Choosing the best dog food for Dachshunds is essential because these small, feisty dogs have significant health issues, not least their problem with obesity and their well-documented issues with their elongated backs. Either of these health conditions will have severe implications on your Dachshund’s quality of life, so providing your Dachshund with the best food you can afford can minimize these issues.
The best food for Dachshunds has to provide a healthy balance between ideal nutritional requirements and the number of calories. It would be perfect for adhering to the proper feeding guidelines as per the instructions on the dog food packaging you choose to feed your Dachshund.
What Makes A Good Weiner Dog Food
If you would like to know what makes an excellent Dachshund diet by buying food that has the following characteristics will be a perfect start.
What makes a good dog food:
- The best Dachshund dog food is only made in countries that have high food safety standards. Before you feed your Dachshund anything, you must have confidence you will not be providing them food containing toxic ingredients.
- Dachshunds, like all dogs, need animal proteins to keep strong and healthy. The best Dachshund food contains real meat listed as their first few ingredients. Meat meal is also acceptable; however, it should come after the listed meat.
- Quality dog food doesn’t contain artificial additives; these are unnecessary and can lead to Dachshund food allergies. Good recipes naturally make the food palatable without adding anything else.
- If the food is good quality, you’ll not find unspecific meat byproducts in the ingredient list. Unless it names the meat clearly, you have no idea which animal the manufacturers used for these byproducts.
Dachshund Food Requirements
For Dachshunds to remain fit and strong, they need a healthy, wholesome, balanced diet with the correct amount of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
Dachshund Healthy Weight
A Standard Dachshund will have a healthy weight range between 16 to 32 pounds.
How Much Should A Dachshund Eat?
A thirty-pound Standard Dachshund with average activity levels will need around 600 calories per day. Of course, you should always talk to your vet about your Dachshund because every dog is different, and some dogs will need a little more and some less food as they age. Your vet will know your Dachshund and give you better advice on how much they need to eat to stay healthy.
Ideal Weight For Miniature Dachshund
Mini Dachshunds are a lot smaller than the Standard size and, according to the AKC, shouldn’t weigh over 11 pounds.
How Much To Feed A Miniature Dachshund?
Based on their average weight of eleven pounds with a normal exercise level, a Mini Dachshund will need just under 300 calories per day. However, as we mentioned, this is just an average guideline. You would be far better speaking to your vet and taking their advice to get an accurate figure for your particular Mini Dachshund.
Information To Consider When Feeding Dachshunds
Choosing the best food available for your Dachshund is crucial, but unfortunately, it will not cure some health problems; however, it’s better to choose foods that at least alleviate those problems.
Some health issues may be avoidable by choosing the best dog food for Dachshunds, and these include:
- Obesity – Even Standard Dachshunds are still small dogs, and it doesn’t take too many extra calories to overfeed one. So if your Dachshund is overweight, you might need to choose a specific food to help with the issue. In addition, it’s advisable to monitor the treats you feed and keep them to no more than 10% of their total daily calories.
- Joint & Bone Problems – Every Dachshund owner is well aware of how delicate the Dachshund back can be, so you might want to look into the ingredients in your Dachshund’s food to see if the manufacturers add glucosamine and chondroitin. If not, it might be a good idea to try food that does include these two supplements.
- Skin Allergies – Dachshunds can suffer from skin allergies, so if your Doxie has problems of this nature, there are specific dog foods you can try to alleviate the symptoms.
The Best Dog Food For Dachshunds 2025:
- Royal Canin Dachshund Adult Dry Dog Food
- Eukanuba Body Fit Weight Control Small Breed Dry Dog Food
- Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Small Breed Recipe
- Wellness CORE Small Breed Original
- Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed Puppies
1. Royal Canin Dachshund Adult Dry Dog Food
Best dry dog food for Dachshunds
Royal Canin for Dachshunds is made explicitly for adult Dachshunds, considering their dietary needs once they mature. Chicken is the main protein offered in this formula, with added calcium and glucosamine providing additional support for the Dachshund’s troublesome back and joint issues.
L-Carnitine is also added for the Dachshund metabolism to help it function at the correct levels to maintain a healthy weight. Of course, you will still need to ensure you follow the feeding guidelines and don’t offer too many treats. We all know what a treat-hound a Dachshund is, so it can be particularly challenging to keep treats to only 10% of the daily calorie allowance.
Why We Like It: Royal Canin for Dachshunds is made especially for adult Dachshunds and takes into account their unique dietary requirements.
