The Best Dog Food for English Bulldogs (Senior, Puppy, and Adult)

Written by Austin S.
Updated: January 11, 2023
© ltummy/Shutterstock.com

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Having an English bulldog as a canine companion can be a wonderful experience. They’re sweet, gentle, and seek out human attention. However, English bulldogs are predisposed to a variety of medical conditions, including skin infections and brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (poor breathing). The proper diet may not prevent all health conditions, but it go a long way towards improving their overall health and preventing obesity, another condition to which the breed is prone.

Choosing the right food for your English bulldog can be overwhelming, especially since there are so many products on the market for dogs and each one claims to be the best. There are also a lot of other factors to consider, like the life stage and the activity level of your bulldog. To simplify your decision, we’ve rounded up the best dog foods for English bulldog puppies, adults, and seniors. We also included a grain-free option. Read on to see our top picks.

  1. Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Bulldog
    • Specially-shaped kibbles designed to be easier for Bulldogs to pick up
    • Designed to aid digestion and reduce gas production
    • Contains EPA and DHA to help support joint health
    • Supports a healthy weight
    Check Chewy Check Amazon
  2. Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Bulldog Puppy
    • Specially-shaped kibbles make them easier to pick up
    • Supports your pup's healthy digestion
    • Contains antioxidants and Vitamin E 
    • Added calcium and phosphorus
    Check Chewy Check Amazon
  3. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain
    • Made from high-quality protein sources
    • Contain deboned beef, peas, and fish meal
    • Contains taurine to help against brain aging
    • Contains antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals suited for senior dogs
    Check Chewy Check Amazon
  4. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
    • Well-balanced diet
    • Contains buffalo, lamb meal, and chicken meal
    • Contains antioxidants from sweet potatoes, peas, blueberries, and raspberries
    • Added antioxidants and prebiotics
    Check Chewy Check Amazon

A-Z-Animals Top Picks for Dog Food for English Bulldogs

#1 Best Overall: Royal Canin Bulldog Adult Dog Food

In our review, the best dog food for adult English bulldogs is the Royal Canin Bulldog Adult Dog Food. Royal Canin is well known for creating breed-specific dog foods. This one is formulated for purebred bulldogs 12 months old and older. It includes EPA and DHA to support bulldogs’ short, stocky bodies and provide bone and joint support. It features specially-shaped kibble that is designed to be easier for bulldogs to pick up and chew.

As a brachycephalic (having a short, broad skull) breed, English bulldogs tend to swallow a lot of air, which results in them being gassier than most other breeds. Royal Canin Bulldog Adult Dog Food is formulated to be easy to digest and produce healthy stools while reducing gas. It’s also designed to support your dog’s skin health and help them maintain a healthy body weight.

The only notable drawback of this product is that it is quite expensive and may not be ideal for all budgets.

Pros and Cons of Royal Canin Bulldog Adult Dog Food

ProsCons
This dog food was created specifically for purebred English bulldogs 12 months old and older.It is quite expensive.
It includes EPA and DHA to support the breed’s short, stocky bodies and provide bone and joint support. 
The kibble is specially designed to be easy for English bulldogs to pick up and chew. 
It is formulated to be easy to digest and to produce healthy stools while reducing gas. 
It also supports dogs’ skin health and helps them to maintain a healthy body weight. 
Overall Best
Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Bulldog
  • Specially-shaped kibbles designed to be easier for Bulldogs to pick up
  • Designed to aid digestion and reduce gas production
  • Contains EPA and DHA to help support joint health
  • Supports a healthy weight
Check Chewy Check Amazon

2. Best for Puppies: Royal Canin Bulldog Puppy Food

Royal Canin Bulldog Puppy Food is designed just for pure breed English bulldog puppies that are eight weeks old to 15 months old. It contains an exclusive blend of antioxidants, including Vitamin E, which help support your puppy’s immune system and promote healthy growth. It is also enriched with calcium and phosphorus to support their joint and bone development.

This food is formulated with specially-shaped kibbles that are easier for your puppy to pick up and chew. It also also contains high-quality proteins and prebiotics that support healthy digestion and stool production while reducing excess gas production.

Royal Canin Bulldog Puppy Food retails at a premium price and may not be ideal for all budgets.

Pros and Cons of Royal Canin Bulldog Puppy Food

ProsCons
This recipe is designed for purebred English bulldog puppies that are eight weeks old to 15 months old.It’s quite expensive and may not be ideal for all budgets.
It contains antioxidants, including vitamin E, that support the immune system and promote healthy growth. 
An exclusive blend of minerals supports joint and bone development. 
The kibble is designed to be easier for English bulldog puppies to pick up and chew. 
High-quality proteins and prebiotics support healthy digestion and stool production while reducing gas production. 
Best for Puppies
Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Bulldog Puppy
  • Specially-shaped kibbles make them easier to pick up
  • Supports your pup's healthy digestion
  • Contains antioxidants and Vitamin E 
  • Added calcium and phosphorus
Check Chewy Check Amazon

3. Best for Seniors: Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior is a chicken-free recipe that features a blend of red meat to help your senior dog build and maintain lean muscles. It contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to support skin and coat health and glucosamine and chondroitin to promote joint health.

This recipe includes LifeSource Bits, a precise blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support immune system health, life stage needs, and a healthy oxidative balance.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior also contains taurine, an essential amino acid that helps protect your bulldog against brain aging.

