Many dachshund owner are confused about how much food their dachshund need. But the answer is not simple; it depends on the dog’s age, genetics, weight, and health conditions. In this article, I will tell you how much feed you can give to your dachshund. A perfect feed quantity helps to stay healthy entire life. Too much food causes obesity, and not giving them enough can cause nutritional deficiency, so we need to give them food in the correct quantity to avoid health problems in dachshunds.
How to know the correct food quantity for your dachshund
To precisely know their food quantity, you need to know your own dachshund. factors such as their health condition, weight, and metabolism. They shouldn’t provide excess food, which can cause overweight and is also risky to their health.
Know your dachshund’s ideal weight
The normal weight for a miniature dachshund is up to 5 kg, and the standard dachshund is 7 to 14 kg. If your dachshund is in this range, that’s good; if not, your dachshund is underweight or overweight, and adjust the proportion gradually.
Know the daily calorie needs of your dog
Like your body, they also need calories to provide energy for doing activities. Calories are a form of energy. When calories are in excessed then their daily need, they gain weight, or when they are in calorie deficit, they lose weight (especially fat).
To know the exact quantity of feed they need to consume, you need to know their calorie requirement and adjust the meal based on that.
To know your dachshund’s calories need, you need to first know their exact weight by using a dog calorie calculator. Once you find out your dog’s daily calorie intake, it makes their weight maintenance easier.
Plans a feed after calculating calories
Once you find out your dog’s calorie intake, then plan a diet based on that. For example, if your dog’s daily calorie intake is 350, and the market feed has 175 calories per 100 g, then you need to divide the feed twice, once morning and evening, by 100 100 g to meet their daily calorie intake.
Activity level
Activity level also determines your dog’s calorie intake. If you are conscious of their health and provide them with regular exercise, they may need more calories in their diet. For example, a miniature dachshund generally burns 50 to 70 calories per hour walking. You need to calculate your dog’s calorie intake based on activity level.
Check the feed’s calories on the label
Different dog foods have different calories per 100 g; you need to calculate based on their calorie load per 100 g. For example, your kibble has 350 calories per cup, and your dog needs 429 calories, which is 1.2 cups per day. If you split it into two meals, made with 0.6 cup per meal, it is a good quantity for your dachshund.
Watch their body condition
It is the best way to know your dachshund’s daily food requirement, to see whether their ribs are clearly visible or not. Watch for their sign of weight loss or gain suddenly. If they gain suddenly, they need less feed, or if their weight loss is about 10 to 15 percent suddenly, their calories need to be decreased.
Here is the estimated feed requirement of a dachshund at their age
| Dachshund weight | Feed requirement per day |
| 5kg dachshund | 300-400 kcal per day |
| 7kg dachshund | 420-500 kcal per day |
| 9kg dachshund | 530-620 kcal per day |
Final thought
Dachshunds are dogs that are prone to obesity, so giving them the right quantity of food is the best way to manage their healthy weight. Knowing how much feed we should feed our dachshund depends on their age, calorie requirement, and the food’s calorie density. The main thing is we need to find the calorie requirement for feeding in the right quantity. By finding calorie intake and feeding them in the right quantity, you can manage their obesity problem also.
