As the proud pet parent of a dachshund, you’re all too familiar with their impudent character, adorable long bodies, sturdy legs, and floppy ears. Dachshunds are the smallest of all the hound breeds, and they were originally bred to hunt badgers in the 15th century. However, nowadays, sausage dogs are beloved family pets and committed couch potatoes. For that reason, it is essential to know about dachshund diet & nutrition to keep your weiner dog’s weight in check.
Dachshunds are super smart and devoted to their humans. Yet, every doxie’s owner knows that these little dogs have an enormous appetite. That being so, you’re going to want to provide your dachshund with the best care possible.
Here’s what you need to know about dachshund’s diet and nutrition, so you can choose the best food possible for your weiner dog.
Understanding Your Dachshund’s Basic Nutritional Needs
Your dachshund may look nothing like one, but just like every other dog on the planet, it is a descendant of the wild wolf. Keeping this in mind can tell you a lot about its nutritional needs, even though thousands of years have come between the two.
Dogs, in general, have sharp teeth and short digestive tracts. And, they don’t have the same digestive enzymes that herbivores do for breaking down plant foods.
Although they prefer meat over other foods, they can eat and survive on whatever is available.
So, while your dachshund is technically an omnivore, its body is designed for digesting meat. It will thrive best on animal protein like meat, fish, and poultry, with minimal fruits, vegetables, and carbs.
Protein is essential for healthy muscles and cellular development. Dogs also need fat for energy, which is provided by the animal protein. While your sausage dog does need specific vitamins and minerals, it requires them in much smaller amounts.
What You Need to Know About Your Dachshunds Diet & Nutritional Needs
Most importantly, your dachshund’s diet should be rich in high-quality animal protein. It needs moderate amounts of fat, minimal carbs, and vitamins and minerals to keep the bones, muscles, and organs healthy.
The American Feed Control Officials, or AAFCO, recommends that dachshund puppies and lactating females have a diet that contains at least 22% protein. Other adult dogs do best with a minimum of 18% protein in their diet.
Fat content for puppies should be at 8%, while adult dachshunds should have a diet that’s about 5% fat. You can see specific nutrient profiles for vitamins and minerals on the AAFCO website.
The best way to help your dachshund live longer?
Watch our video to find out!
How Much Food Your Dachshund Needs
While all dogs have the same basic nutritional needs, dachshunds have some special considerations to keep in mind.
According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), dachshunds are a small breed. The average weight is 16-32 pounds for a standard dachshund, and less than 11 pounds for a miniature. ( Check our article on Dachshund weight as a guide. )
Size affects how many calories a dog requires. Small dogs and toy breeds have a faster metabolism than their large breed counterparts because they burn calories more quickly. If your dachshund is very active, it may need to eat as many as three or four times a day.
On average, dogs require about 30 calories per pound of body weight each day. However, small breeds like dachshunds may need up to 40 calories per pound each day, depending on their activity level.
Keep in mind that your dachshund’s stomach is tiny, so offering it four small meals per day is better than one or two large ones.
Diet & Nutritional Requirements for Puppies and Senior Dachshunds
According to animal nutritionists at the Brooklyn veterinary clinic, Bond Vet, puppies need more calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals than full-grown dogs. That’s because they grow very rapidly from birth until six months of age. Hence, it’s especially important to pay attention to their nutrition during this time.
High-quality animal protein provides the amino acids puppies need for muscle development, while animal fats provide the calories and energy they need to support their rapid growth. Dachshund puppies will do best on a food that’s specifically formulated for small-breed puppies.
On the other hand, the needs of senior dachshunds are much different. As their metabolism slows down, their calorie consumption should be reduced to prevent obesity. However, your weiner dog still needs protein to keep the muscles strong. Senior dachshunds can also benefit from glucosamine in their diet to help keep their joints healthy.
How to Choose the Best Diet for Your Dachshund
When choosing your dachshund’s food, check the label for an AAFCO statement of nutritional adequacy, which means that the product meets at least these nutritional minimums.
While the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement ensures that the product meets minimum requirements, it doesn’t always indicate a high-quality food suitable for dachshunds.
