Dachshund Dog Food Can Cause Sickness And Allergies
What are you feeding your Dachshund?
Are you aware that the dog food we are feeding our Dachshunds can cause sickness and allergies? After the big pet food recall I think we have all become a little more aware about the dog food we are feeding our Dachshunds and that it may not always be as safe as it should be.
Most people feed their Dachshunds prepared pet food – it is convenient to grab a few tins or a bag while we are purchasing our own food. We trust the glossy pictures on the bags of healthy dogs – after all the manufactures are responsible for providing all the nutrition your dog needs to grow strong and healthy – or so we hope.
Dogs need protein and fat – of course, before commercial dog food they would get this from meat. They also require carbohydrates in their diet. This is a balancing act – too much or too little protein can cause diseases.
However, it is important that you check the ingredients on the labels – although they can be very confusing.
A few of the ingredients you will see on commercial pet food are:
| Cereal | Rice |
| Corn | Fat |
| Meat | Bone meal |
| Preservatives and Additives | Added vitamins |
So lets break this down a little.
Corn – Dachshunds and most dogs have a difficult time digesting corn and it can often cause allergies that could show up as physiological or behavioral problems. Please also be aware that this corn has already been rejected for human consumption – it failed USDA inspection because of mold, rancidity and other contaminants! Check the label and choose a dog food without corn if possible.
Fat – fat is basically added to ensure your dog eats the kibble – they love fat just like us and a little is not harmful but too much just like us will make them fat. Check the fat content.
Meat– Aha at last an ingredient our Dachshund’s need. Depending on the food you chose it could be Chicken, Beef, or Lamb – However, the meat used in dog foods is not available at our local butchers. I went searching on the Internet to find out what this meat is and was a little upset with the results.
Ready? Well lets take chicken by-product (or beef and lamb) – that is the heads, beaks, legs, intestines, neck basically what we don’t eat is ground up for dog food. I guess that is not too bad until you consider where the meat is coming from. This ‘meat’ is rejected human grade slaughtered animals. Some of the manufactures use animals from vets, test centers, and watch if the packet just say meat – that could be any dead animal.
We should check the dog food labels to see what percentage meat content it has – this would be nice it they actually put it on the label but they do not want you to know!
| Description | Percentage Meat |
|---|---|
| Chicken Dog Food | 95% |
| Chicken Dinner | 25% |
| Dog Food With Chicken | 3% |
| Chicken Flavor | No Minimum – just has to taste like chicken! |
This is copied direct from www.aafco.org association of American feed control officers:
Am I correct that parts from sick, dying, or dead animals are allowed? Doesn’t this pose a health risk to pets?
Animal by-products which may include materials from animals which died by means other than slaughter are explicitly defined as adulterated unless the materials are rendered in compliance with animal health and protein product regulations to destroy any potential microorganisms which may be in the products. The processes used are deemed to be adequate to control risk of disease.
Why am I so passionate about telling you all this?
I have a mini Dachshund called Luke. He weighs 9LB. I love Luke so much and he is the seriously the best dog I have ever had the pleasure to own. He is such a darling and I want the best for him so that he stays healthy and has a long happy life.
I started buying him what I thought was the best dog food available, it came in little containers, smelt disgusting but looked great and he loved it.
Two months later, he started to be sick, throwing up and had bad diarrhea. I of course rushed him to the vet. At first, they thought that maybe he had eaten something on one of this walks, or maybe had an infection. The vet gave him an injection to stop him being sick and some tablets to sooth his stomach.
The next day I was back at the vets’ office again – he was much worse, lethargic and the symptoms had got worse. This time the vet was more concerned and ran some tests on poor little Luke. One of the tests showed that the food was being blocked from entering his stomach and he needed an emergency operation.
I was so scared especially when the vet explained that they were not sure if it would work. They went on to ask what I was feeding him. Apparently, the little cute cans of food that I was so lovingly giving him were much too rich for a small delicate Dachshunds stomach. This had caused an acid build up, his stomach was fighting to digest the food, and eventually it had caused a blockage and a lot of pain.
When I went to the vets office after his operation I was shocked at how awful Luke looked. I just broke down and cried I could not stop feeling so guilty for doing this to him. Why was I so stupid, why had I just blindly believed that the food sold in the supermarkets would be safe?
