If you’ve just brought home your adorable Pit Bull puppy, you may be wondering if you should get breed-specific food. Though all dog food must adhere to standards set forth by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), some breeds benefit from having food formulated for their needs. These special formulas are intended to support different aspects of a breed, such as susceptibility to urinary stones, obesity, or joint health.

All AAFCO-certified commercial foods offer the minimum nutrition requirements for a dog at appropriate life-stages. Addressing health concerns and energy needs is more important than choosing a food designed for a specific breed.

While a pit bull isn’t a true dog breed, the name refers more to a type or category of dog breeds, which may include American Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs, and American Staffordshire Terriers. Still, these breeds are considered a Pit-type because of common characteristics, such as high energy levels that come from the Terrier and strong muscular bodies that come from the Bulldog in their lineage.

Because of this, puppies should have food with high protein and calories to support their energy level and muscle, joint, and bone development. Here are our picks for the 11 best puppy foods for Pit Bulls, based on reviews from real pet owners.

A Glance at Our Top Picks in 2024

The 11 Best Puppy Foods for Pit Bulls

1. Ollie Baked Beef Dog Food Subscription

Ollie is a meal plan company that found a perfect niche during the pandemic. The company offers high-quality fresh and baked dog food recipes made with only the best ingredients. Concerns about the safety of raw diets by the CDC and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) steered us toward the baked offerings, which are shelf-stable. Our best overall pick for Pit Bull puppies is the Baked Beef Food, which offers excellent nutrition in the form of soft, dry kibble.

Ollies has a commendable business model that includes sustainable practices and wellness pillars of its culture. We liked seeing its employees with their dogs on their website, convincing us of their best intentions. They are obviously marketing to pet parents with pictures of the recipes. The beef offering has a high protein content. Unfortunately, the fat well exceeds the 5% minimum for adults.

Our other concern rests with some of the ingredients, particularly sweet potatoes and lentils. The FDA continues to investigate their possible link with increased rates of canine dilated cardiomyopathy. However, the recipe contains the amino acid taurine to help offset deficiency issues, another potential factor in this health condition.

All in all, we think Ollie’s Baked Beef is the best puppy food for Pit Bulls that you can buy this year.

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2. Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Chicken & Oat Dry Dog Food – Budget Buy

Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Large Breed Dry Dog Food is our top budget pick. The food has high protein from savory chicken meal and whole oats to support energy needs and muscle and bone development. In addition, the food has controlled calcium levels for optimal bone growth and glucosamine and chondroitin for muscle and joint health. There’s also DHA from fish oil for skin, coat, and immune health.

This food is free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives and manufactured in the US. Some reviewers noted that the food gave their puppies bad gas and stinky breath with a fish smell.

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3. Purina Pro Plan Development Beef & Rice Dog Food

Purina Pro Plan Development Beef & Rice Formula Dry Puppy Food is another good puppy food for Pit Bulls. The high-protein, large-breed formula is ideal for Pit Bull breeds, which often exceed 50 pounds, and features high-quality beef as the main ingredient. Along with animal protein, the formula includes omega fatty acids and vitamin A for skin and coat health, glucosamine for joint health, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. Live probiotics support digestive health and the immune system.

The food is free of fillers, preservatives, corn, wheat, and soy, ensuring your pup gets maximum nutrition with every bite. While many reviewers had good results with this food, others reported loose stool and digestive upset in their puppies.

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4. ORIJEN Puppy Large Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

ORIJEN Puppy Large Grain-Free Dry Puppy Food is formulated to be biologically appropriate, the food contains high protein levels and fat from animal sources like free-run chicken and turkey, wild-caught fish, and cage-free eggs. Animal sources include not only muscle meat but organs and bone for muscle, joint, and bone health. Kibble is freeze-dry coated for a strong flavor that puppies love.

The food is manufactured in the US using only high-quality ingredients from known sources with no corn, wheat, or soy. Some reviewers noted that their pups wouldn’t eat it and expressed concerns about recalls.

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5. Wellness CORE Grain-Free Chicken & Turkey Dog Food

Wellness CORE Grain-Free Puppy Chicken & Turkey Recipe Dry Dog Food offers a grain-free formula with chicken, turkey, fish oil, and fruits and vegetables for complete nutrition. Along with protein, the food includes antioxidants, probiotics, vitamins, minerals, taurine, glucosamine, and omega fatty acids to support healthy development.

Though the food is grain-free and contains no meat by-products, fillers, corn, soy, preservatives, gluten, or artificial colors and flavors, it is manufactured in a factory that processes grains. According to reviews, pet owners saw positive results like healthier coats and better energy levels. Some reviewers said their puppies wouldn’t touch it, though.

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6. Stella & Chewy’s Perfectly Puppy Beef & Salmon Raw Food

Stella & Chewy’s Perfectly Puppy Beef & Salmon Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food features dinner patties with grass-fed beef and wild-caught salmon. Over 90% of the recipe comes from meat, organs, and bone that’s ground for high digestibility. The formula is infused with probiotics, antioxidants, and DHA for healthy development. New Zealand green mussels are added to support joint health.