You should also choose a dog food specifically formulated for small breeds to ensure that it meets your dachshund’s protein and calorie requirements.
Here are some other key points to help you identify a high-quality product that meets your dachshund’s nutritional needs:
- The ingredients list should include two sources of high-quality, animal-based protein in the top three ingredients.
- Few, or no, synthetic vitamins and minerals added. Look for whole food sources of nutrients instead.
- No artificial dyes or flavors, which can often cause allergy symptoms and other health issues.
- Very low amounts of grains and other carbs. Carbs can lead to weight gain and aren’t necessary for overall health.
- Look for a dog food that contains a high-calorie count per cup so that your dachshund doesn’t need to eat a large volume of food to meet his energy requirements.
Final Thoughts
It’s hard not to fall in love with your dachshund’s adorable floppy ears and fun, playful disposition. Providing him with the healthiest diet possible is a great way to show him how much you love your wiener dog.
Following the guidelines outlined above will also help your doxie to stay healthy and live a long, happy life!
Written by: Nicole McCray
Comments
I have a 21 week old miniature dachshund male… he is about 7-8 pounds. We recently found out he has hip dysplasia in his right hip and my vet and a consulted surgeon are both advising me to switch him to an adult food with lower calcium and phosphorus. (Right now he in Open Farm Grain-free puppy and he/I loves it). They suggested Hill Science Adult Little Bites and I really dislike the ingredients (corn, wheat as examples). Plus I have read that these ingredients are inflammatory food sources, and should not be fed to animals with hip dysplasia. They like that the Hill food has lower calcium (.77%) and phosphorus (.57%). Can you recommend any food that has quality recommended ingredients with lower calcium and phosphorus? Thank you so much!
Dear Jennifer,
I completely share your perspective on the use of corn and wheat in dog food; these ingredients are often employed by commercial brands due to their cost-effectiveness rather than their nutritional value. To offer your Dachshund a healthier dietary option, consider transitioning to a raw diet composed of foods with low calcium/phosphorus levels or explore high-quality dog food brands that exclusively use raw frozen natural ingredients or kibble containing vegetables, berries, and premium-grade meat.
Moreover, I’d like to recommend the addition of high-quality supplements to your Dachshund’s meals as a proactive measure to address breed-specific health concerns. One option worth considering is Breedology Dachshund Advanced Care, a supplement tailored to the unique needs of Dachshunds. Incorporating such supplements into your dachshund’s diet can significantly contribute to their overall well-being.
Best regards, Maria
Hello Maria,
Our problem is that our dog should be ravenous and dropping weight like a falling stone but she barely loses any weight at all.
We have had a rescue for several years now. She appears to be a miniature Dachshund 14 years old. She weighed 11 + lb when we got her; the vet said she could gain a little weight. She is now around 14 lb – obese or at least overweight: You can vaguely feel her ribs and she waist tuck-in line is barely noticeable.
About two or three weeks ago I started her on a diet:
For breakfast: one half (1/2) medium Nylabone Nutri Dent dental chew treat (83 kcal/treat or approx. 41 kcal served)
For dinner: one Stella & Chewy’s freeze-dried raw Super Beef dinner patty (56 kcal/patty) with two tablespoons of pumpkin pie filling (40 calories per 1/2 cup or 5-10 calories per serving).
No treats or table scraps.
My 14 pound Dachshund has been eating Nutrisource turkey and rice for the last year. He eats only kibble. Is this a good food? I have also tried turkey and sweet potato Nulo. What do you recommend for the best food?
Dear Fair, kibble is perfectly fine as long as you add some extra supplements to the meal, we love this one: https://breedologynutrition.com/
It’s made specifically for dachshunds, and has all the necessary daily nutrients for your dachshund’s wellbeing.
Hi. I have a 1 year old mini dokie. He weighs right at 11lbs. I feed him Merrick Back Country raw infused dry food. It has freeze dried raw coated beef, lamb, and rabbit. It is grain free. He also gets a skin wellness soft chew to promote skin and coat support. He’s very picky and doesn’t like many treats other than rawhide alternative chews. Lately I have noticed some small dry patches. He is bathed about every other week with a hypoallergenic coconut puppy shampoo. In your opinion, do you think maybe something I am feeding him could be the cause of these dry patches?
