What to feed a Dachshund: the best dog food

Continuing with the theme of individualized approaches to menu planning for different breeds, we suggest discussing what to feed a Dachshund and the best prepared foods that can form the basis of your pet's diet.

Breed characteristics

Dachshund – an active and charming dog with a sharp mind and fearless character.

The vast majority of dachshunds are very active, have a voracious appetite, and are not picky eaters. Due to their willingness to taste everything and beg their owner for an extra morsel of treats, as well as their low activity level when living in a city apartment, dachshunds are prone to weight gain. Veterinarians constantly warn owners that it is crucial for this breed to maintain a healthy weight, as excess weight not only leads to a number of related health issues but also puts unnecessary strain on the dachshund's already challenging musculoskeletal system.

What to feed a dachshund

Each owner makes their own choice, taking into account what is most convenient for them to feed their dog at home, when moving and traveling, and also based on the preferences of the pet itself.

Natural

Important! Don't confuse "natural feeding" with feeding your dog human food.

Animals are strictly prohibited from eating human food. High levels of salt and spices, as well as preservatives, stabilizers, and other additives found in many of our products, pose a risk to dogs:

• serious problems with the digestive system;
• development of chronic diseases;
• manifestations of food allergies;
• a lack of vitamins and microelements, which will affect your pet's well-being and appearance.

For more information on how to create a complete natural diet for your dog at home, as well as what foods should be included in the daily menu, watch this video:

When choosing what to feed a puppy or adult dachshund, remember that dogs should not eat:

• chocolate and candies;
• grapes and raisins;
• nuts;
• mushrooms;
• wheat grain porridges, as well as bakery products and pasta;
• fatty meats;
• fried and smoked foods;
• fatty aged hard cheeses;
• river fish;
• bones that can splinter into sharp strips when bitten.

Raw food diet

Raw-food dogs receive high-quality meat and fish daily. The food is not heat-treated, but is first deep-frozen to kill any bacteria or helminth cysts that could be harmful to the animal.

Ready-made feeds

Today, the industry offers a wide range of ready-made food for dogs of all ages:

• mixtures for feeding puppies left without a mother;
• Starter food (for babies from 1 to 2 months);
• Puppy food (for puppies from 2 months to 10-12);
• Adult line (for adult active dogs);
• food for older pets (after 8 or 12 years);
• specialized nutrition for animals with chronic diseases (for example: allergies, pancreatitis, excess weight, kidney disease, diabetes, etc.).

Important! Do not mix natural food and dry food pellets in the same feeding.

Numerous reviews indicate that when deciding what to feed a dachshund puppy, owners prefer dry food for a number of reasons:

• ready-made food is balanced in all the vitamins and microelements necessary for a dog;
• such food does not go to waste even if it remains in the bowl;
• It is convenient to give the dry food to your dog while traveling, which is especially important for owners planning to participate in exhibitions;
• Dry granules are convenient to load into automatic feeders and also used in interactive toys for dogs;
• These granules are convenient to give to a dog during training.

Peculiarities of feeding dry food to dogs

Important! If you get a puppy from a breeder, be sure to follow the feeding recommendations for the first 1-2 weeks, even if you completely disagree with the menu.

A puppy's delicate gastrointestinal tract can react sharply to a sudden change in food, which will complicate the adaptation period for the animal itself and add stress to both you and the breeder.

Most often, babies are sold at the age of 2-3 months, so the first thing a new owner needs to know is how and what to feed a 2-month-old Dachshund puppy.

