*** This post is in collaboration with James Wellbeloved, but all thoughts and opinions are forever my own.***
When Harold entered my life in 2017 it changed forever. I’ve had pets before, but never as an adult, and never one that was so intrinsically involved in every aspect of my life.
I had wanted a sausage dog for years – I asked for one every Christmas and birthday – I must have annoyed everyone around me. A dachshund was my dream breed and I had a sausage dog-shaped hole in my heart. Until the day that I met Harold and knew that as soon as he was old enough to be separated from his mother that he had to be a part of my family.
But that was where the anxiety began. He was so tiny. And I was now responsible for this tiny, joyous, amazing, furry, intelligent, lovely boy and I wanted to do my best to protect him at all costs. I’m not ashamed to say that there were more than a few nights, in his first few months with me when he’d be curled up on my chest on the sofa at night and I’d cry because he was so small, innocent, and vulnerable seeming.
If you are welcoming a particular breed of dog into your home, I cannot recommend more how much research you need to do on that particular breed. That is especially true with sausage dogs. They are very much en vogue at the moment, but the breed is not without its own special needs and health concerns.
The biggest concern that faces any dachshund owner is IVDD. Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is by far the most common health problem in UK Dachshunds: around 1 in 4 may be affected at some stage in their lives. It is a condition where the intervertebral discs between a dog’s spinal vertebrae bulge or burst. Bulging or bursting intervertebral discs can enter the spinal cord space and put pressure on spinal nerves. This can cause wobbling and incoordination, pain, nerve damage, and even lower-body paralysis.
The best thing that you can do to help protect your dog from IVDD (though nothing is ever 100% foolproof as it’s also genetic) is to keep your dog’s diet and lifestyle healthy. Overweight dachshunds are more prone to developing IVDD and it’s just not worth the risk.
Harold’s diet and exercise are of the utmost importance to me. It’s a well-known fact that sausages are very, very greedy boys. However, for his own good, I have to turn down his puppy eyes and refuse to give him people food, extra treats, or the 1000 other things that he begs for. Because boy does he beg. Sometimes I think he has an inner golden retriever due to him being such a greedy boy.
I also started research what dog food that I wanted to feed my dog before I even had a dog. I’m a vegetarian who mostly has a vegan diet and tries to eat organic and local whenever possible, so finding a natural dog food for Harold was incredibly important to me. I don’t want to feed myself junk, so why would I do the same to my best boy?
It seems like coincidence or product placement – but this campaign collaboration is very fortuitous. I’ve only ever fed Harold James Wellbeloved. When I researched dog kibble, it came out as the best choice, and Harold and I have never looked back.
James Wellbeloved is British made in rural Somerset and doesn’t include wheat and other cheap bulking agents that usually make up the majority of dog kibble brands on the market. It’s also palm oil-free and includes single-sourced proteins.
For an occasional special dinner for Harold, I add a bit of James Wellbeloved wet food into his kibble (but then you need to reduce the amount of kibble as the wet food is more calorie dense).
My dachshund diet do’s and don’ts:
Do carefully measure out how much you are feeding him per meal. I used to actually weigh out a vet recommended amount, but I can now eyeball it because I’m used to how much he should be eating.
Each breed has a recommended amount that they should be eating. Carefully research it and don’t over or underfeed.
Do give your pooch treats, but do it sensibly. Treats can be a great training tool or your best friend might just deserve something special. But allow it to be just that – special. Limit the number of treats you give as they are usually calories dense.
Do research what dog food you are buying. Lots of generic dog foods on the market are packed with things that are actually really unhealthy. Buy a healthy dog food.
Don’t forget to exercise your good boy every day. No amount of healthy food will substitute for a lack of exercise. And dachshunds need far more exercise than people think their tiny legs are capable of.
Don’t give them human food. Or at least be very careful with what you give them. Lots of foods that we love and enjoy will make a dog incredibly ill!
Do you have any other dachshund care tips? Or any doggy care tips in general?
*** This post is in collaboration with a brand but all thoughts and opinions are forever my own. ***
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