The Best Dog Food for Pitbulls in 2022

First on our list, and our top pick of the best foods for young Pitbulls, has to be this Taste of the Wild Grain Free High Protein High Prairie Dry Puppy Food. Specially formulated for puppies, this tasty dry food contains a huge amount of healthy ingredients, including meat, vegetables, egg products and fish oils to provide your pup with a well-rounded, nutritious meal, similar to what they might eat in the wild. This version contains real roasted venison and bison meat, which alongside other ingredients such as pea protein, provide a high level of the protein your growing Pitbull needs, as well as optimal levels of amino acids.

Fruit and vegetable ingredients such as sweet potatoes, peas, tomatoes and blueberries offer your pup lots of antioxidants to support their overall well-being and immune system, whilst the inclusion of salmon oil provides a source of DHA, essential for a healthy brain and eyes. There are a plethora of vitamins and minerals, but none of the grain or wheat fillers often found in lower quality brands, which can upset Pitbulls’ stomachs. There are also no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, which makes this an all-round safe and nutritious dietary choice for your young Pitbull. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula is one of 7 dog food recipes included in our Taste Of The Wild Dog Food Review.

Next up is another high quality food based on natural ingredients, and one that is often compared to Taste of the Wild – the Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain Free Adult Dog Food. This particular version is their Turkey & Potato recipe, which features de-boned turkey as the first ingredient and single animal protein source. Turkey is an underused ingredient in commercial dog food, but is a good, lean source of protein for your Pitbull. The natural formula also contains carbohydrates, pumpkin to ease digestion and a balance of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which help maintain a healthy coat and skin.

Blue Buffalo also pack in plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in their patented ‘LifeSource Bits’, whilst steering clear of grains, soy, beef, chicken, dairy and eggs – all of which make this one of the best dog foods for Pitbulls with skin allergies or intolerances to these common irritants. At least one review mentions that this grain-free food was a lifesaver for their 11-year-old Pitbull who suffered from severe skin issues and ear infections. They went from visiting the vet ‘no less than three times a month’ to being vet-free for nearly two years since changing him over to this food. Overall, this is another healthy, high protein dog food for Pitbulls that only just misses out on our top spot.

In contrast to the above, Orijen Original Dry Dog Food contains multiple sources of meat protein from chicken, turkey, fish and eggs – in fact, these make up 85% of the total ingredients, and contribute to the impressive 38% protein content. Amongst the protein is a carefully balanced amount of meat, organs and bone, again to simulate the kind of diet your dog would have followed in the wild (assuming he wasn’t vegetarian!)

The remaining 15% of the food’s ingredients is derived from fruit, vegetables and botanicals, which provide a good amount of vitamins and minerals. There are no grains, tapioca or plant proteins in the formula, and two thirds of the protein that is present is raw or fresh, so the amount of processing is limited. The high percentage of meat-based proteins probably makes this one of the best dog foods for Pitbulls to gain muscle, or for senior dogs who struggle to digest protein – although you should always verify this with your vet first. ORIJEN Original Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is one of 7 recipes included in our review of Orijen Dog Food.

This Wellness Core Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food also features deboned turkey as the first ingredient, along with turkey meal and chicken meal. There are a plenty of fruit and vegetable ingredients, including sweet potato, peas, broccoli and spinach, to provide vitamins and minerals, as well as salmon oil for Omega fatty acids – vital for your Pitbull to have a healthy skin and coat. The formula is free from grain, meat by-products, artificial colors and preservatives.

This is also the reduced fat formula, which contains 25% less fat than the regular Wellness Core food, and might make it particularly suitable if your Pitbull is slowing down, or needs to lose a few pounds. It won’t be the best dog food for Pitbulls to gain weight, or for puppies (it’s intended for adult dogs). Having said this, some reviewers of this food question the recommended amounts from the manufacturer, saying their dog put on weight, so keep an eye on this. More positive reviews praise the food for its high fiber content, which is attributed to helping with a variety of health issues, including anal gland leakage! Here’s a detailed look at Wellness Core Dog Food.

With lean bison meat as its main source of protein, this Earthborn Holistic Great Plains Feast Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is a tasty and high quality food for your Pitbull, as well as being one of the most affordable options on our list. Alongside the bison meal, there’s a healthy mix of fruits and veggies to provide your pup with all the essential nutrients they need. These include blueberries and spinach, proving that sometimes human superfoods are the best for your dog too.

