Dachshund food - what to absolutely avoid

Dachshunds are predisposed to obesity and pancreatitis. What you buy at the supermarket as “premium dog food” is often unsuitable for a dachshund.

Toxins you must never feed

• Chocolate - theobromine can be lethal in small doses
• Onion and garlic - cause hemolytic anemia
• Grapes and raisins - kidney failure
• Xylitol (sweetener in chewing gum) - lethal hypoglycemia
• Avocado - the flesh causes stomach upset and the large pit poses a choking/blockage risk (persin is mainly toxic to birds and horses; in dogs it rarely causes systemic illness)
• Raw freshwater fish - may contain thiaminase and parasites (tapeworms, anisakis); raw salmon from the Pacific Northwest of North America also carries salmon poisoning disease, though this is not a real risk in Europe

Reading the food label

The first three ingredients are the key. You want:

1. Specific named meat (e.g. “chicken 35%”) - not “poultry meals and derivatives”
2. Whole grain or vegetable - brown rice, sweet potato
3. Named fat source - “salmon oil” yes, “animal fat” no

Avoid any food containing:

• “By-products” / meat derivatives
• Sugar and caramel coloring
• Preservatives BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin
• Fillers (corn, soy in the first three)

How much to feed a dachshund

Adult dogs need energy proportional to metabolic body weight: RER ≈ 70 × kg^0.75 kcal/day, multiplied by an activity factor (1.2-1.6 for a neutered indoor pet) gives MER. For an 8 kg dachshund this works out to about 240-330 kcal per day split into 2 meals. A standard 9-12 kg adult dachshund sits in the 280-410 kcal range. Check the food label and adjust to body condition.

The best weight test: you should be able to easily feel the ribs but not see them. Waist visible from above.

BARF or kibble

Both are fine if balanced. BARF requires consulting an animal nutritionist - composition errors lead to deficiencies in calcium, protein, vitamins. Kibble marked “complete” already has full balance.

The biggest mistake is “half and half” - half a cup of kibble plus table scraps. A direct path to obesity and pancreatitis.