As a Frenchie owner, you know that these slobbery, fluffs of fur are more than just pets. They’re family.
Just like any member of your family, you want what’s best for your furry friend, especially if they have any allergies or if certain types of food don’t necessarily digest well for them.
This article will look at the best food for French Bulldogs, assess their most common food allergies, and finally, put forward a couple of brands we recommend that will ensure a healthy diet for your Frenchie.
Health Food for French Bulldogs
Your French Bulldog’s weight is an important factor to their health. The typical French Bulldog, weighing around 25 pounds, should have a calorie intake of about 500-600 kcal a day. But for older Frenchies this figure may drop, and for overly active bullies and puppies, you may need to feed them a few more calories because of the extra energy they burn off.
Since bulldogs reach their adult size quickly, ensuring that the food they’re taking in is beneficial to their health as well as their weight and height is crucial. Make sure that the food you’re supplying to them is packed full of nutrients. Try to avoid foods that contain preservatives and fillers, since those can harm dogs or simply add to overall weight gain. And be aware that wheat products are the main culprit of flatulence in Bulldogs!
Read the ingredients list to ensure that the protein being used in your Frenchies food is from meat and not plants. Whole meat is the best, which includes: chicken, beef, fish, and lamb. Dogs can’t easily process protein that comes from plants, so meat protein is the best method to ensure that they won’t have digestive problems later on in life.
Other key ingredients to look out for are foods that contain a decent amount of fat, particularly chicken fat or fish oil that keeps their fur and skin healthy. Also, puppies should have Docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, which aids in eye and brain development. And older dogs should take in MCFAs which stands for medium chain triglycerides since they keep your Frenchie feeling young and active.
What foods are French Bulldogs allergic to?
An unfortunate part of having a French Bulldog is that they often develop food allergies. Some of the allergies they can develop are over food items like corn, beef, milk, cheese, and other dairy products. As well as chicken, lamb, fish, chicken eggs, wheat, and soy. Not all Frenchies will have these allergies, but others will have them all!
Just keep a close eye on your Frenchie to see how they do when first starting out with these foods. If they show signs of allergies such as scratching or licking a lot, breaking out in red blotches or vomiting – you may need to find a new type of food.
Corn, in particular, can cause hives on your dog’s skin, or form other skin irritations. Keep in mind that some allergies can come from the environment your pup lives in, so if changing the food doesn’t seem to be working, consider the pollens, grass, and general makeup of their surrounding environment.
The Best Food for French Bulldogs
Novel proteins seem to work well for warding off allergies, things such as Rabbit, Elk, Kangaroo or other super-lean meats. These meats cooked with some veggies make for a great custom meal. (Thanks to Trish from our community for this tip!)
The best brand of dog food we have found on the market, if you don’t want to make it yourself, is the Pet Plate meal plans.
Pet Plate is a meal delivery service that offers vet-designed, human-grade meals with real ingredients. All of their freshly-cooked meals are made with USDA-certified meats and fresh produce.
Some of the major benefits of using Pet Plate instead of kibble are:
- Your pup will have a healthier coat.
- There will be less itching because Pet Plate is allergy-friendly.
- Your pup’s poops will be more consistent and easier to pick up.
- You won’t have any issues with gaining weight, as the meals are portioned appropriately.
Get started with Pet Plate for less than $3 a day for small dogs.
Your Frenchie, Your Rules
Ultimately, you know your Frenchie best. If you notice something is wrong, try changing their diet or consult with your veterinarian.
Keeping the information described above in mind, however, should lead to a long, healthy life full of mischevious adventures for you and your Frenchie.
Will is the proud co-owner of Frankie, a Female Brindle French Bulldog, with his wife Michelle. We share our Frenchie experiences with the world to help health-conscious French Bulldog owners who want a happy, healthy, and long-living dog.