Luke struggled to stay alive and recover from his operation for 7 days. He lost a lot of weight and looked all bone. I visited him and stayed as long as the vets’ office would let me, trying to sooth him and get him to eat. He had a scar down the whole length of his little belly and looked so sad.
Finally, the vet said I could take him home to continue his care there. He was on four different pills three times a day. His recovery was slow and painful but gradually he began to eat without being sick and put a little of his lost weight and muscle tone back on.
One thing the vet did stress to me is that he sees this regularly especially with small breeds and that I should be very careful what I feed him – the trend is increasing. He is now on a mix of prescription dog food and homemade food and is much healthier.
This all happened three years ago but it did so much damage to his stomach that to this day, if he so much as nibbles something that he should not have, he is throwing up again. It is a constant battle when we are out of the house to make sure he does not find any dropped food.
Even if your Dachshund can eat anything and seem OK, there is a chance that some time in his life his little body will have had enough.
The dog food you are feeding your Dachshund could be causing Liver and Kidney dysfunction and bladder and stomach cancer.
Some of the symptoms may show up as allergies including:
- itching
- hot spots
- dandruff
- excessive shedding
- foot-licking
- face-rubbing
- loose stools
- gassiness
I urge you to learn as much as you can about what is in the food you are feeding your Dachshund so that they do not have to go through what Dachshund Luke did – or worse.
To get the full information on what is in your Dachshunds Food CLICK HERE and find out how to increase the lifespan of your Dachshund by 130%!
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Thanks for the information! It’s important to do your homework and pick a quality food for our little guys and gals!
Personally, I love the holistic pet food created by veterinarian Dr. Jane Bicks. She has her own stand-alone manufacturing facility, so there is no worry about cross-contamination of equipment by other pet-food manufacturers using lower-quality ingredients. She makes the food in small batches and quality control tests every one.
She uses only human-grade ingredients, and no corn, wheat or soy products. No preservatives or dyes. The foods are fast-cooked to retain the maximum amount of nutrients, and she refuses to sell the product via stores because she doesn’t want it sitting on store shelves (because of the absence of preservatives). So you order it online through a registered agent, and it ships to your door! The best part is that she encourages customers to call into a monthly conference call she does and ask questions about the food. Can’t do that with Iams or Science Diet!
The registered agent I use to buy my food through is my local no-kill shelter. Their site for Life’s Abundance is www (dot)HumaneSocietyPetFood (dot)com My shelter gets a portion of the proceeds, so if you’re going to order, please use the above web site!
Also, please note that each 40-lb bag of kibble contains approximately 160 cups. Each cup of dog food has 483 kcal/cup. Check whatever food you’re using now, because this is very nutritionally-dense food and most people find they need to feed much less of it to maintain their pets’ weights. I cut my 70-lb pointer back from 2 cups twice a day to 1.3 cups twice a day. My heeler gets half a cup twice a day.
Hope this helps! I just love the products!
Catherine.
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please tell me what kind of food i can make for my dachshund to eat,that will not hurt her,she is itching all the time and licking her paws.
Hi Sharon,
First I am sorry for the delay in my response – we have been traveling again.
Try to feed your Dachshund as pure a food as possible. Check what food you are feeding her and see what the ingredients are – check my post above. What she is eating could be causing her to lick her paws, however she may be doing that because her feet or legs hurt. Dachshunds are prone to this.
If you decide the change her food please introduce it to her in small amounts mixed in with her original food. Now if you are planning to make her meals then add one new food at a time – ie if you want to add chicken then give her it with her food for a week or two and see how she is.
Making sure she is only eating quality food, and only introducing one new ingrediant at a time for a week or two may point to the one that is giving her allegies.
Good luck and please keep me informed,
Karen
Hi Sharon, sorry also re her paw licking, you may want to wash them after walks – sometimes they do this because of smells, chemicals, and general outside stuff causing irritations.
Again good luck and I hope that with trial and error you are able to narrow down what is causing her problem soon.
