How Much to Feed a French Bulldog Puppy: Feeding Chart by Week and Month

General nutrition information compiled from product labels and published sources, not veterinary advice. Your veterinarian is the right person to choose a diet for your dog, especially one with a health condition.

Every owner wants one number: the cups per day for a French Bulldog puppy. No honest chart can give you that number. The right amount depends on the food, the puppy's age, the adult weight the puppy is heading toward, and how the puppy looks and feels this week.

What you can do is learn to read the feeding chart printed on the bag. This guide shows how to do that for a French Bulldog puppy, using the label data and breed information published by the brands and the breed club.

A note on method: we compared label data and published breed information. We did not run feeding trials or taste tests, and we did not feed any of these foods ourselves.

Why a French Bulldog puppy chart has to be a method, not a number

Three things make a single fixed amount unreliable for this breed.

Foods differ in calories per cup. The cup is a measure of volume, not energy. The foods in the table below range from 241 to 406 kcal per cup, according to the brands' own pages.
Adult size varies. The French Bull Dog Club of America (FBDCA) breed standard says the weight should not exceed 28 pounds. Royal Canin's breed library lists males at 20 to 28 lb and females at 17 to 24 lb. Puppies in the same litter can have different adult sizes.
Body condition varies. Royal Canin's breed library warns that French Bulldogs gain weight easily. A puppy who is a little too round on a chart amount needs a smaller portion, and a thin one may need more.

So the chart on your bag is a starting point. Your puppy's body decides where you end up.

What you need

The bag, can or package of the puppy food you chose, with the feeding chart and the calorie statement.
A standard dry measuring cup, or a kitchen scale that reads in grams. Many label tables list both cups and grams.
A scale for the puppy. A bathroom scale works: weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding the puppy, and subtract.
An estimate of your puppy's adult weight, from the breeder or your veterinarian.
A notebook or phone note for a monthly log.
Your veterinarian's phone number, for the questions this guide cannot answer.

Step 1: Pick a puppy food with the right label statement

Look for the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement on the package. It should say the food is formulated for growth, or for all life stages. If it says "all life stages," read the end of the sentence.

Since 2016, AAFCO has required growth and all-life-stages dog foods to say either "including growth of large-size dogs (70 pounds or more as an adult)" or "except for growth of large-size dogs." Whole Dog Journal explains this wording in its piece on nutritional adequacy statements. The large-size category begins at 70 lb as an adult. The breed standard caps a French Bulldog at 28 lb. A French Bulldog puppy does not need a large-breed growth formula, so an "except for growth of large-size dogs" statement is not a problem for this breed.

Here is how a few puppy foods word it on their own pages:

Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition French Bulldog Puppy: growth, including growth of large size dogs.
Victor Hi-Pro Plus Small & Medium Breed Puppy: all life stages, except growth of large size dogs.
Hill's Science Diet Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe: states that animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate complete and balanced nutrition for growing puppies.

Whichever you pick, the rest of this guide works the same way.

Step 2: Find the calories per cup

This step explains why cups differ between brands. Here is what each brand's own page lists:

Food	Form	Calories as listed
Royal Canin French Bulldog Puppy	Dry	373 kcal ME per cup (calculated)
Hill's Science Diet Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice	Dry	390 kcal per cup
Victor Hi-Pro Plus Small & Medium Breed Puppy	Dry	383 kcal per cup
Victor Hi-Pro Plus	Dry	406 kcal per cup
Freshpet Multi-Protein Puppy Recipe	Fresh	241 kcal per cup (calculated ME)
Hill's Science Diet Puppy Chicken & Rice Stew	Wet	321 kcal per 12.5 oz can, not per cup

A cup of the Freshpet recipe carries roughly two thirds the calories of a cup of the Royal Canin dry food (241 divided by 373). If you switch foods, you cannot carry the same number of cups over. Re-read the new chart from the start.

Wet foods are listed per can, so measure them by the can sizes on the label.

Step 3: Estimate the adult weight

Label charts are built around your puppy's expected adult weight, not only the current weight. Royal Canin's French Bulldog Puppy table, for example, has columns for target adult weights of 18, 22 and 31 lb.

For this breed, the FBDCA standard says adult weight should not exceed 28 lb. Royal Canin's breed library gives 20 to 28 lb for males and 17 to 24 lb for females. That means the 31 lb column on that chart is above the breed standard. Most French Bulldog puppies will fall closer to the 18 or 22 lb columns, but the breeder or your veterinarian is better placed to estimate for your puppy.

Ask them for a range, not an exact figure. If you are between two columns, start with the lower one and watch the puppy's body, as in Step 6.

Step 4: Read the chart by month

Most puppy charts run by age in months, not weeks. Royal Canin's French Bulldog Puppy table covers 2 to 9 months. Royal Canin's breed library uses "puppy" for 2 to 12 months and "adult" from 12 months. Hill's pages describe their puppy foods as suitable for puppies up to 1 year old.

Here is how to read a table like that:

Find the row for your puppy's age in months.
Find the column for the expected adult weight closest to your estimate.
Read the amount where they meet. That is the label's guide for a whole day, not one meal.

One worked example comes from the Royal Canin page. At 3 months, for a puppy with an 18 lb target, the table lists 1 1/2 cups (144 g) per day. That is one cell from one brand's table, for one food. It is not a rule for all French Bulldog puppies, and it does not apply to other foods.

