Alice White
Each owner of a dachshund himself chooses what to feed his pet, focusing on the reaction of the dog’s body to certain natural products and dry food.
Some owners combine dry and natural food, for example, they give dry food in the morning, and natural products in the evening, or pamper them with dry food 1-2 times a week.
How to Feed a Dachshund Properly
Professional dog breeders recommend calculating the required amount of food (one serving) as follows:
40 grams of food per kilogram of dog weight
It is enough to feed an adult dachshund 2 times a day (morning and evening) at the same time. Overfeeding leads to obesity, which in turn leads to serious health problems. Adult dachshunds need to be fed after a walk. Food should be at room temperature or slightly warm. The bowl is placed at the shoulder level of the dog. A bowl of water should always be available for the dog.
Dachshunds have an excellent appetite and are ready to eat as long as they are given. Therefore, you should not encourage begging, justifying the hungry look of the dog. If you really can’t resist, then you can give treats that are useful for the dog during the day, however, during evening feeding, you should reduce the portion of food, taking into account the one that was given during the day.
After eating, the leftovers from the bowl are removed. If the dog refuses to eat, then do not insist. However, if there is a deterioration in the dog’s health, then the refusal to eat may be associated with any disease. In this case, you should contact your veterinarian.
The composition of the diet depends on the individual tolerance of the food by the dachshund. New components should be introduced into the diet gradually and little by little while observing the condition of the dog, its appetite, and stool. With the use of certain foods, allergic reactions may occur, which manifest themselves in itching.
Elderly dachshunds need dietary changes. Food for them should be less nutritious and contain vitamins.
An increase in the volume of food is permissible only if the dachshund is feeding puppies. After giving birth and nursing, some dachshunds may become emaciated, in which case the veterinarian may advise you to fatten the dog. But in this matter, the main thing is not to overdo it.
Natural Feeding of the Dachshund
Everyone knows that the best food for dogs is natural products, and it is not at all necessary that the diet be very varied. First of all, diversity means that the diet includes foods that are different in the content of nutrients. Some foods are a source of carbohydrates, proteins, while others are a source of vitamins.
Meat
The main diet of dachshunds is meat, namely turkey, beef, lamb, and sometimes chicken. You should not give meat to the skin of the chicken, because it can cause an allergic reaction, and pork (including pork offal), which can cause diarrhea.
It is recommended to give offal, sinewy meat, and not selected and tender pieces when feeding a dachshund. Coarse food helps to strengthen the jaw and improve digestion, due to the secretion of gastric juice in the process of chewing food.
Meat should be served raw or boiled in water for 5-10 minutes. Enough 15-20 grams of meat per 1 kilogram of dog weight.
Do not give boiled bones and it is not recommended to give raw bones, because they do not contain nutrients and can cause digestive problems. If you gave me a bone with meat, then nothing else is needed that day. In addition, the next day, the portion should be reduced, because bones are digested slowly. It is better to buy tendon bones, which not only strengthen the jaw but also help to clean the teeth.
The diet of dachshunds can include sea fish, pre-cooked and cleaned of large bones.
Cereals
The source of carbohydrates is cereals or rather porridge from them. The cereals should be boiled in water and then mixed with the rest of the ingredients, such as meat or vegetables. Rice, buckwheat, steamed rolled oats are used as cereals.
When feeding an adult dachshund, it is unacceptable to include legumes, barley, which is poorly absorbed, and semolina in the diet. Millet porridge may cause diarrhea.
Other Foods
The diet of an adult dachshund should include vegetables and fruits, which are a source of vitamins and fiber. Vegetables and fruits, namely carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, apples should be given raw, chopped, or grated, and cabbage should be stewed. Potatoes are undesirable because it contains a large amount of starch, but may be present in small amounts and infrequently in the diet. Dachshunds are not always willing to eat vegetables, so you should look for those that will suit your dog’s taste.
Calcium-rich foods should also be included in the diet of the dachshund, such as cottage cheese, cheese (not salted), curdled milk. Cheese is a treat given as a reward.
Bakery products, especially white bread, buns, and other sweet pastries should not be present in the diet, with the exception of small quantities of rye crackers.
It is unacceptable to feed the dachshund with food from the table and indulge in sweets, such as sugar, sweets, chocolate.
Mix the ingredients just before feeding. The consistency of the dish should resemble thick soup. When eating natural foods, it is advisable to give vitamins that are mixed with the food.
Feeding Your Dachshund Dry Food
There is no consensus on the benefits and dangers of dry food. Proper feeding of dachshunds exclusively with dry or natural food does not affect their lifespan, because they live the same number of years regardless of the type of diet.
It is more profitable to buy dry food in terms of price and time – you do not need to fiddle with food, which is a plus for busy owners who do not have the time or energy to prepare food for the dog after a hard day at work.
High-quality dry food is balanced, contains the necessary vitamins, microelements and can easily replace natural food. However, some dogs do not tolerate dry food, which causes them allergies. In this case, it is advisable to switch to feeding the dachshund with natural products. Transfer the dog from natural food to dry and vice versa should be gradual.
When choosing dry food, you should pay attention to the protein indicator, which should be 22%. The rest of the components are balanced depending on the protein index. For older dogs, periodic dry food is acceptable, where the protein index is 15% or 21%.
Preference should be given to premium food, but the choice of food depends on the reaction of the dog’s body.
Many owners tend to increase the portion of dry food because they feel that the dachshund will not be full. However, it should be remembered that dry food in the dog’s stomach swells and, therefore, is enough for full saturation.
