feeding your dog, questions..

[gregs317]

Hi, I was just wondering what is a good number of times to feed your dog - a dachshund, specifically. I was thinking a small can in the morning, small can in the evening, and a snack or treat in the afternoon. Is this adequate, not enough? For snacks, I mean a dog biscuit, or other doggy treats (like beggin strips).

Also, I was wondering how long the dog food cans last - the small cans, with the pull tab. Can they be refrigerated for longer use? What about mixing rice with dog food? I know several people who add rice sometimes. Is rice healthy for dogs, is this a good idea? Thanks, Greg

[TinyAlbinoDancer]

How much to feed depends on the brand of food you're feeding and your dog as an individual. What brand do you feed and are you only feeding canned? How old is your dog and what is it's activity level? How much does it exercise and is it's current weight good?

Rice has nutritional value but there is no reason to add it to food. A good dog food is nutritionally balanced and the only additions to it would be fresh foods for variety (vegetables, meat or eggs type thing).

[Cassiepeia]

I would (and did) feed morning and evening. There is no need to give treats every single day unless you are using them in training, and if you are using them in training you would remove a small portion of one of the main meals to balance that out.
Feeding treats each day as a part of the normal routine, on top of normal daily meals, can lead to a dog being overweight.

TAD is right about the quality of the food too, you don't need to add rice. Check out the sticky at the top of the health forum and it'll give you a good list (as well as information on ingredients) of great commercial dog food.

Also, if you're only going to feed canned, make sure you brush the dogs teeth regularly and/or give it plenty of (raw) bones to chew on to keep the teeth clean (actually you should do this even if you feed kibble, but especially so for canned).

Cass.

[gregs317]

Well, I don't actually have the dog yet - sorry i forgot to include that in my post. Hopefully in another month, I'll be bringing her home.

Cassiepeia: when you say raw bones, do you mean bones I would remove from meat products, like chicken? Or did you mean rawhide bones, you buy at pet stores, etc. (like pig ears?). Just wanted to clarify where I get these bones. Thanks, Greg

[calgal]

You may want to check on the reverse side of feeding dog food. I home cook, and have for 48 years. I've never had a dog with cancer, liver, kidney, heart or any other major medical issue.
Here is some information to get you started on researching dog food verses "real" food.
http://www.thedogfoodconspiracy.com/...-secretsii.php
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/301_pet.html

[TinyAlbinoDancer]

Gregs, where are you getting her from and how old will she be? You'll need to imitate her diet that she's been on before coming to you and then gradually switch to what you want to feed. I second Cass' suggestion to check out our thread on good brands of dog food--they are not all created equal! Here's the link: http://www.globalpaw.com/forum/dog-h...food-fido.html

[Punkygirl0101]

Dachshunds are very prone to being obese..Out of my 7, 1 is obese..and I free feed. So I guess I got lucky with not having all of them obese, but most are overweight. Especially after they are spayed and neutered they bulk up, so definitely feed only twice a day after they are altered.


Also, from experience, they like to "Suck" their food down when being given wet food, and I have heard that can cause bloat..Don't know how true that is.

If I were you I would feed a mixture of wet and kibble, high quality foods. And definitely not a lot of treats, and not everyday. Feed twice a day. Most dogs do good free feeding (I know my mixed breeds do, they eat when they are hungry and are not overweight, and are spayed and neutered), but most dachshunds eat when they are bored, and just because its there.

[Cassiepeia]

Cassiepeia: when you say raw bones, do you mean bones I would remove from meat products, like chicken? Or did you mean rawhide bones, you buy at pet stores, etc. (like pig ears?). Just wanted to clarify where I get these bones. Thanks, Greg

I mean real bones, from chicken, beef, lamb etc... I believe pork bones are too soft to feed so, from what I've read/been told, don't feed them, but all other bones are fine. Chicken necks are especially good for smaller dogs.
Make sure they're raw though. You can get them from your butcher.

When you cook bones you dry them out and they splinter when chewed. The splinters can be very sharp and can become stuck in the throat, stomach, intestines etc. So raw is the only way to feed bones (I know I've repeated that a few times, but it's very important).

Cass.

[mainesheltie]

Definitely do not give ham bones. They are too soft. What happened to my dog was that she got a ham bone stuck in her back teeth, which cut off her air supply. My Daddy had to stick his hand in there an force the bone out. It was a terrible experience for us all.

[gregs317]

I found out that the dachshund I'm hoping to bring home is 3 years old. I would be bringing her home from a reputable breeder. I'm not opposed to getting one from a rescue, but I just haven't been able to find one that I like from any rescue sites. I'm gonna double-check Pet Finder just in case tho. Greg

[Cassiepeia]

Don't feel you need to get a rescue dog if you've found a dog, that fits you, at the home of a reputable breeder. There is nothing wrong with that. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that dealing with reputable breeders should be praised and encouraged.

mainesheltie...That's awful. I'm so glad your dad was able to get the ham bone out of the dogs throat. What a scary experience.

Cass.

[c0_re]

Originally Posted by Cassiepeia

Don't feel you need to get a rescue dog if you've found a dog, that fits you, at the home of a reputable breeder. There is nothing wrong with that. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that dealing with reputable breeders should be praised and encouraged.

Cass.

Completely agree, my personal rule is I try as hard as possible to get every other dog from a rescue\humane society ect.

[Beryl]

Originally Posted by Cassiepeia

I mean real bones, from chicken, beef, lamb etc... I believe pork bones are too soft to feed so, from what I've read/been told, don't feed them, but all other bones are fine. Chicken necks are especially good for smaller dogs.
Make sure they're raw though. You can get them from your butcher.

Yeppy. My guys get 1/2 raw chicken wing each and every day. They not only love them but their teeth are white white. One of these days I'm going to stock up on necks.

Occasionally I'll let them have a beef marrow bone. It never is swallowed -- just gnawed upon.