Hi Amber, the good quality kibble is ok to give to your dog; I don’t think it’s the cause; however he might be allergic to something else. Try to change food/chews/shampoo one at a time, and see where the allergy comes from. There are also very good dietary supplements that I can recommend specifically for dachshunds from Breedology, I use them for my dachshund, and they are effective. The skin & coat will improve with good-quality supplements, as kibble contains only basic nutrients.
Hi Amber,
Merrick used to be an excellent food, but it was bought by Purina a few years ago, and it’s no longer recommended by the dog and cat food/nutrition group where I was an admin for nine years. I would say this dog is almost 100% certain to cause the skin changes you describe. He could have a yeast infection (do his paws/ears smell like Fritos?) or a bacterial or fungal infection. You can find shampoos for these problems on Amazon. Duoxo seems to be the king, but it’s expensive, at least for me, and you can find other antifungal/antibacterial shampoos there for much less. I wish I could remember the name of mine, but I can’t, and I’ve got everything packed up because we’re getting new flooring.
As for his food, I wouldn’t feed him anything made by Purina or the other usual suspects found at grocery stores, discount stores, or big box stores. If a dog food or treat can be purchased from any of those stores, it’s not good enough for your dog.
I like The Honest Kitchen, which is a dehydrated food you mix with warm water in any amount you want, with the appropriate amount to feed him every day on the box. Sometimes I use this as a topper for my doxie’s Farmina kibble. They make what is the best kibble out there, in my opinion. A good dog food has at least 36% protein, and these two make the grade. You can order Honest Kitchen from their website or Chewy and Farmina from their own site or Amazon. Be careful of prices on Amazon; they do carry The Honest Kitchen, too. Do NOT get any Farmina canned food because they’ve been having trouble with those.
Acana and Orijen used to be good dog foods but have had lots of production problems since they started producing their food in Kentucky. If you can get it from Canada, it’s great.
I hope I haven’t given you too much information. Remember that a dog will eat 1/3 to 1/2 as much of a really good dog food as he would eat of cheap food with lots of fillers. Neither of these foods will be very expensive for your mini doxie. A 4-pound box of The Honest Kitchen grain-free beef or turkey lasted my 15-pound, eight year old doxie six weeks. The Farmina is about the same.
Hi Amber! It could be. I would start with the shampoo though. I have tried and tested every high-end dog shampoo pretty much on the market. I find the ones with oatmeal are very good for doxie. Something about the oatmeal and their coat. My guy is always soft, shiny, and never itchy or dry. No, it is very common for the ends of their little ears to get dry. If it gets too bad I will rub a diluted amount of coconut oil into my fingertips and rub his ear tips. I hope this helps!
My dachshund had to go on steroids for 5 months due to a vaccine reaction 5 years ago, and his teeth were in bad shape. He was given to us by a third owner. We took him in. So, the money we were going to spend on teeth cleaning and extraction went to the steroids. Ever since, I had to give him homemade food. He later had the dental surgery leaving only the 4 canine teeth. I want to share my recipe for his food: chicken, spring salad, sweet potato, and nutritional yeast, turmeric, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, and artichoke quarters (plain, all veggies from frozen). I add hamburger three times a week, sometimes chickpeas, black beans, thyme, bay leaf, peas. Cook recipe in water, until tender, strain, food process, then spoon out on pie plate and add enough broth to balance the mixture. 1-2 cups total. He’s
A large long-haired dachshund, and ge appears to have perfect digestion. (Do you recommend anything else? I feed him this 3-4 times a day. He often wants second helpings and I give him broth only. He’s not over or under weight. He cannot eat dog food. The Vet is happy with his progress. He turned 13 this year.
Hi Ge, it looks like you are taking great care of your senior dachshund! The ingredients you mentioned are perfectly balanced and nutritional. The only ingredient in question for me is a bay leaf, – they are not recommended for dogs as they contain certain oils and chemicals that are not good for dogs.
In addition to this diet I can recommend the supplement that I give to my dachshunds, it is
supplement, specifically formulated for dachshund breed .