There’s also a healthy balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, essential for coat and skin health. At least one review which mentions how soft and shiny their Pitbull’s coat became after feeding them this for two months, and another emphasizes how much this helped with their Pitbull’s skin allergies. The formula is grain free and gluten free, so perfect if your Pitbull is sensitive to these ingredients. It also contains L-cartine, which helps convert fat into muscle, making this one of the best dog foods for Pitbulls to gain muscle on the market.

This CANIDAE Grain Free PURE Dry Dog Food has an impressively limited recipe of only 8 ingredients: salmon, salmon meal, menhaden fish meal, sweet potatoes, peas, canola oil, suncured alfafa, and potatoes. The limited amount of ingredients and lack of common allergens such as beef, chicken, eggs and grains make it one of the best dog foods for Pitbulls with skin allergies and food intolerances.

But don’t let the lack of complicated-sounding ingredients fool you – this is one highly nutritious, well-balanced dog food, and is not only for dogs with allergies. Adult dogs will love the taste of this fishy-flavored food and the high amount of protein, vitamins and minerals will keep them happy and healthy. One particularly glowing review comes from the owner of two Staffordshire Bull Terriers, who says this food has positively influenced their behavior, the quality of their coats and their overall health, and hails it as the antidote to the junk food diet that is some commercial grocery store food. Read our in-depth Canidae Dog Food Review.

The second dog food from Blue Buffalo on our list is this Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Dry Puppy Food. Unlike the first, this one is designed especially for puppies. As with all Blue Buffalo foods, this one is made from real meat, fruit and vegetables to imitate a dog’s ancestral diet. The main meat ingredient here is deboned chicken, so it won’t be suitable for Pitbulls with poultry allergies, but it is a lean protein source for active puppies who need a high amount of protein. To see how it stacks up to the competition, see our article on the best dog food for puppies.

The presence of fish oil gives your Pitbull pup a source of DHA, which is essential for cognitive development, whilst fish meal and flaxseed provide Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, for healthy skin and joints. At least one review praises this food for helping clear up their Old English Bulldog’s dry skin condition. Finally, the formula is still grain-free, so it’s not bulked out with un-nutritious and potentially irritating filler ingredients.

This Merrick Grain Free Dry Dog Food is made up of 70% proteins and fats, 30% produce, vitamins and minerals, with an overall protein content of 38%. The first ingredient is de-boned duck, which is supported by turkey meal and salmon meal protein sources. The high level of protein could make this a good senior Pitbull food, as older dogs find it harder to metabolize protein – although some reviews do comment that it gave their dog gas!

It might be worth the potential smells though, because as well as plenty of vitamins and nutrients from fruits and vegetables, this high protein dog food also contains leading levels of Glucosamine and Chondroitin, which help keep your pup’s joints and hips healthy, and is particularly important for warding off bone diseases in senior Pitbulls. Another plus is that because it’s suitable for dogs of all ages, you may not have to transition your pup over to a new food as they get older, avoiding potential stomach upsets caused by a change in diet – although this can also be a negative, as it may mean the food has an excess amount of nutrients, designed to meet the needs of younger and older dogs, that your healthy adult dog doesn’t need. If you are looking for more options, check out our guide on Merrick Dog Food.

Made with a single animal protein source (venison) this Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Dry Dog Food is designed to provide your pup with easily digestible protein and nutrition for the least amount of ingredients, to limit potential reactions. The overall protein content is a minimum of 20%, which is low compared to others on this list, and might make it suitable for less active adult Pitbulls, or those who are allergic to other protein sources. One review in particular mentions that their Pitbull was suffering with hair loss until their vet suggested they might be allergic to some proteins; after switching to this food, and with the assistance of other allergy medications, the symptoms cleared up.

The limited ingredient formula does however mean there is a lower amount of fruits and vegetables than is found in the other foods on this list. Having said this, the first non-animal ingredient in the formula is sweet potato, a popular choice for natural dog food as it is a good source of fiber, which helps to aid digestion, as well as potassium. It also provides your pup with a healthy dose of carbohydrates, without overdoing it and resorting to grain fillers. With such well chosen ingredients, we might be able to forgive the lack of blueberries!

Formulated for performance, Bully Max is a premium pet food that contains high levels of proteins and calories to support muscular and energetic dogs. With chicken as its number one protein, and with minimal carbs, each cup of Bully Max provides 535 calories, so is also good choice if your pooch is underweight or you need to support healthy growth. Safe for dogs from the age of four weeks and into adulthood, this is a tasty, meaty formula and ideal for pitties as it is free of wheat, corn and soy. And with the higher calorific content, a little goes a long way, meaning this good value 40-pound bag will last you a good while.