Basic rules for feeding puppies dry food:

1. Provide your dog with constant access to clean water (change the water in the bowl regularly).
2. You can calculate the approximate amount of food using the table provided on the packaging (different manufacturers may have different recommended feeding rates).
3. To get the amount of food your dog needs in one feeding, you need to divide the daily amount by the number of feedings.
4. A two-month-old puppy needs to be fed 5-7 times a day (by 4 months the number of feedings is reduced to 5, by six months – to 4, by 7 months – to 3, and after 8 months the puppy is fed like an adult dog 2 times a day).
5. Up to 2 months, it is better to feed special food with the Starter prefix, diluting it with boiled water, and after 2 months - puppy food from the Puppy series.
6. The dog is transferred to adult food at about a year (Adult food has a lower calorie content, which helps regulate the animal’s weight).

Top 10 Dachshund Foods

Each manufacturer offers its own unique recipes, so different foods may have different ingredients, quantity and quality of meat, presence of grains, as well as additional components (vegetables, herbs, useful additives, etc.).

When choosing food, it is recommended to pay attention to the following factors:

• composition (choose feed premium, super premium or holistic class);
• wide range of products (allows you to select the optimal food without changing the manufacturer, which minimizes negative effects on the gastrointestinal tract);
• availability of different flavors (important for owners of picky little ones);
• availability of alternatives to the main dry food in the form of pouches, pates and canned food;
• availability in stock veterinary diets.

When choosing food for your puppy, it's worth considering what you'll feed your adult dachshund after it's a year old. It's best to choose food from major manufacturers that offer the widest possible selection.

Brit

Feed brand "Brit" is produced in the Czech Republic. The food earns high reviews for its high-quality meat ingredients, a variety of flavors (chicken, duck, turkey, lamb, veal, and salmon), and a wide range of specialized diets for dogs of different ages, as well as animals with various chronic illnesses.

Farmina N&D

Pet food from an Italian company whose production facilities are also located in Serbia and Brazil. Farmina – one of the most popular foods among breeders choosing grain-free diets for their pets. The line offers a wide variety of flavors. There are numerous combinations based on chicken, lamb, and wild boar, as well as pork, venison, salmon, cod, and herring.

Monge

Monge – an Italian brand of dog food whose line includes gluten-free kibble and other dietary recipes for dogs with sensitive digestion. The brand's signature feature is its single-protein diet, which allows for the selection of an optimal diet for pets with allergies to a specific type of protein.

Royal Canin

Domestic food made with high-quality chicken meat, available in a wide range of age-specific varieties. You can also choose the optimal diet based on your pet's breed, but there's no specific line specifically for Dachshunds. Royal Canin No, so you can offer your pet any type of food for small or medium breeds (they differ in granule size).

Purina Pro Plan

High-quality food, previously produced only in France and Italy. Recently, the production factory Pro Plan The product was also introduced in Russia, making the food more accessible to domestic consumers. Its advantages include a wide range of flavors with age-appropriate grading, as well as high-quality veterinary diets.

GRANDORF

These Belgian-produced foods have earned the highest ratings from breeders and veterinarians for their high-quality meat ingredients, the presence of chondroprotectors, and their appealing taste, achieved not by chemical enhancers but by natural ingredients.

Winner

Stern Winner (Russia, Miratorg) – an excellent choice for feeding active and healthy puppies and adult dachshunds. Veterinarians and breeders note the high meat content of this food, as well as its affordable price compared to premium imported counterparts.

Acari Ciar

Brand Akari Kiar (Russia) is GOST-certified, guaranteeing high-quality ingredients and a rigorous kibble production process. The product range includes not only classic dry foods, but also canned foods and training treats.

Profine

Czech feed Profline These diets have appeared on the domestic market relatively recently, but have already managed to win over consumers. The recipe is based on chicken and turkey. A total of five diets are available for animals of different sizes and age groups.

Sirius

Sirius – These are complete, domestically produced dry foods made from lamb, ham, and beef. They also contain probiotics and yeast to improve coat quality.

We also invite you to share information about what your dachshunds eat at home and what other foods on the market you think are worthy of being included in the recommended list.

Read also:

• What to feed a Maltipoo dog: the best foods
• What to feed a Corgi: the best dog food
• Can dogs eat raw meat?