Dachshunds, like many other dogs, require a high-protein diet supplemented with a limited amount of fruits, vegetables, and carbohydrates. These elements give your dachshund all of the nutrients they need to thrive, and providing your dog with ample water alongside their meals helps to keep your dog in great health.
Our article tells you more about what dachshunds eat and how to pick a suitable food for your dog.
Your Dachshund’s Nutritional Needs
Keeping your dachshund’s nutritional needs in mind is step number one when thinking about what your dog should eat and how much they should eat. For older and more sedentary dogs, general guidelines recommend 20 to 25 calories per pound of body weight, while active and younger dachshunds typically need around 25 to 30 calories per pound of body weight.
In addition to meeting your dog’s caloric needs, you should make sure that your dachshund’s diet contains plenty of protein, limited artificial ingredients, and a balanced amount of vegetables and fruit that meet your dog’s nutritional needs. You can feed your dachshund either wet food or dry food, or a combination of both, depending on their preference.
What Should I Look For in Dachshund Food?
As you search for a food that is suitable for your dachshund, you can keep in mind the following factors. These considerations will help you choose a healthy and nutritionally dense food for your pup.
High-Quality Animal Protein
High-quality animal proteins are essential to your dog’s health, and your dog’s digestive tract can handle proteins more easily than it could carbs and artificial ingredients. Choosing a dog food where protein is the number one ingredient, and that protein is from a high-quality source, is essential to picking a suitable dachshund food.
Low-Fat Diets
Lower fats in your dachshund’s food is a good option for keeping your pup healthy. You should avoid dog foods that have plenty of high-fat ingredients, and you will want to check the nutritional information on the dog food to determine the percentage of fat included in each serving.
Lower-fat diets can be balanced with high protein options and plenty of healthy ingredients that will keep your dog’s joints, skin, and internal systems functioning well.
Omega-3’s
While too many fats can be bad for your dog, omega-3 fatty acids are actually a great thing to seek out in your dog’s food. This essential fatty acid helps support your dog’s skin, joints, kidneys, and kidney and heart, all of which are essential to your dog’s overall health and longevity.
Minimal Artificial Ingredients
Artificial ingredients aren’t the best addition to dog food, though they are typically added to enhance flavor, texture, and color.
In general, it is better to avoid artificial ingredients in your dachshund’s food, especially those that impact the color and flavor. These ingredients are overall not very healthy for your dog to consume, and your dog’s health will likely fare better when you opt for more natural options.
Additionally, many dogs can develop allergies to added artificial ingredients, and avoiding these ingredients can help your dog feel their best.
Will My Dog’s Diet Change With Age?
As with humans, your dog’s dietary needs will change with their age and with the occurrence of any health issues in their life. You may need to alter or adjust your dachshund’s diet to avoid certain ingredients or additives in their food, or they may need to go on a high-calorie or low-calorie diet.
Typically, your vet will help you change your dog’s diet to best suit their health needs, and you can speak to them if you have concerns about feeding your dachshund.
How Do I Determine the Best Food for My Dog?
According to Dog Academy, the best food for your dachshund is one that meets their nutritional needs and any other specific health needs, and one they enjoy eating. Many different foods can meet your requirements for nutrition and calories, and it can take some trial and error to understand which type of food your dog prefers.
You may need to feed your dog wet food or dry food, or they may prefer a combination of both types of food. You can supplement your dog’s diet with healthy treats, as long as you don’t overdo it, and avoid feeding your dachshund human food and lots of high-calorie additions outside of their regular diet.
Keeping Your Dachshund Healthy
Proper diet and nutrition are key to keeping your dachshund healthy, among other proper care routines such as ample exercise and mental stimulation for your dog. The food you choose to feed your dog – and how much you feed them – plays a major part in how good your dog feels and how long they live.
Avoiding obesity is essential with dachshunds, and you should always evaluate the caloric content and nutritional value of the food you are feeding your pup. Make sure to ask your vet if you have any questions about feeding your dog.