The Hill's puppy pages we compared do not print a single amount we can quote here. They say to adjust feeding amounts as necessary to maintain optimal weight, and some say to ask your veterinarian if you are unsure. Check the chart on the brand's own page or on your bag. Victor's Hi-Pro Plus page describes feeding as much as the puppy will eat in 20 minutes, in 4 feeding intervals through the day. Because French Bulldogs gain weight easily, ask your veterinarian whether that style of feeding suits your puppy.

Step 5: Build your own feeding chart by week and month

A label table does not change week to week, but your puppy does. That is why a simple log works better than a fixed chart. Fill in one row at each monthly weigh-in, and add a row sooner if your puppy changes quickly.

Age	Weight today	Chart column used	Label cups or grams per day	Body condition	What I changed
2 months
3 months
4 months
5 to 6 months
7 to 9 months
10 to 12 months

For a weekly view, weigh your puppy on the same day each week and write the number in the "Weight today" column. The label table will not change, but the trend will show you whether your puppy is growing steadily. Royal Canin's table starts at 2 months. For a puppy younger than that, follow the breeder's and your veterinarian's instructions.

Split the daily amount into meals as your veterinarian advises. The brands we compared give daily totals, and the number of meals is a question for your veterinarian.

Step 6: Adjust by body condition

The chart gives a starting point. Your hands and eyes finish the job. Check these about every two weeks:

Ribs. You should be able to feel them under a light covering without pressing hard.
Waist. Looking down from above, there should be some tuck behind the ribs.
Side view. The belly should not hang below the chest line.

If you cannot feel ribs, or the waist has disappeared, trim the portion a little and recheck in a couple of weeks. If ribs and hip bones stand out, or the puppy seems hungry after every meal, tell your veterinarian before you raise the amount.

A French Bulldog's wrinkles, chest and coat can hide extra weight, so use your hands, not only your eyes. Ask your veterinarian to show you how to score body condition at the next visit. Make small changes, one at a time, and write them in the log.

Step 7: Account for treats and extras

Treats, chews, training rewards and table scraps all add calories. The label chart does not count them. Hill's pages say to adjust feeding amounts as necessary to maintain optimal weight, which includes anything else the puppy eats. Use part of the day's measured food as training rewards where you can. That keeps the total steady.

Step 8: Mind the flat face at mealtime

French Bulldogs are flat-faced, and Royal Canin's breed library says they are prone to respiratory problems because of that build. It also notes that many dogs with brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome show gastrointestinal signs. This does not mean food causes or fixes these problems, and no food should be expected to treat them. It does mean mealtime is worth watching.

Note whether your puppy gulps, gags, coughs or has trouble breathing while eating.
Keep meals calm and away from hot, stuffy spots, since the breed's heat tolerance is a concern.
Write down any vomiting, loose stools or regurgitation and share the notes with your veterinarian.

Royal Canin describes the kibble in its French Bulldog puppy food as curved and designed for the breed's short muzzle and underbite. The page does not give a kibble size. Whether a shape helps your puppy is something to watch for yourself, and your veterinarian can advise.

Common mistakes to avoid

Using one number from a blog or a friend. Another puppy's cups belong to another food, age and adult weight.
Mixing up cups and cans. Wet foods list calories per can. Dry foods list them per cup.
Reading the wrong column. Picking the 31 lb column for a breed whose standard caps at 28 lb can overshoot the amount.
Treating the daily amount as one meal. Charts give a total for the day.
Not adjusting for growth. A puppy's amount changes as age and weight change. Recheck the chart at each weigh-in.
Changing foods quickly. A new food changes the cup math, and a sudden swap may upset the stomach. Ask your veterinarian how to transition.
Ignoring the body. Trust the ribs and waist over the chart if they disagree.
Reading a food as a treatment. No puppy food is a cure for allergies, skin problems, digestive upset or any other condition. Hill's sells a Sensitive Stomach & Skin puppy formula, for example, but whether any food suits a particular dog is a decision for your veterinarian.

One more note on skin. A UK VetCompass study, reported by Phys.org in December 2021, found French Bulldogs had 11.18 times the odds of skin dermatitis compared with other breeds. The Royal Veterinary College also lists skin fold dermatitis among the breed's predispositions. If your puppy has itchy, red or smelly skin, see your veterinarian rather than changing food on your own.

What to expect

If you follow a label chart carefully and adjust by body condition, many owners find that their puppy grows at a steady pace and keeps a healthy shape. Results vary, and no feeding plan can promise a particular weight, health outcome or growth rate.

Signs the amount is on track may include:

Ribs you can feel but not see.
A visible waist from above.
Steady weight gain between weigh-ins.
Normal energy and stools.

Call your veterinarian if growth stalls, weight jumps quickly, the puppy refuses meals, or vomiting or diarrhea continues.

The FDA's investigation into a possible link between certain diets and canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) has not published an update since 12/23/2022. The agency said it would not publish further public updates until there is meaningful new scientific information. If you have questions about ingredients such as grain-free recipes, raise them with your veterinarian.

Quick recap

Choose a puppy food whose AAFCO statement covers growth.
Find the calories per cup, or per can for wet food.
Estimate your puppy's adult weight with the breeder or veterinarian.
Read the label's chart by age in months and expected adult weight.
Log weight and amount at each check.
Adjust by ribs, waist and veterinary advice.
Count treats toward the day's total.
Watch mealtimes for breathing or stomach trouble.