Key Features:
- Ideal-sized kibble for adult Dachshunds
- Maintains bone & joint health with added calcium and phosphorus
- Ideal protein content with added L-carnitine for muscle tone
- Highly digestible proteins reduce stool size and odor
- Protein 26%
- Fat 12%
- Fiber 4.4%
2. Eukanuba Body Fit Weight Control Small Breed Dry Dog Food
Best dog food for overweight Dachshunds
Eukanuba Fit Body Weight Control formula contains 40% less fat than their standard adult formula. In addition, a blend of L-carnitine and carbohydrates is designed to promote a lean, active Dachshund body. The animal protein in Eukanuba is added to 50% more glucosamine and chondroitin to support better joints and leaner muscles, combined with DHA and antioxidants to help brain function.
Chicken is the first ingredient on the list, and with total protein at 29%, fat content of only 10%, you can have confidence that your Dachshund will maintain a healthy weight as long as you stick to the feeding guidelines.
Why We Like It: Eukanuba for Dachshunds Fit Body has an excellent formula containing fewer calories to help keep your Dachshund’s weight under control.
Key Features:
- 40% less fat when compared to their regular adult formula
- Chicken is the first ingredient
- DHA & antioxidant for brain function
- Glucosamine & Chondroitin for bones and joints
3. Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Small Breed Recipe
Best dog food for Miniature Dachshund
The first five ingredients of Merrick’s small breed recipe are de-boned chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, barley, and turkey meal. There are no peas, lentils, or potatoes, so no carbs that might spike your Mini Dachshund’s blood sugar levels. Merrick’s kibble is packed with quality ingredients, including ancient grains, for better digestion. The fiber levels in this formula are a little less than other brands, which is suitable for small breeds like the Mini Doxie because too much fiber can create gas and soft stools. However, there is still enough fiber to keep your Mini regular.
Leading levels of glucosamine and chondroitin support your Minis hips and other joints, including the back; in addition, for healthy skin and coat and to reduce allergies, Omega-3 and Omega-6 are added.
Why We Like It: Merrick’s small breed recipe has industry-leading levels of glucosamine and chondroitin to support your Mini Dachshund’s joints and bones.
Key Features:
- It contains high-quality proteins
- Leading levels of glucosamine & chondroitin
- Omega-3 and Omega-6
- Kibble size is ideal for small dogs
- The first ingredient is deboned chicken
4. Wellness CORE Small Breed Original
Best dog food for Dachshunds with skin allergies
If your Dachshund is troubled by skin allergies or other types of allergies, their food source might be the issue. In which case, it might be better to put your Dachshund on a grain-free diet. This formula from Wellness contains no wheat gluten, wheat, corn, soy, eggs, and artificial colors or flavors. Deboned turkey, turkey meal, and chicken meal are the first three ingredients, and there are no meat by-products included.
It is formulated for dogs to complement their energy needs with 47% high-quality protein ingredients, added glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health and skin, and coat health with Omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed and salmon oil.
Why We Like It: Wellness Grain-Free formula is ideal for Dachshunds suffering from allergies because while it’s still grain-free, there’s ample fiber to preserve the best digestive functions.
Key Features:
- 100% grain-free, no corn or wheat
- Deboned turkey is always the first ingredient
- The formula includes probiotics and prebiotics
- It contains Omega fatty acids
- Supports bone and joint health with added glucosamine & chondroitin
5. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed Puppies
Best dog food for Dachsund puppies
Blue Buffalo dog food always features real meat as the first ingredient; the life protection formula provides high-quality protein from real chicken essential for growing puppies. Other ingredients essential to a puppy’s healthy growth are DHA and ARA; these are fatty acids found in mother’s milk and help support cognitive function. Blue Buffalo includes an ingredient list they call “life source bits,” a blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to support a young puppy’s fragile immune system. Holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists have put together this proprietory blend.
As well as all the good stuff that goes into Blue Buffalo, the manufacturers leave out ingredients that other companies stuff their dog food with. Including elements such as animal by-products, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, and preservatives.
Why We Like It: Blue Buffalo adds DHA and ARA for a puppy’s brain and eye development along with essential vitamins and minerals.
Key Features:
- Real meat is the first ingredient
- Formulated with the needs of a growing small breed puppy
- Antioxidant-rich “life source bits”
- Enriched with DHA and ARA
- Small bite kibble
- Made in the USA
Final Thoughts
Dachshunds are incredible little dogs and have specific nutritional needs to allow them to lead a normal healthy life. Trying to find a diet that balances even calories for their energy levels while ensuring they maintain a safe weight is exceptionally challenging.
This buying guide is why our best dog foods for Dachshunds will give you a helping hand.