This formula is made from the finest natural ingredients and is free from chicken (or poultry) by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors or preservatives.

The major drawback of this product is that some bulldogs may dislike the taste. However, compared to its benefits, it remains our pick for the best dog food for senior English bulldogs.

Pros and Cons of Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior

ProsCons
This recipe is chicken-free and includes a blend of red meat that helps senior dogs build and maintain lean muscles.Some dogs do not like the taste of this kibble.
It contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to support skin and coat health. 
Glucosamine and chondroitin promote joint health.
It includes LifeSource Bits, a blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support immune system health, life stage needs, and a healthy oxidative balance. 
Taurine helps protect your dog’s brain against aging.
It’s made from the finest natural ingredients and is free from chicken (or poultry) by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors or preservatives.
Best for Senior Dogs
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain
  • Made from high-quality protein sources
  • Contain deboned beef, peas, and fish meal
  • Contains taurine to help against brain aging
  • Contains antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals suited for senior dogs
Check Chewy Check Amazon

4. Best Grain-Free: Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Grain-Free Recipe with Roasted Bison and Venison Adult Dry Dog Food

Our grain-free pick, Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Grain-Free Recipe with Roasted Bison and Venison Adult Dry Dog Food, is also the best in terms of affordability. This product was created to provide a well-balanced diet with high-quality protein.

This recipe includes variety of probiotic ingredients, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, that will help soothe your dog’s stomach. And Taste of the Wild High Prairie Dog Food also contains Yucca schidigera extract, which reduces stool odor.

This grain-free product contains water buffalo, lamb meal, and chicken meal as its first three ingredients. Eggs, roasted bison, roasted venison, and beef, which appear a little further down the ingredient list, also contribute to this recipe’s high-protein profile.

This product contains antioxidants from sweet potatoes, peas, blueberries, and raspberries. It is also enriched with vitamins and minerals that help keep your English bulldog strong and healthy.

This product provides great nutrition for the price and is our top pick for the best dog food for English bulldogs when it comes to value.

Pros and Cons of Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Grain-Free Recipe with Roasted Bison and Venison Adult Dry Dog Food

ProsCons
This grain-free recipe is the best in terms of affordability.While this recipe is the most affordable on our list, some might still consider it to be relatively expensive.
It provides a well-balanced diet that’s high in protein. 
It contains probiotics, including Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Yucca schidigera extract, which reduces stool odor. 
This grain-free recipe contains water buffalo, lamb meal, and chicken meal as the first three ingredients and other protein sources further down the ingredient list. 
Sweet potatoes, peas, blueberries, and raspberries provide antioxidants. 
It’s supplemented with vitamins and minerals.
Best Grain-Free
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
  • Well-balanced diet
  • Contains buffalo, lamb meal, and chicken meal
  • Contains antioxidants from sweet potatoes, peas, blueberries, and raspberries
  • Added antioxidants and prebiotics
Check Chewy Check Amazon

Choosing the Best Dog Food for English Bulldogs: What to Look For

When choosing the best dog food for your English bulldog, there are three factors you need to consider: price, quality, and ingredients. Here is how to consider the best dog food for English bulldogs across each of these criterion:

Price

When shopping for the best food for your dog, it is important to have a budget and be aware of the price of a product before purchase. While inexpensive dog food might contain ingredients you would not want to feed to your English bulldog, expensive dog food might contain some ingredients that have little to no nutritional value. Finding a balance between price and product quality is key.

Quality

It is important to select high-quality food for your English bulldog because they include real food such as meat as their first ingredients. Inexpensive dog food, on the other hand, includes ingredients like chicken and poultry by-products and other fillers that are devoid of nutrition and just “take up space” in the bag.

High-quality dog food also lists real vegetables and fruits and select vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that enhance pet health.

Natural products are also recommended for the English bulldog since they may be sensitive to harsher additives and preservatives. Rosemary oil, mixed tocopherols, and citric acid are natural preservatives, and it is advisable to keep an eye out for them while shopping.

Ingredients

When shopping for dog food, it is important to check whether it includes ingredients that your English bulldog is allergic to or is sensitive to. For example, if your dog is allergic to chicken, read the label carefully to avoid purchasing products that include chicken, chicken fat, or chicken by-products.

You should also watch for ingredients such as meat meals, fish oils, flaxseed, chicken fat, sunflower, and canola oil. These ingredients provide docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA), which are crucial for a host of functions, including healthy cognitive function and eye health.

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About the Author

Growing up in rural New England on a small scale farm gave me a lifelong passion for animals. I love learning about new wild animal species, habitats, animal evolutions, dogs, cats, and more. I've always been surrounded by pets and believe the best dog and best cat products are important to keeping our animals happy and healthy. It's my mission to help you learn more about wild animals, and how to care for your pets better with carefully reviewed products.

The Best Dog Food for English Bulldogs (Senior, Puppy, and Adult) FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) 

What can English bulldogs not eat?

Unfortunately, what’s healthy (or delicious) for humans may not be good for Fido. That’s why A-Z Animals compiled a comprehensive list entitled What Foods Can Dogs Eat Safely, and Which Are Dangerous? We recommend that you check this list anytime that you’re tempted to give your English bulldog something off your plate. Just bookmark it on your web browser for future reference.

How much should an English bulldog eat a day?

You should feed your English bulldog about 3 to 4 cups of quality kibble per day, split into two meals. The amount fed may go up or down based on your dog’s size, weight, age, and activity level.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.