Puppy food for a Dashund?

[Zack_the_Mouse]

What would be the best dry food for a Dachshund puppy?

Does kibble size matter??
I know that they can have weight issues is there a better food for that?
What treats are good for them or does it matter?

Price isn't really a issue just not $100 a bag

Also how much can they eat in a month??

Sorry haven't had a small dog since I was really small. So I need a little help.

[marmilla]

Congrats! Dachshunds are my favorite!

Dachshund puppies should eat ~1cup - 1.5 cups a day. The main ingredient in whichever food you pick should be chicken. I've read and been told by breeders that this is the best type of meat for a dachshund, although I don't know exactly why. Dachshunds are prone to pancreas problems, so it could have something to do with how they process it. You'll want to get something with a smaller kibble size since dachsies are small. They can choke on larger snack items like biscuits, but I've never had one choke on kibble. I bought a 30 lb bag of food and it's lasted forever... I'll have to pay more attention to how quick it goes. I'll warn you now, dachsies are piglets. They will act like they are starving if it means they can get another morsel of food. Don't be fooled! As she reaches 1 year old, you'll need to keep her at 1 cup of food a day. Keep an eye on her weight and adjust accordingly. You should be able to feel her ribs easily, but she shouldn't be tiny either.

Your dachshund pup will need somewhere warm to sleep. If she is a smooth hair, she will get cold easily, especially during summer if you run the a/c. Be sure to provide a blanket for her to snuggle in. Dachshunds like to tunnel in blankets, even if they are crated.

As a breed, dachshunds love attention and will take full advantage if you baby them to start out with. Unless she is really well adjusted, be ready for some whining the first couple nights. If she does whine, don't coddle her or she will expect you to coddle her always. You're setting the stage for how your new relationship is going to be.

If she is going to be an only dog, you'll also need to keep an eye on her ears. For some reason I've noticed dachsies tend to get dirty inside their ears quickly if you don't wipe them out periodically (like once a month with a warm wash cloth).

That's all I can think of for now. I have 2 dachshund puppies right now, Harvey (~7months) and Rusty (~3.5 months). I've had dachshunds all my life (which hasn't been that long yet! *lol* ). If you have any questions, I know a lot about the breed and also know where to find most info if you need it

edit:
Oh yeah... As far as treats go, stick with smaller stuff. If the treats are big, just break them up. My pups love Pupperoni sticks and peanutbutter. As with any dog, practice moderation. They can be little beggars! I make my boys sit before they get anything.

[Zack_the_Mouse]

The food cannot have chicken in the food cause my Other dog Kit Kat is very allergic to chicken and ate even the smallest bit of chicken it will make her very very sick.

Do you think Turkey or duck would be ok, instead?

[marmilla]

Apparently the most important part is to get something with high protein content. I know a breeder that uses Innova ( http://www.innovapet.com/products/default.asp?id=502 ). Turkey is it's main ingredient, but it has chicken so it won't work for you. I'm sure something with mainly turkey will be fine as well. Not sure about duck, I haven't seen anything about it being used. My first dachshund didn't have a special food with chicken as its main ingredient and lived to be 16, so don't worry too bad if you can't use chicken. It's just the ideal food, but really high protein is good no matter what. Stay away from soy and rice as a large percentage of ingredient if you can. Also, omega-3 fatty acids are good, so try to get something with those added in.

Another tidbit I thought of is; never feed your pup table scraps. Especially fatty ones. Those can can the pancreas problems I mentioned before.

[Zack_the_Mouse]

this is a no table scrap house hold. All thou raw meat is given on occasion.

Innova looks good but I was hoping to feed a grain-free food

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by Zack_the_Mouse this is a no table scrap house hold. All thou raw meat is given on occasion. Innova looks good but I was hoping to feed a grain-free food

Innova EVO is grain free but not really appropriate for puppies. Just throwing that out there...you could always switch in the future .

We tried it but my mom's dog kept getting sick...too much protein, maybe. My two dogs (one of which is a dachshund) were fine but we switched back to regular Innova to make things less complicated.

[Zack_the_Mouse]

I usually use this dog food calculator to buy my other dogs food so I thought it might work for smaller dogs too.

This is a dog food rating system created to help people find a quality food. This is not concrete but to be used as a guide. This was created by Fredalina of the GDR.


Giving Dry Dog Food a Grade:
Start with a grade of 100:

For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points


For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points

If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points

For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points

If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer’s rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points


If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points

If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points

If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points

If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points

If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points

If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points

If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points

If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points

If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to beef), subtract 1 point

If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:

If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points


If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points

If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points

If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points

If the food contains fruit, add 3 points

If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points

If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points

If the food contains barley, add 2 points

If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points

If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point

If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point

For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and "turkey" as 2 different sources), add 1 point


If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point

If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point



94-100+ = A
86-93 = B
78-85 = C
70-77 = D
<70 = F


Some foods that have all ready been rated:
A's Score
A+ Chicken Soup for the pet lovers soul 113
A+ Eagle Pack Holistic chicken 114
A+ Eagle Pack Holistic LG and Giant Breed Adlt 113
A+ Eagle Pack Natural 104
A+ EVO Red Meat small bits 124
A+ Timberwolf Organics Lamb and Venison 136
A+ Solid Gold Bison 123
A+ Solid Gold Just wee bit Adult bison 113
A+ Solid Gold Wolf King 109
A+ Solid Gold Hund N flocken 105
A+ Solid Gold Mmillennia 111
A+ Innova 117
A+ Natural Balance Ultra 117
A+ Natural Balance Duck and Potato 114
A+ Canidae 119
A+ Foundations Chicken and Vegetable 109
A+ Flint River Ranch Fish and Chips 109
A+ Wysong Synorgon 110
A+ Flint River Ranch Lamb, Millet and Rice 117
A+ Back to Basics 107

B's
B Eukanuba Natural Lamb and Rice 87

C's
C Nutro Lamb and Rice 85

D's
D Iams Lamb and Rice 74

F's
F Pedigree Adult Complete 14
F Ol'Roy 9
F Science Diet Chicken Adult Maintainance 45
F Purina Beniful original 23
All Purina and Pro Plan foods rate as a F
F Pro Plan Giant Breed Adult 41
F Pro Plan Performance 53
F Pro Plan Chicken and Rice
F Purina Dog chow
F Purina Large Breed 40
F Diamond Lamb and Rice 61
F Diamond Performance (formerly professional)
F Diamond Large Breed 55


So far I'm leaving towards EVO Red Meat small bits or Solid Gold Just wee bit Adult bison. Both are grain and chicken free.

[Riddick]

For any puppy, grain free food is not reccomended...

here are a few good websites to help you with dog food
www.dogfoodproject.com

www.ourdogsonline.com

Solid Gold makes a puppy food that is lamb based

[Zack_the_Mouse]

well for now she'll be on this food till I find something else.

Nature's Variety Instinct Duck Meal & Turkey Meal Formula


Why isn't grain free recommended for puppies?

[Nikko]

I don't have any suggestions for you, but I just wanted to thank you for that dog food rating system. Wonderful! I'm gonna check my dogs food and see what it rates. Hopefully it's good, the vet said it was, but you never know, lol. I see a lot of people out here buying Ol'Roy and I shudder everytime. I feel so bad for the dog that's being fed that junk.