Dachshund Nutrition

With so many choices it can be hard to choose a proper dog food for your dachshund.  For us, it took several attempts to find the perfect dog food for our housepets, puppies and parents.  Every dog can be different.  For starters, if you just bought a dachshund puppy it is always best to stick with the food your breeder gave you for a little while.  Then, gradually blend the old food in with the new until their tummies get adjusted.  If you have a dog breed that is very high energy, you are going to need a dog food higher in fat than let's say..someone that owns a Bassett Hound.  LOL  Many dogs have food allergies, just like humans.  If your dog is continually keeping an upset tummy and diarrhea then you need to check with your vet about food allergies.  Some dogs just can't handle lamb products, and others can't handle beef.  There's really no way of knowing which dog is going to be sensitive to certain dog food without trying them.  Other signs a particular dog food isn't working for your dog would be coat problems.  Your dogs' coat should be shiny and feel healthy.  We once tried a new dog food, because another breeder recommended it, and our dogs coats started breaking off.  Like your hair might in the dead of the winter when you haven't had conditioner for a month.  At one time we tried one of the biggest names in pet nutrition and our puppies WOULD NOT eat it.  So, to say the least..finding the right dog food for your dog and your lifestyle may take a little experimentation.  Here at our home, we feed a particular brand to our house pets, another to our puppies..and yet another formula to our mothers and fathers.  It's really more about their needs..and what's convenient to you.  Let's face it, most of you aren't going to drive an hour each way (like we do) to get your dog food.  You'll want to be realistic about what dog food is the most convenient for you, too.  With that in mind, most large chain stores (I won't mention the name, but we all know I am talking about that big blue store where the prices are supposedly always dropping..ha!)  started carrying the premium dog foods as well as several premium formulas of the good old Purina and Pedigree we all grew up with.  Of coarse, Pet Smart like stores and your vet both carry dog food, too.  Like I said, whichever is most convenient.  I once had a customer who's dog was allergic to corn, which is in most dog foods, and her vet recommended one of those natural dog foods.. her local feed mill orders it for her and it saves her over $20 a bag!  
Now.. about those premium dog foods.
We all know Iams, Eukenuba, and Science Diet are the big three when it comes to dog food.  I think they are great and have no real opinion on which one you should choose.  Most of these are readily accessible.  And, they provide great nutritional support for your dog.  I recommend taking some time to research them..and experiment with them.  Most of these premium dog foods are labeled at around 25-17.  This means that they have 25% Protein and 17%.  Eukenuba has a breed specific dog food just for Dachshunds.  I personally haven't tried it, but you can see it by clicking the link below.  It has about the same fat/protein content as the others, but has glucosamine and chondroitin that are great for their backs and joints.. as well as a little something extra for their teeth.  The only problem I can find with this at the moment is that it seems to be hard to find.  Science Diet also has something similar that is called Healthy Mobility.  At only 15% fat, I would think this would be good for overweight Doxies, but again.. it's hard to find.  I just thought I would share the info.  The basic adult formulas of these name brands are all great.  
 Eukenuba Dachshund Dog Food
Iams
Science Diet

Purina and Pedigree have been the leaders in pet nutrition for as long as I can remember.  While I am not a huge fan of their basic dog food, I am impressed with their alternatives.  Purina One, Purina High Pro, etc.. great dog food!  Pedigree has some healthy options, too.  I have a friend that uses their chicken and rice food with her Italian Greyhound and he looks amazing. I have even seen many dog owners that use Beniful and their dogs coats are extremely nice.   All of these can generally be found at your local chain store.  

* Helpful hint -  BUY small bags!!  If you only own one or two small dogs, don't go to the store and buy the 50lb. bag!  It'll go stale long before your pets can finish it.  

Whatever choice you make.. remember that owning a dog is a life long commitment.. not what you feed him!  Be flexible.  If you don't think your dog is doing very well on the food you're feeding him.. CHANGE.
You've just got to read this article on changing your dog food on a regular basis to give him variety! It's really interesting.
Changing your Pets Dog Food
Other resources for information on proper nutrition for dogs
 Determining the Proper Nutrition for Your Dog
Wiki's page on dog food is really interesting.  They give an analysis of wet food, organic food, natural, etc.
Dog Food

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If you are a Dog breeder, too.. or even someone that is considering it, please check out our section on Breeder info.  Here you will find an article on proper nutrition for breeding dogs.
Proper Nutrition for Breeders
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