I’m a little confused by your recommendation. The 2nd ingredient in Royal Canine is wheat which your article states is the “main culprit” of flatulence in Frenchies. And chicken by-product? We were advised by our Frenchie breeder to avoid both wheat and chicken. It also contains “Natural flavors”? What is this? We feed our guy Wellness Grain Free Whitefish formula and have also considered both Acana and Orijen brands. Just curious about your recommendation for Royal Canine being your top pick.
Hey Natalie,
Thanks for your comment and concern about our recommendation… We have found that the Royal Canin is great for Frenchies if they don’t have any known food allergies. Of course, if your Frenchie has allergies and you are trying to determine exactly what is causing them, then it probably isn’t the best alternative. There is no “one-size-fits-all” food for Frenchies because they all have different tolerances. For example, we have tried Frankie on grain-free fish-based dry food in the past and it hasn’t gone well. For us, we have resorted to a home cooked food rather than store-bought.
Your vet is always going to be able to provide the best advice when it comes to these things, but it sounds like your current choices
I have a 9month old frenchie he is on a hypoallergenic diet but he is scratching still to the point where he is now taking his fur off and having scabs I keep putting sudocrem on them but I am really stuck with what food now as I do think it is that I don’t use any products in the house now to clean or wash his bedding and he is scratching more then ever.
Hey Ciara,
Have you considered that it is an environmental allergy rather than a food allergy?
Chat with your vet and they may be able to give you some advice on managing the symptoms.
I have 2 Frenchie and too was going crazy with food. My one year old is allergic to chicken as we do raw and it has been great. Smaller poops and shiny coats. However, it seems she has flair up every few months so we resort to an allergy shot. But I feel your pain. When she eats chicken or turkey she breaks out all over and it is misery for her and her mommy!
A French Bulldog breeder recommend Fromm puppy food for my puppy. They also have Heartland gold grain free. You did not recommend any other brand except Royal Canin. While I like that product it almost sounds that you are marketing for RC
Hey Miri,
We have no direct relationship with Royal Canin, it was just our recommendation when it comes to buying pre-made food. We actually home cook all of Frankie’s meals ourselves!
Thanks for your comment!
Hi
Frankie is gorgeous by the way! I’m intrigued to know what type of home cooked meals Frankie has at home as I would like to try this at home for my 3yo frenchie Ruby.
Many thanks
Donna
Hi Donna,
Thanks for the compliment!
For Frankie’s home cooked meals we cook her a mix of kangaroo mince, carrots, broccoli, and rice noodles. We usually buy the frozen vegetables and cook it all in a big pot, then chop it up by hand or in a food processor so it is easier for her to digest.
She loves it, but it has taken us lots of trial and error to land on this recipe 🙂
I would like to know your opinion on Royal canin vs acana lamb/ pacific pilchard vs taste of the wild lamb / pacific stream. These are the 3 foods I am deciding on since I am changing from puppy to adult food.
I read many Coplaints on RC that uses low quality ingridients and on taste of the wild not being a high quality food.
I woud like an opinion on the three since my vet told me that if possible I should eliminate chicken/beef/pork. My frenchie had two hot spots on his neck lately and loose stools. He is on acana puppy and junior which is 70% poultry.
Many thanks
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan,
Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of experience with Acana and Taste of Wild so it’s hard to advise you. Sorry we couldn’t be of more help.
Do you think feeding Deer meat is okay?
Hi Jeannie,
Deer meat can be great meat for Frenchies, but it can also cause an intestinal upset if your pup has a sensitive stomach. It varies dog to dog.
We’d recommend cooking the meat well to kill any parasites – but remember NOT to feed them cooked bones. And combine the meat with vegetables and some fish oil for a balanced diet.
Hi, my Frenchie is almost two years old. The best food we have found for her is RC low fat GI food. Very little flatulence, and no more intestinal problems. Our vet recommended we try this. It’s been a year and she is great
Thanks for sharing Marcia!
