Homemade Dog Food for Pitbulls 2022

Did you know that Pitbulls are not inherently violent? Despite making negative headlines on the media, they rank as the second among the most tolerant dog breeds after the Golden Retrievers.

If you are considering homemade dog foods for Pitbulls as the best nutrition for your canine friend, you are in the right place.

Being energetic dogs, Pitbulls thrive on foods that contain high protein content with few grains and real meat as the first ingredient. In this article, we shall guide you through the benefits and risks of homemade dog food, as well as their calorie requirement.

But before we teach you how to make the best diet for your doggie at home with some recipes, let us first comprehend homemade dog foods.

What are Homemade Dog Foods?

Homemade dog foods refer to the do-it-yourself method of preparing dog food in your kitchen using certain recipes. The food is cooked using human-grade ingredients which are, of course, high quality and from known sources.

Homemade foods are easier to digest which is good news as Pitbulls are prone to food and allergies. In addition, they are fresh and free from artificial preservatives and flavors which are unhealthy for your Pitbull. 

5 Benefits of Homemade Dog Food

The American College of Veterinary Nutrition’s board-accredited vet nutritionists and diplomats J.A. Larsen and Joe Bartges support feeding your dog with homemade dog foods. According to them, homemade dog foods include an assortment of whole foods and give you control over what goes into your pooch’s stomach.

Here are the benefits of homemade dog food:

1. Control over the diet

As with me, many dog parents are cautious about the quality and quantity of ingredients used in commercial dog foods. It is no longer a secret that a substantial number of dog food companies do not precisely detail what is included in their foods. Even worse, some foods have been taken out of the stores by the FDA due to safety anxieties.

When you prepare food for your canine friend from scratch, you gain full control by considering every ingredient that falls into his feeding bowl.

2. Bonding

Preparing homemade dog foods creates a bonding moment for both the dog and family members, especially children. It will also be a chance for them to learn about nutrition and gain some skills on homemade dog foods.

3. Nurturing picky eaters

Some dogs are picky eaters and no matter how palatable the commercial food is, they just won’t eat even with the right texture. This makes searching for their desired dog foods in different stores and brands annoying, time-consuming, and a waste of your hard-earned money.

You can feed your dog with human foods that are safe for dogs such as plain-cooked chicken, carrot, sweet potatoes, bananas, and cooked rice. With that, you can formulate meals your picky eater loves.

4. Adapting to varying needs

Compared to their ancestors, our canine buddies have a bigger life expectancy. While that sounds great, changes in dietary needs become a challenge as they age and develop some health issues. This makes finding the best commercial foods for such needs difficult.

With homemade recipes, catering for these needs is easier as you will only be required to remove some ingredients and substitute them with new ones. You can do all this without altering his feeding routine.

5. Preventing allergens

Dog owners can assert with me that finding the best commercial dog foods for dogs with allergies, sensitive stomachs, or intolerances is hard. Even with the allergen absent in the list of ingredients, it might have in the dog food industry during crafting or packaging of other foods.

With homemade dog foods, preventing allergens in your dog’s meal is easier as you will avoid the ingredients that trigger them while prioritizing nutritional value.

In addition to all the benefits mentioned above, homemade dog foods give you satisfaction as you observe your canine buddy enjoy the meal that you have crafted yourself. 

4 Risks of Homemade Dog Food

Homemade dog foods are not without their drawbacks, from common home cooking errors by using risky ingredients to preparing unbalanced meals. But the benefits, however, outweigh the risks or negatives.

Here are the risks of homemade dog food:

1. Imbalance of ingredients

Although homemade dog food formulas have all the essential ingredients, feeding the right amounts is not a guarantee. That is because most pet formula recipes possess less or no animal nutrition skills. Feeding imbalanced ingredients can cause malnutrition or a deficiency.

In addition, selecting through formulas can be hectic and especially bearing in mind that they might have been written by a blogger without health concerns about your dog. Make sure you crosscheck the benefits of any ingredients included in these homemade dog food recipe sites.