It does contain a few ingredients that you already give to your dog (turmeric & nutritional yeast), but it has a lot more to support dachshund wellbeing, including powerful antioxidants, joint formula & probiotics.
Just adopted a 1 year old doxie.
She weighs 35 lbs.
Appears to like wet food.
How much should I feed her per meal?
I purchased Purina Bella Pate–Grilled Chicken and
With Beef.
Hi Joyce, give your dachshund one 3 oz can per 3 – 3½ pounds of body weight daily, divided into two or more meals. (you can refer to the feeding guide on the back of the can)
My 3.4 lb 8 week old dachshund puppy won’t finish his food- he eats about 1/3 cup of food the whole day. I am trying to feed him double that! Is he eating enough? I calculated his calories that he is eating and it’s only 133 plus a small amount of beef lung I sprinkle over it to entice him to eat more…
Hi Zoe, did you try to change the food? Puppies are picky eaters, and he just might not like this particular food.. Try wet food over kibble, most dogs find it tasty. Most importantly is that your puppy should look healthy without the ribs obviously visible.
Hi I have a 8 year old male dachshund named Eddie has dry skin down middle of back. I just started him on Blue Buffalo Salmon and potato dry and teaspoon of whitefish and potato hoping it will help. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Vivian, I am not a big fan of potato in dog food, – sweet potato is much more nutritious. For skin & coat your dog will need Omega fatty acids, try good quality fish oil or coconut oil ( half a teaspoon a day is enough). You can also try these supplements, Breedology Dachshund Advanced Care, they contain all the essential nutrients your Dachshund needs, I have been using them for my dachshunds and can’t recommend them highly enough!
My dachshund is 5.5 years old and a bit overweight (15kg – big belly). How many grams of Royal Canin Medium Adult do you think is suitable (I feed 200gram daily). What other foods do you recommend I can feed him more?
Hi Anh, there should be a feeding guide on the back of the food package as a general guide. It all really depends on your dog’s activity level. If your dachshund has low to medium activity level, I would recommend feeding him 170-180 gr of kibble a day. Treats/ dog biscuits also contribute greatly to a dog’s excessive weight. The best way to keep your dachshund in shape is to keep him well exercised, two 30-min walks a day are ideal. Keeping your doxie fit is important, as overweight dachshunds are at higher risk of spinal issues in their senior years.
Hi, I have a 8 year female. winter blues🤪. So she does get in walks 3 times a week .Looking to switch foods from grain free. I hear royal canin adult Daushund is the way . Do you have any other suggestions? Should I try wellness raw rev?
Hi Della, Royal Canine for Dachshunds is a great choice! You can also try Royal Canine Medium Adult 7+ (I prefer to give my dachshund Medium cause it contains larger kibbles, the chewing is actually good for your dachshund’s teeth, helping to keep it clean and decreasing plaque build up.) I would also recommend give your dachshund joint supplements on a daily basis!
Hi! I have a 1 year old “tweener” (she’s 14 pounds, and a healthy body condition). She is sensitive to chicken, so I am having a tough time finding a good dry food option for her. What would you recommend? She is fairly active (about 30-45 minutes of activity per day). Thank you for your time!
Hi Carly, although your dachshund might not find the dry food particularly enjoyable, there is less chance that your pet’s stomach will get irritated with it. Try the Royal Canine dry food specifically formulated for dachshunds, their hypoallergenic products, or any other hypoallergenic product of a high-quality brand. It is best to test what suits your doxie and stick to this brand.
My 9 month old Dachshund weighs 18 lbs and I would like her to lose a bit of weight. She is spayed and she seemed to put on weight then which is normal. How should I feed her to get down to 16lbs I’m sure she would look better. She does have broad shoulders though.
Your advice on quantities would be appreciated.
Cheers
Hi Judy,
It is usual for a dog to put on a bit of weight after being sprayed, and in most cases, it’s is nothing to worry about.
Try to give your doxie specially formulated food for overweight dogs that you can find in many good-quality dog food brands. When you notice that your dachshund came back to a healthy weight, switch back to the regular dog food. Just remember not to overfeed your doxie, there is usually a dog food chart on the back of the package. It is also essential to give your dachshund plenty of exercises to burn those calories!