Encompassing a wide range of dog breeds from the American Pitbull Terrier, and Boxers, to Cane Corso’s, bully breeds are muscular, strong, and have some of the greatest smiles in the dog world. If you’ve never seen a Pitbull smile, we’ve added one here to brighten your day!
As with many muscular dog breeds, optimal nutrition is key for their overall health and their longevity. These types of dogs deal with a handful of health issues, such as:
- Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
- Allergies
- Itchy Skin
- Obesity
- Cataracts
- Dental Disease
While this list might seem lengthy, many of these conditions can be supported by the right diet and proper exercise.
Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia specifically is a bone disorder where the elbow or hip joint and the socket don’t match up exactly, which can cause discomfort during activities like walking, jumping, or playing. This is seen more in larger breeds where bones take longer to develop from puppyhood to adulthood.
One of the best ways to support proper bone development is through feeding a diet that has optimal calcium-to-phosphorus ratios. This delicate balance is key to giving your dog the nutrients their body needs to strengthen their bones during growth. Exercise is another key part of this. Finding the right balance of exercise and rest for your puppy is critical to ensure you don’t put too much pressure on their bones and growth plates during development.
Allergies and Itchy Skin
Many dogs suffer from allergies to conventional proteins like beef, turkey, chicken, and pork. Bully breeds specifically can suffer from eczema on top of this, due to the folded nature of their skin. These allergies and skin reactions can be due to a multitude of reasons from farming practices to the processing the meat goes through. It can make it hard to find a protein your dog can tolerate, which is where novel proteins can shine. Unlike conventional meat, these proteins are new and novel to your dog’s immune system, which makes it less likely for them to react.
One of the many ways allergies can manifest is through itchy skin, eczema, or hot spots. These conditions can be very uncomfortable for your bully breed, and tough to witness. By feeding a novel protein, such as venison, these allergy symptoms can be reduced. By adding nourishing oils like olive oil, this can further support healthy, hydrated skin and reduce scratching.
Obesity
Overeating and obesity in dogs have been shown to decrease their lifespan by 2-3 years. Ensuring your bully breed is served quality nutrition, but not too much, is key to helping keep your dog healthy and energized. While the right diet for each dog differs, many dogs thrive on raw diets that are low in carbohydrates. As carnivores in the wild, our dog’s ancestors ate meat, bones, and the plants that their prey had consumed. Feeding your pup a diet like Huntaway's that is similarly “biologically appropriate” can help support a healthy weight.
Cataracts
In older age, cataracts can impair your pup’s vision. This is when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy due to aging tissue in the eye. One of the main nutrients that support vision and eye health is vitamin A. Finding food that contains foods high in vitamin A like carrots, leafy greens, and organ meats can support optimal levels. Additionally, consuming this vitamin with a fat source can assist with absorption. In addition to vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin are two carotenoids in red and yellow foods that are found in the eye that protect the macula from damage. Huntaway’s raw recipe contains Swiss chard, organ meats, and carrots, all ingredients that are high in these eye-protecting nutrients.
Dental Disease and Plaque
Recent studies have identified that dogs develop periodontal disease by three years of age. One of the ways to protect your dog's teeth is by providing fresh water and brushing their teeth multiple times per week. When it comes to diet, carbohydrate-heavy, dried foods can get stuck between the teeth and gums, which fosters bacterial growth. On the other hand, raw foods tend to be very low in carbohydrates and slide right off the teeth, which lowers the risk of bacterial infection, plaque, and decay.
As outlined above, raw feeding can prove very beneficial to the health of energetic and muscular dogs, such as Bully breeds. Although we understand that it may not be feasible for everyone to totally feed a raw diet to their dog, any amount of fresh food can assist their health. Whether you want to switch your dog 100% to raw or add it as a topper, fresh and raw foods add years of energy, longevity, and joy to your dog’s life.
Want to give Huntaway a try? We offer frozen and freeze-dried recipes for your pup, which makes it easy to ensure they receive optimal nutrition at home and on the go.