The food is minimally processed, natural, and free from hormones, grains, antibiotics, and fillers. Each small batch is made in a US-based kitchen with responsibly sourced ingredients. Patties may be inconvenient for feeding, and reviewers noted that the food is expensive.

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7. American Journey Active Life Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables

American Journey Active Life Formula Dry Dog Food is a large-breed puppy food that supports high energy levels. Deboned salmon is the first ingredient for lean muscle, and omega fatty acids and minerals support bone, skin, and coat health. The nutrient-dense formula ensures your pup gets the most out of its calories with ingredients like kelp, blueberries, and sweet potato. It also has arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid to aid brain and vision development.

The formula contains no wheat, corn, soy, or animal by-products and no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. Some reviewers struggled to get their dogs to eat the food and mentioned quality control issues.

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8. Purina Pro Plan Development Puppy Chicken & Rice

If your puppy prefers wet food, Purina Pro Plan Development Chicken and Brown Rice Entrée Canned Puppy Food is an excellent choice. Real chicken is the first ingredient and supplies high protein for lean muscle development and energy levels. The food contains plenty of DHA for brain and vision development, as well as 23 essential vitamins and minerals for complete and balanced nutrition.

This food is manufactured at a Purina-owned, US-based facility without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Cans come in a case of 12, but some reviewers said their puppies didn’t like it. Buying by the case makes it difficult to sample and test the food before buying a lot, leading to waste.

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9. Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Chicken, Oats & Turkey

Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Chicken, Oats & Turkey Puppy Dry Dog Food is a high-quality, high-protein food choice for your puppy that features animal-based proteins. Real deboned chicken and turkey are the first ingredients, followed by low-glycemic grains. The food also contains omega fatty acids for skin and coat health. The kibble includes probiotics for digestive and immune health.

Over 75% of the protein comes from animal sources, and there’s no pea or potato protein added. The result is biologically appropriate, high-quality protein for muscle development. Some reviewers said their pup didn’t like it, even combined with other foods or chicken or beef broth.

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10. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Puppy Chicken Dry

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Puppy Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is a high-protein kibble to give puppies the muscle and bone growth they need. Chicken is the first ingredient, followed by DHA and ARA for cognitive development. The kibble includes patented LifeSource Bits, which pack antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals created by nutritionists and veterinarians to meet health and life-stage requirements.

The food is created specifically for large-breed puppies and contains no by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, or artificial flavors. Some reviewers complained about price increases or said their puppy wouldn’t eat it, even mixed with other foods or broth and meat bits.

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11. ACANA Puppy Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Food

ACANA Puppy Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Food is a high-quality food option with protein and fat from animal sources, including free-range chicken and turkey and cage-free eggs. The remaining nutrition comes from fruits, vegetables, and botanicals, such as apples, pears, greens, and pumpkin, and the food is fortified with vitamins, minerals, and probiotics to provide complete nutrition.

All ingredients are sourced from trusted farmers, ranchers, fisheries, and manufactured in a state-of-the-art, US-based kitchen. The kibble is coated with freeze-dried chicken and turkey, but some reviewers said their pups wouldn’t touch it.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Puppy Food for Pit Bulls

Pit Bull types have muscular bodies and high energy needs, so it is important to get food that supports their development and offers nutrient density to make the most of each calorie. Here’s what you should look for in puppy food.

Puppy Food Ingredients

Your puppy food should contain real ingredients, such as meat, organs, and bone from animal sources and wild-caught fish. Grain-free diets may not be the best choice since evidence suggests they may increase the risk of heart disease in dogs.

Still, not all grains are equal. Whole grains like oats and barley are a better choice for your dog than corn, flour, soy, and wheat.

Dog Size and Life-Stage

Puppies should eat a puppy formula for at least the first year of their lives since it has protein, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients necessary to promote healthy development into adulthood. While it’s not a requirement, large-breed puppy food is a good choice for Pit Bull puppies, since the breeds in this category tend to be within the 50-pound and above range. If you expect your puppy to be smaller than that, or it’s a mix with a smaller breed, you may want to consider formulas for medium breeds or a food formulated for all sizes and breeds.

AAFCO Standards

Most commercial dog food on the market meets or exceeds AAFCO standards to ensure it meets species-appropriate nutrition. Dog food with the AAFCO seal is considered complete and balanced for its life stage, breed size, or specific breed. Be sure to check your chosen dog food to make sure it is AAFCO certified.

• You may also be interested: 10 Best Affordable Dog Food for Pit Bulls – Reviews & Top Picks

Conclusion

Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of your dog’s health, from puppy to its senior years. Pit types may need additional nutritional requirements, such as extra protein and higher calories, to support their unique needs. Ollie’s Baked Beef Food is the best overall puppy food for Pit Bulls for its high-protein and natural formula. If you’re looking for value, choose Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Large Breed Dry Dog Food for its high-quality beef and whole oat formula.

See also:

• Best Puppy Foods at Petsmart – Reviews and Top Picks
• 11 Best Canned & Wet Puppy Foods – Reviews & Top Picks
• 10 Best Puppy Foods for Labs – Reviews & Top Picks
• 10 Best Grain-Free Puppy Foods – Reviews & Top Picks

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Featured Image Credit: sophiecat, Shutterstock