Karen
Please see my replies below :-)
Ema is alot better,i took her to the doctor and he said it was Allergies. he gave her some meds.i also started her on BilJack dog food .she seems to like it ,i just hope i am doing the best thing for her.i don’t mind cooking for her if i knew what i could feed her and how to cook it,she is the best little dog ( my grandson found her in the deer woods the first of oct.she was almost dead,she has been through alot )
HI Sharon, I am so glad to here that your little Ema is feeling better. Poor girl, she is lucky to have you and is now in a nice home with people who love her. We love Luke so much. Dachshunds are amazing dogs.
I hope that she is doing well on her new food and that her allergies go away.
Karen
Thank You for sharing this one!
I saw a tv show about what’s in commercial dogfood a couple of years back, and was so horrified that that day,I stopped feeding commercial food, and began cooking for our two mini-dachshunds. Within 2 weeks, our 8 year old male acted like he’d lost 5 years of age – he became his old bouncy goofy self, his coat became shiny and soft, and he just looked so amazing! Our little female was still young enough that the terrible effects of commercial food hadn’t become obvious in her appearance.
Since I’ve been cooking for my dogs, their health is astounding – I brush their teeth, too, because I don’t want them to suffer the agonies of a toothache.
Thanks so much for this!
Anne
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Okay so i have a dachshund too I got her when she was 9 weeks old and now I can’t amagin my life with out her… They are the most wondeful pet to own. So I’m really not sure if what I am feeding her is bad for her or not. I feed her Pedigree little bites and that is what I have feed her from the day I got her. Now 3 years later she wont stop itching.. She itches and digs so bad she makes her self bleed. So I took her to the vet 3 times in one month and he seems not to know what is the matter with her… All I know is it is breaking my heart just watching her… I have try-ed everything that I know of and nothing seems to help her. So if there is anyone out there that has any ideas I am so open to them….SOMEONE PLEASE HELP HER…
I lost my precious 13 year old daushund Daisy May 13th 2011 to a high end dog food that i trusted. I did everything to keep Daisy healthy routine vet trips to do blood work to make sure she was doing fine, i thought only the best food which was Merrick canned food and dry, but i gave both my dachshunds Merrick canned Turducken, within hours both were sick with dirrahea and throwing up, my 5 year old Doxie Macie came thru but Daisy passed away 5 days later from pancreatitis. There was to much fat in the food, my vet said that quality control is just not what it should be, i read several other statements on the internet saying the same thing about the merrick canned turducken, the pet food company just blew me off, Daisy was one of the most precious loving dogs i have ever had and i miss her each day, i feel like it was my fault for feeding her that food, my vet said that the big brand name so called best dog food company let me down, maybe someone will read this and not feed there small breed dog this food.
i have a stander dachshund and he is 7months old but is now just off fully grown, i would like to point out that that food wast anctually dangerous but it was just to rich for dachshunds,as stated by the vet ‘it was fer too rich’ but that dosent necercarily mean it is dangerous to al dogs?
appologies if i sound rude as i am not trying to be
I also note that I have a dachshund mix, 19 lbs fully grown, with a black tuxedo like coat. He certainly likes to burrow in his bed, like this site taught me!
Hi Bryony, thanks for visiting. Yes you are right the food may not be too rich for some dogs but it was for our Dachshund. You do not sound rude and have a very good point. We were just surprised that it was marketed for small dogs yet can be too rich for them.
Hi my dachshund E.J is about two months oldies repeatedly having blood stools. He only drinks diluted milk and he’s normal for some time and then after two days he get started again. The vet says there’s nothing wrong with him. Inspite of all this he’s very active. I don’t know what to do. Please help!!!!!!!
Which is the best but not too costly dog food to feed my 4 month old Dachshund, Sebastian? This dog is my baby and my best-friend. I love him so much. My hubby thinks I spoil him rotten but, I assure you, I just love him exceedingly and want him to live a long and healthy life.
Thank you so much,
Mel and Sebastian
Hi, Please, please, take him to another vet for a second look. It is not normal and he is so young.
Also ask the vet if you should be feeding him the milk – perhaps he can give you puppy milk to try.
Good luck.
I find this website informative. I have a 5 almost 6 year old dachshund who is not a mini and not a full size either. She’s supposed to be 9 pounds but she’s 14. She has started itching and developed a rash. The vet said there are 1000 things she could be allergic to. I paid 50 dollars for their vet approved dry food. At first she improved. Now, she’s back to where she was. So I was wondering if it’s dust mites.