2. Time consuming

Homemade dog food is time-consuming as you will need to craft food that is nutritious and palatable – a complete diet. Unlike commercial dog foods which have a long shelf-life, foods cooked at home cannot be made and stored but prepared every day.

3. Portion control

With homemade dog foods, it is easy for the dog owner to underfeed or over-feed his canine friend since it is hard to figure out the right amount. Not serving the right portions affects your dog’s overall health.

4. Sticking to the plan

At times, dog foods prepared at home end up being costlier than commercial dog foods as you try to stick to the plan recommended by a vet. In the long run, dog owners start to diet drift by omitting or substituting some ingredients from the recipe without knowhow on their nutritional value. This leads to serious health issues in the future. 

Pitbull Nutritional Requirements/calorie requirements

Pitbulls are energetic and active dogs which means they burn off lots of calories every day. With this kind of info, your dog cannot develop health problems resulting from over-or underfeeding. Check out our reviews of the best dog food for Pitbulls we researched.

There are lots of factors that determine the number of calories required by a dog, including age, pregnancy, trauma, specific medical conditions, and surgeries.

A Pitbull with a weight of approx. 30 lbs. to 70 lbs. requires an average calorie content of 922 to 1740. A young Pitbull, on the other hand, weighing 30 lbs. to 50 lbs. requires an average calorie content of 993 to 1451 every day.

Although senior dogs might require less calorie content, their activity level and metabolism are also factors to consider. Since young Pitbulls are more energetic and active, you should expect them to consume more calories.

5 Best Homemade Dog Foods for Pitbulls

Pitbulls are energetic and active dogs reputable for having a big appetite and need a nutritious diet to keep them fit. Although pet stores and superstores have a range of recipes to select from, most Pitbull owners prefer making homemade foods for their best friends.

Here are the 5 best homemade dog food recipes for Pitbulls:

1. Beef dinner

If you are looking for a perfect meal for Pitbulls of any age, this scrumptious beef dinner recipe is everything your dog needs. With beef as the source of proteins, these easily chewable meatballs help keep your Pitbull’s muscles strong.

You can add varieties of veggies to make sure that your canine buddy benefits from all the vital nutrients and vitamins for boosted overall health.

Ingredients: 5 cups of cooked brown rice, 10 lbs. of ground beef, 3 cups of mixed veggies, and 10 whole eggs.

We love the flexibility in this recipe that allows you to use the readily-available ingredients to fit your dog’s taste and preference. To prepare:

• Mix the meat, rice, eggs, and veggies in a huge bowl
• Shape it into large balls, and drop them onto a baking dish
• Preheat the oven to 400° F 
• Cook the meatballs for approx. 45 minutes (until cooked inside)

2. Chicken dinner

Chicken is known to be palatable which is good for your big Pitbull’s appetite and an excellent source of protein. We like this recipe due to its affordability and flexibility to fit your dog’s partiality. It contains nutritious and healthy ingredients like spinach and cabbage which are good for digestive health.

To ensure your Pitbull has enough antioxidants and vitamins for improved health, this recipe includes fruits such as apples.

Ingredients: 5 lbs. of chicken, 2 apples, 5 whole eggs, 2 cups of red cabbage & spinach, ad 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

We like that you can choose chicken frozen breasts or whole chicken (including liver, neck meat, and heart). To cook:

• Prepare the ingredients – skin the apples, dice them & remove all the seeds & rough fibrous core
• Chop the chicken & remove any bones
• Boil the chicken until its almost cooked
• Reduce heat to simmer & add the cabbage, spinach, and apples
• Remove when the chicken is fully cooked & greens are wilted
• Stir the olive oil & eggs into the food

3. Dog chili

This dog chili recipe contains chicken that is rich in protein content which is excellent for giving to your Pitbull lean, strong muscles. Even best, the formula contains two types of beans and carrots which are high in beta-carotene that maintains terrific optical health.

