Best puppy food for a Bullmastiff
Bullmastiffs need a large-breed or giant-breed puppy food, formulated to slow growth rather than maximise it, because rapid weight gain in a dog that will end up 50 to 59kg is a known driver of joint problems later on. Look for a food that states a large-breed or giant-breed puppy formula on the bag, with a controlled calcium level, rather than a standard puppy food scaled up by portion size.
Feeding a Bullmastiff
A large breed
An adult Bullmastiff typically weighs 41–59kg, so a healthy Bullmastiff eats a fair amount compared with other breeds. Every feeding guide on a bag is written per kilo of body weight, not per breed — start there, then adjust to the dog in front of you.
Life stage
A large breed is usually done growing at 15–18 months, which is roughly when a puppy food has finished its job. With a typical lifespan of 8–10 years, there is a long adult stretch in the middle; switch to a senior food when your vet thinks it is worth it rather than on a birthday.
Joint support is worth looking for
Their size and frame put more load through the joints than a smaller dog carries, so a food with joint support on the label is worth reading for — and keeping them lean does more for their joints than any supplement.
Weight matters more than usual here
A long back or a heavy frame makes every extra kilo count twice. Weigh portions rather than eyeballing a scoop, and reduce the food rather than the walks if the waist starts to disappear.
This breed tends to bolt its food
A food-motivated dog will empty a bowl in under a minute given the chance. A slow feeder or a puzzle bowl turns a meal back into something that takes time, and splitting the daily ration across two or three meals helps as well.
A shallow, wide bowl suits a flat face
A flat-faced dog cannot reach into a deep bowl without pressing its nose into the sides, which is uncomfortable and makes it gulp air. A shallow bowl, and food that does not have to be chased around it, is the easier arrangement.
How much should a Bullmastiff weigh?
Adult 41–59kgfully grown at 15–18 months
| Age | Stage | Typical weight | Of adult size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 weeks | Just home | 4.7–6.7 kg | 11% |
| 3 months | Young puppy | 7.6–11 kg | 19% |
| 6 months | Growing fast | 15.2–21.9 kg | 37% |
| 12 months | Adolescent | 30.5–43.8 kg | 74% |
| 15–18 months | Fully grown | 41–59 kg | 100% |
A guide, from the same rule of thumb our puppy growth predictor uses — each age is that share of the way to maturity for a large breed. Puppies grow fastest early, so a real puppy usually sits a little above the middle rows. Weigh yours and ask your vet if the number worries you.
Complete dog foods that suit a Bullmastiff
Complete foods from our range, matched to a Bullmastiff's size band and what the breed typically needs. Stock levels and delivery dates are live on each product.
Field & Trial Skinner S Field Trial Light Senior
A lower-fat dry food for older, overweight or less active dogs, including working breeds
From£9.85
Autarky Complete Grain Free Adult Turkey
Grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, with turkey and a marine-algae joint care package
£12.79
Autarky Grain Free Tasty White Fish & Potato Complete
Grain-free dry dog food built around white fish meal rather than poultry
£12.99
Lily's Kitchen Lily S Kitchen Dog Lovely Lamb
Complete lamb-led dry dog food offered in two practical bag sizes
From£25.15
Burns Adult Large/Giant Breed Chicken and Brown Rice
Complete large-breed dry dog food with 23% chicken and brown rice
£59.99
Burgess Greyhound and Lurcher Chicken
Complete adult dry food formulated for the specific build of greyhounds and lurchers
£35.35
Naturo Senior Rice Poultry Variety 6pk
Six 400g trays across three recipes for senior dogs, with glucosamine and chondroitin
£10.29
Naturo Senior Dog Turkey with Rice and Vegetables 7pk
Turkey at 65% in a senior wet tray, with brown rice, vegetables and added joint support
£11.99
Vitalin Adult Dog Pork with Apple
Complete dry food for adult dogs of any age, led by pork, with citrus extract for dental support
From£11.99
Why growth rate matters more than breed name
Bullmastiffs are one of the biggest dogs likely to end up in a family home, with adult males regularly reaching 50 to 59kg and females a little less. A puppy that size does almost all of its skeletal growth in the first twelve to eighteen months, and the speed of that growth, not the total size the dog eventually reaches, is what a vet is watching for when they talk about joint problems.
Feeding a large-breed puppy on an ordinary all-breed formula, at the volume needed to keep up with the dog's frame, pushes calorie and mineral intake higher than a growing skeleton comfortably handles. This is why the label wording matters more than the breed name printed on the packaging.
What to check on the bag
Two things are worth reading for before anything else: whether the food is explicitly labelled for large or giant breed puppies, and whether it states a calcium percentage or calcium-to-phosphorus ratio rather than leaving it out. A large-breed puppy formula typically sits lower on calcium than a standard puppy food, which is the mechanism behind the slower, steadier growth vets recommend for a dog this size.
Protein and fat percentages matter less than people assume, provided the food is a genuine large-breed formula — the calorie density and mineral control are doing the real work. A food that states it meets UK and EU nutritional guidelines for large-breed growth is the safer choice over one that only implies it through marketing language on the front of the bag.
Feeding through the growth phase
A Bullmastiff puppy should be kept at a lean, visible waist throughout the growing period rather than allowed to carry extra weight to be safe — the opposite is true for a giant breed, and a puppy that looks slightly lean at six months is usually doing better than one that looks rounded. Follow the feeding guide on the bag as a starting point and adjust the daily amount against body condition rather than age alone, since individual Bullmastiffs grow at different rates.
Split meals into three a day for a young puppy and down to two once they are past the fastest growth phase, and avoid free-feeding a breed this size — a Bullmastiff with unrestricted access to food will generally eat more than a growing skeleton needs. If your puppy is gaining weight quickly or seems to be growing unevenly, that is worth raising with your vet at a routine check rather than adjusting the diet alone.
Common questions
- How much should I feed a Bullmastiff puppy?
- Follow the feeding guide on the bag as a starting point, weighed against your puppy's actual body condition rather than by age alone, since Bullmastiffs vary in how quickly they grow. A lean, visible waist throughout the puppy stage is a better guide than a fixed feeding amount.
- When should I switch a Bullmastiff off puppy food?
- Giant breeds are generally kept on a large-breed puppy formula for longer than smaller dogs, because their skeleton keeps growing well past a year old. Many owners transition around fifteen to eighteen months, but a vet check at your normal visits is the better guide than a fixed age.
- Does a Bullmastiff need 'giant breed' food or is 'large breed' enough?
- Either wording is normally fine as long as the calcium level is controlled for a dog expected to finish well over 40kg. What matters is that the food is calibrated for a big, slow-growing skeleton rather than one built for a much smaller adult weight.
- Is raw feeding suitable for a Bullmastiff puppy?
- It can be done, but getting the calcium and phosphorus balance right without a commercial large-breed formula is harder to manage on a home-prepared diet, and that balance matters more for a giant breed than a small one. Talk it through with your vet before switching a growing puppy onto a raw diet.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.