She also started like the ones dog. She had bloody stools when she was young. The vet told us it was her food. So we changed it. We’ve been feeding her the cheapest dog food out there until the rash and itching. Now I’m constantly trying to figure out how to make it stop. The vet sold us special shampoo with 3% peroxide to wash her with. I don’t wash her much. I do wash her bedding every Sunday. I haven’t changed detergents. I just want her healthy and happy again with no itching. She also has an odor that smells like tacos or nacho cheese. Any ideas on that? The vet says its part of her allergies.
Hi Diane,
I am hoping your little one is feeling better. As you know it is hard to work out what they are allergic too. My friends Dachshund is allergic to grass!
Did you continue with the food that your vet suggested? I wondered because it is often a food allergy and you also said she is overweight – or rather that she is 14 pounds but should be 9 – not sure is that meant she was overweight or you just thought she would only be 9 pounds. I would try to buy the best food possible (with the least amount of wheat and strange ingredients) and gradually add it to her existing food over the next week until she is on the new food. Do not give her any human food except plain chicken.
I am sorry that you are not getting the answer from you vet. It may take a process of elimination but I would start with the food.
Best of luck
Karen
My 5 months old dachhund not eating any solid food he only drink sum milk one time in a day not much.when I give give food he shows some unnecessary behaviour I buy him 2months old at that time he eat regularly butnow he is not having food so pls give me a good suggestion when I take him to vet he give some medi for divestion
Hello,
I really hope that your Dachshund is now feeling better and that you had taken him to see a vet again if this has continued.
He is very young so should be monitored by a vet if he is not eating. I wish you all the best.
Well written, highly informative article.
I’d like to mention how important it is to take great care of the food your dog consumes. Many times they can develop bad symptoms due to bad nutrition.
Worms in dogs can be found if your dog seeks other sources of food as well, this could be deadly if not treated on time.
I hope your dog feels better!
Hi i have a 3 year old dachhund and he suddenly started to loose he eyesight after he had catflu and it is just getting worse. I’m feeding him canned dog food with little bit of bread and he gets his little bit of milk every night. Is there anything i can do to help him?
Hi Jake,
So sorry to hear that your dachshund is loosing his eyesight. I hope you have taken him to the vet? What did they say caused it? I am so sorry but I do not know of any suggestions for you except take him to the vet. I hope he is feeling better!
Hi! We have a cute little Dachshund but he’s very picky. He was once hospitalized due to coccidia and he cannot eat anything unless his vet-given food, the one for gastrointestinal problems. I kept buying kibble and wet food for him after medication but recently, he does not want any of these anymore. We are starting to get worried because we know he is hungry but he refuses his food. You know what he wants? He wants our human food! Whenever we eat, he stays near and gets to us and give us his puppy eyes asking us to feed him. We give him the leftover bones for him to munch but he comes back for more. Because he does not want to eat his food and he likes ours, we just give him what we eat so he can just eat because he’s losing weight already.
What doggy friendly meals can I prepare for him so he can regain his appetite? Are there ingredients in human cooking not advisable for him? Thank you so much for your reply!
I have a 9 mouth sausage dog but some time she will not eat can you till me why and what food she can have
Hi thanks for visiting.
Dachshund Luke is also a very picky eater and sometimes does not want to eat. It can be a worry since they are very small dogs with high energy so he needs to eat. I do have meds for him if he gets sick.
You may want to take your dog to the vet for a check up just to make sure there is nothing causing her not to eat.
Dachshund LUke loves chicken so when he is not eating we cook him plain boiled chicken and rice. This helps him if he is feeling sick too. good luck and thanks for visiting us.
Hi, thanks for visiting us.
Many people feed their dogs human food and I would too if Dachshund Luke did not get sick eating anything but his Z/D and chicken, rice and pumpkin (not the pie filling but plain pumpkin)! It is great that yours can eat it. I personally would be making his food separate from yours (unless you eat very bland food) because he doesn’t need all the salt, pepper and other flavors we add to our food. Also I am sure you are aware that dogs should never be given bones that splinter – like chicken and ribs. The best ones are the marrow bones that you can buy cheaply and dogs love them.
