I need help :(

[parellicrazi]

hi. My name is Rianna and I have a three year old mini dachshund female who I've had since ten weeks. And she's never really eaten much. I got pretty worried about it a year or two ago and took her to the vet and he said she was healthy enough and not to worry. But I do worry. Dachshund people say mini dachshunds should eat a cup of dog food a day, and she does not do that!!! I try putting like cottage cheese or chicken broth on her food, but she still doesn't eat much! I change her food every day. And when I go back the next day to change it, she's taken like two bites!!! She looks healthy enough, but skinny, and she weighs ABOUT eight pounds. I wouldn't be so worried but lately she's been making accidents in the house because her eating times are so wierd! I take her out every three hours about, but she holds it at least nine hours through the night with no propblem. And I know she's healthy. No underling problems. PLease help!!!

[parellicrazi]

anyone have anything???

[Garrett-N-Texas]

ParelliCrazi,

We have a mini dachshund also. Daisy is almost 2, she is a black and tan. Daisy has always been a real finicky eater and is LOOOOOOOONG and skinny! If you think about it she is probably better off by not being over weight. Have you tried keeping her food up and only letting her have it twice a day, that's what we have to do to Daisy or she has accidents.

Good luck

[EquinePhotographer]

You don't want her too overweight. Those long backs can really cause them problems, even moreso when they are overweight. If you can't see her ribs and is filled in well enough I wouldn't worry too much. My step-mom had a dachshund and he didn't eat much either. Very picky eater. The breed standard states their weight should be 11 pounds and under so if yours is about 8 pounds I think she is fine.

Also - small dogs do tend to have more teeth problems than larger breeds. If your dog has bad breath you may need to have her teeth cleaned. Sometimes that can be a link to other underlying health issues (that you don't know about) as well as cause them pain when they eat hard food.

It also might do her better to stay on one type of food. We feed our dogs (2 italian greyhounds, a heeler, and a heeler/aussie mix) Blue Buffalo dog food. This is the second-best rated dog food in the states below Merrick. I'd feed Merrick, but I cannot find it anywhere around here. As it is I have to drive 50 miles to get the BB. lol If you're feeding a cheaper type of dog food I'd suggest moving her up in quality. That could make a big difference in her weight as well. Most cheap dog foods are full of fillers which make dogs feel full but they aren't getting the calories that they need. Check out BB's website. You can get a $5.00 off coupon for their food too if you'd like to try it. I very highly recommend it! Even my vet asked me what I fed my dogs because they look so healthy (shiny coats). He never heard of BB, but said he was going to check into it and possibly sell it in his office if he could. He was very happy with their health. :)

[Omega Horse Solutions]

I feed mine Hill's Science diet small breed adult. They are allowed to eat all they want for 15 minutes, 3 times a day.

You should score each animal individually on a Body Score Condition (BSC) 1. Emaciated (all bones and half dead) 2. Lean 3. Optimal (no bones visible, but easily felt with a nice tapered waist line) 4. Heavy 5. OBESE Healthier animals that are active and behaving well should have BSC of 2 or 3 on the above scale. Especially dachshunds with their tendency to have spinal issues with their long backs. Don't let her jump up and down on the furniture. That is when most injuries occur. The next is the ones that frequently go up and down stairs. A ramp is best. It keeps the spine level, instead of kinking with each level of the step.

Dogs tend to have low metabolisms from their days as a wild animal. They were designed to be able to survive on big meals several times a week. We like to picture them as four squares like us, but in reality they do better on 3 or 4 small maintenance meals a day of good quality food.
So if you are wanting to measure it out, you can get a container with the full daily ration and put a little out at a time throughout the day til it is gone.

I second the annual or bi-annual checking of the teeth in small breeds, as they can go to pot rather quickly.

[Omega Horse Solutions]

On the potty issue. You may need to crate train her for a couple of months. She will hate it if she isn't use to it, but it simulates a den. Pups in the wild would come out of the den to do their business and then return. It needs to be just big enough for bedding and her dishes. If you get it too big, she will designate a spot for potty. See below for outdoor potty. Once she is holding it good, then she can have free roam of a small room. If she is able to not pick a potty spot and continues to do well outside, then gradually start adding more territory for her.

Pick a spot in the yard that is just of potty. As soon as she has done her business (before she can move from the spot) praise her and give her a treat if you are inclined. The trick is to praise as soon as the good job has been done, not after she runs to you or after going inside. They don't associate well what the good job was after they have moved.
Pick a spot in the yard that is for play. After she has done her business in the potty area, go to an area well away from there and spend a few minutes playing. She will learn that she needs to potty first, then play.

[parellicrazi]

ok thanks yeah, so she did have another accident in the house. so basically, I'm just getting strict about taking her out EVERY two hours whether or not she acts like she has to go. I think that will help. but she does have bad breath, so I think that might help, getting them checked out and cleaned. thanks a lot :)

[Omega Horse Solutions]

I would have the vet run a basic chem panel just to rule out any underlying issues, especially if you end up having a dental done on her. That way you can be put at ease. It will check liver and kidney functions, sugar, electrolytes and complete blood count. Would show infection, sugar issues, electrolyte imbalance, and other key things that can be warning flags. Basic panel should be under $60.00. A full panel should be a little over $100.00.
Dogs don't generally have hyperthyroidism like cats do, instead they tend to be hypothyroid and will gain weight like crazy. Hyperthyroid, they eat and eat and still lose weight. I wouldn't do any thyroid tests unless it was included in the chem panel.

Let us know what the vet says.

If you want the vet's opinion on the urination, I would suggest a urinalysis. A simple strip test done in house would show if there is an infection. Should be $20.00 at most.

[Omega Horse Solutions]

I mentioned the blood work so you can be thinking about it if the vet says she needs a dental. Anesthesia is fairly safe, but there is always that chance of the freak thing that goes wrong. Pre-op blood helps insure that everything is copacetic.

Routine dentals generally take 30 to 40 minutes from the time they go down until they are recovered.

Small breeds tend to have dental issues, so don't be too surprised if the vet says some teeth need to be extracted due to being loose or having a lot of root exposure. Cavities are almost unheard of in dogs. Gums receding on the other hand....

[lunanightwolf]

I have a dachshund mix and he is a picky eater as well. he'll only eat when he has water or if you standing there with him. he is skinny one day then well be great weight the next day