Hi there, I just adopted a 6 month old Frenchie from a rescue. He seems to feel fine but his stools are loose and random. Like sometimes he’ll poop 20 min after feeding sometimes 2/3 hours and I’ve very good about kenneling him and staying outside sometimes upwards of 45 min and he doesn’t go. Then comes in and has loose stools like 3 times… does this sound like anything to anyone? Products or food to form up his stools? I feed holistic stuff from Trader Joe’s. Oh! AAAAND, he al,ost always tryies to eat it!!
Hey Kristy,
Inconsistency pooping isn’t the end of the world, and sometimes a loose stool could just be an intolerance to some food or something the pup has hoovered up from the ground. If it persists, always best to see your vet!
For more advice you could chat online to a vet here: https://trk.justanswer.com/SHHq
thank you for information and keep sharing with us some more blogs
Anyone familiar with Pure Vita holistic dog food?
We tried Royal Canin and Fromm’s and she was still having very soft to loose stools. Just Started Pure Vita yesterday abd her stools today, while soft, are formed. I considet this a good start. However, I’e not been able to find anyone out there who has tried Pure Vita. Would be interested in hearing others thoughts on this product as well.
Hi, I have two frenchies, one which I feed raw food and the other tails.com. Roo who is on raw has started to constantly nibble away at her paw. Could this be the chicken or the beef that’s causing this. I tried raw on my 6 month old but she can’t tolerate it and it causes her to have runny poos. She will now stay on tails which I highly recommend as she is thriving on it. She’s a great weight and her coat shines and she has perfect poos. I only tried to change more for convenience. Should I try to leave out chicken and beef from the raw. She doesn’t like fish ones so it only leaves lamb duck and turkey.
Thanks
Hey Lorraine,
It’s hard to say what may be causing the irritations, it may very well be the protein you are feeding – simply because Chicken is a common problem from Frenchies.
The only way to really know is to do an elimination diet – that’s if it is a food allergy. Paw-related irritations can often be environmental allergies or other issues altogether which you would be best to see a vet about.
Good luck!
Gosh thank you. I have a frenchie with I believe a chicken allergies posdibly a milder beef allergy. Going to just try dry for a bit to see how she goes. Hate seeing my doggy like this. This was from cooked food. So dry try cut out anything chick. Keep to dry and see if it improves. Reluctant to try anything new at this stage until I know the cause.
Thanks for sharing Yasmine!
hello my name is jennyfer I have a frenchie of 6 months and she has her very red eyes I went to 3 vets and they sent apuquel an antiallergic for 14 days they tell me that I must change food to a hydrolyze and quw I must continue with the antialegics I can give him chicken that does not contain chicken because I think he is allergic to chicken, although he eats Royal Canin three weeks ago I made him a boiled chicken breast and it turned red, I do not know what to do. very grateful for your help
Hi Jennyfer,
Unfortunately, we can’t give medical advice in regards to your issue.
The symptoms you have described could be allergy related – if they are then chicken could be the culprit.
Alternatively, it could be another eye problem. You can read more about common eye problems here: https://askfrankie.co/french-bulldog-eye-problems/ and https://askfrankie.co/french-bulldog-cherry-eye/
Your vet is always going to be most qualified for helping you with this.
I have a quick question. I am currently feeding my 4 month old frenchie fresh food ( the farmers dog) and I am a bit confused as to how much calories I should be feeding her. It was recommended she be fed 536 kcal a day, which to me when I portion the food seems like a lot for such a little pup. So my question is should I be feeding my 4 month old puppy 536 kcal which would be the same amount I would feed her as an adult? I’m a little confused 🤨
Hey Barbara,
Puppies in their first 12 months typically need about double the calories of an adult dog – it helps them grow and stay strong!
So the calorie count you have suggested wouldn’t be far off the mark.
If you think it is a lot, perhaps you could break it up into 2 or 3 meals?
The main thing to worry about with over-feeding your pup is whether or not they are overweight. If your Frenchie is active and you can see a semi-prominent contour in their stomach near the back legs, then their food intake is the way it should be.