If you’re bringing a new daxie into your family, a dachshund puppy feeding chart can be a great way to ensure it gets all the nutrition it needs. Providing the right food in sufficient quantities is vital to help your puppy grown and develop into a healthy adult. Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about feeding your new dachshund puppy!
What Is The Best Food To Feed A Dachshund Puppy?
Your tiny new puppy might not eat a lot, but providing the right food is vital to help it grow and develop normally! When a dachshund puppy comes into your family home it will normally have been weaned, meaning it now eats puppy food rather than suckles milk from its mother.
Initially, you should stick to feeding your new puppy the same food as your breeder gave it. Any sudden changes in diet can lead to severe gastrointestinal upset, as your puppy has not yet developed the right intestinal bacteria to cope with a varied diet. Most reputable dog breeders will provide you with a starter pack of food when you take your new puppy home.
But if you decide not to keep your puppy on this food, what next? Firstly you need to select a high-quality brand of food that is suitable for dachshund puppies. Young dogs have very different nutritional needs to adults, so make sure you choose a puppy-specific diet. The best option is normally kibble, as puppies find these smaller biscuits easier to chew.
Dachshunds are notorious for their sensitive digestion, and should be fed the best quality food you can afford. Look for a high-quality brand that is hypoallergenic and free from artificial additives.
How Much Food Should A Dachshund Puppy Eat?
The amount of food a dachshund puppy eats will increase as it grows older and larger. Small puppies also have very small stomachs that cannot hold much food, so they will need several small meals per day.
In order to keep track of this, a dachshund puppy feeding chart can be very helpful. This should be updated week by week to reflect the increase in food and frequency of meals.
The amount of food your dachshund puppy should eat will also depend on the type of dachshund. Miniature dachshunds are around half the size of a standard dachshund, and the quantity of food will need to be reduced accordingly. Your breeder should be able to advise you on the correct amount of food for your new puppy.
If your puppy is not eating all his food every day, it may be the case that you are feeding it too much. However, if it refuses to eat altogether, it is a good idea to get it checked over by your veterinarian.
How To Use A Dachshund Puppy Feeding Chart
The simplest way to use a dachshund puppy feeding chart is to write it on a chalkboard or laminated sheet, that can be updated as your puppy grows up. At the end of each week, assess your puppy’s weight, age, and body shape, and update the chart as necessary.
Take this chart to your puppy checks at the veterinary clinic, as they will be able to refer to it to ensure all your puppy’s nutritional needs are being met. It is a good idea to mark key dates on the chart or calendar, such as when the puppy is due to be wormed or vaccinated.
What Should I Feed My 8-Week-Old Dachshund?
From the time they are weaned until they are 12 weeks old, your new puppy will need his daily rations split into four meals per day.
The amount that he eats per day will vary according to the type of food and the age and size of the puppy. Luckily, most reputable food manufacturers will give detailed guidance on the food to help you.
When the puppy is three months old, you can reduce the number of daily meals to three. Don’t forget that each meal will then become slightly larger, and you will need to update the dachshund puppy feeding chart accordingly!
How Much Should A 4-Month-Old Dachshund Weigh?
By the time your dachshund puppy is four months old, it should be eating three meals per day. It will start to loose that cute puppy fat, developing a body shape more like an adult dog.
How much a four month old dachshund should weigh will depend on the type of dachshund. The smallest miniature dachshunds may weigh around 8 pounds, whereas a standard dachshund can weigh twice this much.
At What Age Is A Dachshund Fully Grown?
Like most small breeds of dog, dachshunds mature quickly and are fully grown within the first year. They may reach their adult height at around eight months old, but continue to bulk out and build muscle for a few months after this.
An adult miniature dachshund will stand around five to six inches tall and weigh less than 11 pounds. When a standard dachshund reaches adulthood it will weigh between 16 and 32 pounds and be around nine inches tall.
To assess whether your dachshund puppy is fully grown, take a close look at its body shape. Do the paws look in proportion with the body, or are they still quite large? Is its body gangly and thin like a teenager, or has it developed well-defined muscles?
Summary – Dachshund Puppy Feeding Chart
So, as we have learned, a dachshund puppy feeding chart is a useful way to keep track of how much your puppy should be eating during the first year of its life. Giving a puppy the correct nutrition in the correct amounts is vital to give it the best start in life and prevent any developmental problems. A dachshund puppy can be used to not only keep track of how much your puppy should be eating, but also to monitor his weight gain and size.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on the dachshund puppy feeding chart! Have you used a feeding chart when rearing a litter of puppies? Or maybe you’ve got some questions about what to feed your dachshund puppy as he approaches adulthood? Leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you!
