French Bulldogs might be small in size, but their dietary needs are anything but. With their unique build and tendency towards sensitive stomachs and skin allergies, getting their nutrition right is essential to helping them thrive.
But with so many food options and conflicting advice out there, how do you cut through the noise to make the right choice for your pup?
In this guide, we tap into expert insight to break down what your Frenchie really needs in their bowl — from optimal protein sources to treats with health benefits. Whether you’ve just welcomed a French Bulldog into your home or you’re looking to improve your current feeding routine, this will help you make more confident, informed choices about the best food for your Frenchie.
Read more: French Bulldog breed insights: care, personality & expert tips
How nutrition can help common French Bulldog health concerns
Sensitive stomachs
Some Frenchies can experience digestive troubles that go beyond the occasional toot — we’re talking regular room-clearers. That’s when it’s time to take a closer look at what’s in their bowl.
Plant protein like legumes (peas, beans, and lentils) are often used in dog food as a cheaper alternative to meat protein. In the right amounts, legumes do have some nutritional benefits, but in large quantities they can lead to gassiness.
Your dog’s microbiome should be diverse and balanced, equipped to digest a variety of ingredients without triggering diarrhoea or wind. A great way to support your dog’s gut microbiome is with a real food diet, containing a wide range of high-quality ingredients including prebiotic dietary fibre to nourish good bacteria and promote healthy bowel movements.
Try this:
🥕 gently cooked proteins (like Lyka) are more digestible than proteins in dry food, according to this study.
Read more: Sensitive stomachs in dogs: how to relieve your pup's discomfort
Skin allergies
Skin allergies can often be caused by environmental or dietary triggers. If your French Bulldog is allergic to an ingredient in their food, an elimination diet is the best way to identify the specific food.
Try this:
🐐A novel protein diet, like Lyka’s Hypoallergenic Pro, is made with goat. It’s unlikely your Frenchie has eaten goat before, reducing the risk of an allergic reaction. It’s also made without common allergens like chicken, beef, wheat, corn, soy, dairy and egg.
Read more: Dog skin allergies: triggers, symptoms and itch relief treatment (with photos)
Joint issues
French Bulldogs can suffer from joint issues like hip dysplasia – a common genetic disease affecting their back legs. In some cases, it can lead to arthritis as a secondary condition.
Try this:
🐟Although you can’t change your pup’s genes, you can support their joint health with dietary ingredients containing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties like turmeric, ginger and omega-3 from fish and fish oil.
Read more: Hip dysplasia: how can your dog’s diet help?
Weight gain
It can be easy for a French Bulldog to gain weight: free feeding, too many treats, or not enough exercise can add up over time. As a brachycephalic breed, French Bulldogs often experience difficulties breathing. Even a small amount of extra weight can exacerbate the problem. An overweight or obese Frenchie also puts their joints under more stress and strain and can lead to other health problems like heart disease.
Try this:
💚 Choose custom-portioned meals that provide all their daily nutrients without excess, like Lyka. And when it comes to treats, a handy rule of thumb is no more than 10% of their daily caloric needs. Low-fat, single-protein treats like Lyka’s Chicky Chews are ideal.
Read more: Lyka’s vet guide to healthy dog weight (with charts and videos)
Read more: Understanding your French Bulldog's health issues: how real food can help
Real-life insight from a Frenchie parent
What's in your Frenchie's bowl can be a game-changer when it comes to their health. Hear from Jaz and her experience parenting two pups, Wilma and Lulu.
"We switched our senior Frenchies to Lyka because they really needed a diet that would support their skin health whilst helping them maintain a healthy weight. Since the switch, their itchiness has improved massively and we’ve seen a consistent, healthy weight instead of constant fluctuation. We always get compliments on how soft and shiny their coats are and people often mistake them for much younger dogs!"
Jaz and her Frenchie pups, Wilma and Lulu
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How to choose the best food for your French Bulldog
Fresh food, raw, wet or dry? Supermarket, pet shop, or delivered to your door? There are so many dog food options on the market — where do you begin?
Complete and balanced
French Bulldogs, like all pups, need a complete and balanced diet containing the right nutrients in the right proportions.
Australia has pet food standards, but they’re largely unregulated. Many brands follow AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) or FEDIAF (European Pet Food Industry Federation) guidelines.
Meeting AAFCO and FEDIAF standards is just the start. Lyka meals are formulated by a team of board-certified veterinary nutritionists to ensure they’re complete and balanced for all life stages.
Read more: Dog food ingredients: a glossary of common and confusing terms
Optimal nutrition for your French Bulldog
Not all dog food is created equally. The variety of quality ingredients and cooking methods can all impact the nutrient availability of your dog’s food.
Many raw dog food options present a good balance of high-quality protein, fresh produce, and superfoods. But not all dogs can easily digest raw food, especially pups with a weakened immune system, or digestive issues like those common to French Bulldogs.
Dry food (kibble) often contains high amounts of carbohydrates, and synthetic vitamins and minerals. The animal protein used in kibble is often pet-grade, like meat meal or meat by-products, which vary in quality and are not subject to the same checks as human-grade meat. Kibble is usually cooked at high temperatures which can reduce digestiblity and can lead to the potential formation of harmful compounds, like acrylamides.
Home cooking can be a great option for your dog, but making sure each mouthful is complete and balanced is not easy to do without expert guidance.
Lyka meals are made using human-grade ingredients and are gently cooked then snap-frozen to retain their nutritional value and digestibility. Each meal is high in protein and custom-portioned to meet your dog’s daily needs.
Want to dig deeper into which type of food is best for your French Bulldog? We’ve created a series of guides to help you make an informed choice. Check them out below:
Read more: Freshly cooked vs kibble for dogs: which is better?
Read more: Freshly cooked vs raw meat for dogs: which is better?
Read more: Freshly cooked vs home cooking for your dog: which is better?
Read more: Freshly cooked vs wet food for dogs: which is better?
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How much food does a French Bulldog need?
Serving size recommendations based solely on weight don’t tell the full story. Your dog’s energy level, lifestyle and body condition score are all part of the picture.
That’s why Lyka calculates your French Bulldog’s portion sizes based on their personal profile, not just on their weight.
Establishing a consistent feeding routine with your Frenchie is a great way to support their digestion, especially if they have a sensitive stomach.
Do French Bulldog puppies and senior dogs need special food?
Not necessarily. Nutrient-dense, real food meals formulated by board-certified veterinary nutritionists for all life stages — like Lyka — cover the daily requirements of both growing pups and dogs in their golden years.
Read more: What should puppies eat? Expert nutrition tips for optimal development
Read more: Why real food is the healthiest choice for senior dogs
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New to Lyka? Let’s rethink dog food together
Parenting a French Bulldog comes with plenty of decisions and choosing what’s in their bowl is one of the most important.
Designed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists and made with real, human-grade ingredients, Lyka meals are custom-portioned to match your dog’s needs.
Frenchies across Australia are already thriving on Lyka — yours could be next. Join our pack of proud French Bulldog parents today.