Ingredients: 1 cup of kidney beans & 1 of black beans, ½ cup of tomato paste, 4 chicken breasts, 1 cup of carrots, and 4 cups of chicken broth.

If you want to maintain good skin health, you can add some fish oil in the recipe. To cook:

• Dice the carrots into small sizes
• Beans – soak them to soften if they are dry or drain excess water if they are canned
• Slice the chicken fat into large pieces & breasts into cubes
• Cook the chicken over medium-high heat in a big skillet
• Transfer the chicken to a big stockpot
• Add the carrots and beans & cook the mixture over medium heat
• Cool it before serving

Raw Dog Food Recipes

Do you prefer feeding your Pitbull with a raw diet? These formulas are prepared to imitate the ancestral dog diet. For these kinds of dog foods, make sure the meats come from reputable butchers or hunters and are free of contaminations.

Check out these recipes:

4. Beefy max

If you are looking for dog food that doubles your Pitbull’s fitness level and plenty of energy to burn off, this recipe is an ideal choice. With beef as the first ingredient and source of protein, it ensures that your Pitbull builds and maintains strong muscles.

Ingredients: Ground beef, carrots, beef kidney, romaine lettuce, and eggs.

For extra nutritional benefits, this recipe includes supplements and greens. Depending on your dog’s preference, you can include fish oil, calcium, and vitamin E. To prepare:

• Cut up the lettuce & carrots into smaller digestible pieces
• Cook the veggies in a pot without oil or water until carrots are soft & lettuce is wilted
• Cut up the kidney & mix with ground beef
• Add the eggs (together with the shell) & veggies
• Add any supplements
• Serve into small portions

5. Meat patties

This formula is like the beefy max but with more flexibility where you can add a range of various ingredients. You can choose meat options such as pork, chicken, turkey, beef, or lamb, or even mix them all into one meal.

As for veggies, you can include carrots, parsley, kale, or spinach.

Ingredients: 4 eggs, 1 can of sardines in water, 1 cup of veggies, & 5 lbs. of ground meat

To prepare:

• Chop your preferred veggies (at least two different)
• Mix the eggs with their shells
• Add the chopped veggies into the eggs
• Make patties that are correct for your Pitbull’s serving size
• Freeze the remains

10 Pitbull Homemade Food Tips

Before you settle on homemade dog food for your Pitbull, here are some tips that you should keep in mind when making these meals:

1. Establish a steady feeding plan
2. Feed your Pitbull twice a day
3. Prepare the meal weekly or monthly
4. Quantify & control share sizes based on your Pitbull’s calorie requirement
5. Keep the meals frozen for 2-3 months (For refrigeration keep it for 5 days)
6. Only prepare a new batch when the food is running low
7. If you prefer feeding different recipes, prepare multiple batches & mark by ingredients. Feed the recipes in rotations.
8. Make the food in mass & fraction it into containers
9. Add sizes as your Pitbull pup grows
10. Monitor weight to ensure you feed the appropriate calorie amounts

FAQs

What should I feed my Pitbull with allergies?

Pitbulls are susceptible to food allergies which is a common condition. The best food for Pitbulls with allergies should contain less or few grains. Alternatively, determine what your dog is allergic to and avoid the ingredients that trigger it.

Below is another 12-minute video with guidelines on cooking for your pet.

Wrap-Up

Despite the controversies, the nutritional value and overall benefits of homemade dog foods are an excellent way to make sure that your Pitbulls gets all he needs in a meal. Of course, there are risk factors, just like with anything else, but the benefits prevail over the drawbacks.

With full control over what gets into your Pitbull’s feeding bowl and stomach, you satisfy even picky eaters, manage their dietary needs, strengthen the bond, and fight allergens and food intolerances. To ensure that you feed your Pitbull with the right food portions, working with his nutritionist or vet as you begin is good for your dog’s overall health.