher in protein raw food diets are also beneficial for weight management.
However, moving to a raw food diet should not be made lightly and does come with some risks like nutritional imbalance so you should consult a vetirinary nutritionist if you are considering this route for your French bulldog to determine the best food for your particular dog.

We recommend:

Stella & Chewey’s
They have many varieties of freeze dried raw food which reduces bacteria making it a more convenient raw food option than having to prepare it yourself.

FOOD FAQ

Most owners have questions about specific foods and if their dog can eat them. We have outlined most of the foods owners ask about and whether it is safe to feed this food to your dog.

Resources:
1.  Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition Food Allergy in Dogs and Cats: A Review. 2007. Verlinden et al.

2. American Kennel Club: Benefits of Fresh Dog Food vs. Raw Food vs. Kibble For Your Dog. 2021
3. PetMd: Dog Nutrition: Guide to Dog Food Nutrients. 2021.

 4. Veterinary Dermatology: A prospective study on canine atopic dermatitis and food-induced allergic dermatitis in Switzerland. 2008. Picco et al.