There is a lot of information online about making your own food for dogs that are pretty balanced as far as nutrition. Perhaps you could mix the vet food and human food so that he is getting the carb and vitamins needed.
A lot of ingredients that humans can eat are not so good for dogs. A few that come to mind are Avocados, Onions, caffein, alcohol, chocolate, grapes, raisins, sugar, and the list goes on – this is why I prefer to cook anything for Luke separate from my meal then I know it is safe.
Thank you again for visiting.
I am at my wits end about what to feed my 1 year old minature wire haired dachshund. When we got him at 8 weeks of age he was on Life’s Abundance food. Around 4 months of age we started feeding Solid Gold Bison,Brown Rice and Barley. He was ok on this food but would eat it so fast he would sometime act like he would choke himself. So we got him a slow feeder. So next we were convinced that we should start feeding a raw diet, so he was switched over to the Honest Kitchen chicken recipe. Looked like he was doing great on it,but after a while he started having issues with sharp pain in stomach( he would cry out in pain) that happen right after he finished eating. Like he was having gas pains. He was also itchy but not so bad that his skin would get raw. He would usually start acting ok within 15 to 20 minutes of having one of these attacks. So we switched to a duck and salmon kibble. He was ok but then after a week or so back to the pain within 5 minutes of eating. I always made sure to introduce new foods slowly. Just recently he had several attacks where he would cry out in pain all within 10 minutes. We went to vet and he had several small rocks in his stomach. The vet gave him something that caused him to throw up the rocks. We thought everything was ok but a three weeks later he is doing the same thing but is itching a lot more and chewing at his little boy parts, alot. So back to vet and they did blood work and a barium study. Both of those turned out good. Showed no problems. So home we go and we are feeding him by hand and only little small bites. We stretch his meals (1/4 of a cup) out to about 15 minutes, making him eat very slowly. The vet put him on prescription for stomach issues. That was 5 days ago. Thought things were good but tonight he has again crying out in pain, itching badly and can tell he is just not right. At times he is happy and playing, but then he just stops and lays down. So we are back to vet in the morning. I am just at my wits end. I have tried to feed him the best food but it just seems to be causing him a lot of pain. He has never thrown up and his stools are good. He does not have ear infections and does not have a rash. I keep thinking it is some type of food intolerance. Has anyone ever heard of this type of situation? Or something similar. He weighs 11 lbs and for most of the day he is being a typical little Doxie just trying to have fun and play. Please let me know if anyone has ever experienced anything similar.
I have a Mimi Doxie named Riley. He is my pride and joy. He has always had eating issues. The vet said to try different dog foods but no help. I finally started cooking meat from the meat dept. at the store and he does really well does not throw up any more. He has had allergies since he was a puppy, now three, and the vet gave me some aloe shampoo and aloe spray to slooth the itching. He gets a lot of relief. The vet also told me to give him 12mg of benadril, over the counter ones, twice a day and that really worked for the itching and licking. He is much happier. He has grass allergies. Really hard to keep him off the grass cause he lives to run and play.
Hope this helps someone. Doxies are so special!!
My mini dachshund is 9 lbs and got into the dry cat food last night. i noticed he was moving around last night and could not seem to get comfy like he normally does. Today his is not his normal self and just wants to lay around. He did vomit a lot once so far. Any recommendations on what i can do to make im more comfy and help him out?
Hello guys
I bought a douchound puppy which food i prefer it for him
Kindly help me to know that.
Warmest regards
Raj
I just read this because my dachshund died. I was feeding him just normal human food. Then I put him on dog food. Couple months later he was fine then he got sick. We took him to the vet they said he was fine. Next week bet again they said he was sick and couldn’t find out why. They gave him meds just in case it was an infection. He was in terrible condition. They worked he was a happy dog. Then we thought it was the food. So we gave him the food he loved. Couple days later he died. Found this article and I’m mad. I loved that you took the time and wrote about this. I just wished I found it earlier. :*(
My Dushhund all of a sudden start to drag her bum on the floor I thought she was constapated but realize it is not that Please help someone said I must clean her ainal clanes but how do I do that I do not want to hurt her but she is so uncomfortable