Feeding your Basset

 

Guard against overfeeding and obesity and do not feed supplements such as calcium or bone development nutrients without discussing this with your breeder or vet as skeletal abnormalities may be the results.

 

Little and Often

The breed is very susceptible to bloat therefore it is advisable to feed 2 or 3 smaller meals a day rather than one large one.

A working dog (or a hunting dog) will not have the same nutritional requirements as a dog living in a strictly urban environment.

Similarly, a bitch expecting puppies has increased requirements for protein, energy and minerals starting as early as the 6th week of gestation. Lactation leads to an even greater demand on intakes due to the exceptional quantities of nutrient-rich milk required to feed a litter of puppies.

 

Royal Canin

The South of England Basset Hound Club Summer Open show is sponsored by Royal Canin who produce a wide range of specialist food for dogs (and cats). Whilst we are not saying that Royal Canin is better than any other brand, we can state that they are a specialist brand with a long history of producing healthy products for canines.

 

Gaining Knowledge  

As a new owner of a Basset perhaps your best bet is to talk to the breeder or contact one of the 8 Basset Hound clubs across the UK. They will give you advice or give you details of experienced people near to where you live. A vet can also give you advice about food requirements. As humans, switching from one dietary regime to another will require a period of adjustments and needs to be considered carefully. Joining a Basset club will allow you to meet out Basset owners where you can share information and get advice on all things Bassety!

 

Treats

Treats should be given only occasionally. Normally, treats are given to  help keep teeth clean and gums healthy but anything else such as meaty bones should be given as part of their daily intake of food and not on top of their normal meals, to prevent obesity. Obviously this will depend on the individual dog as some Bassets are very hard to keep weight on. If your Basset seems to be under weight for their size seek veterinary advice incase there are any underlying issues that might need attention. Try to avoid rawhide chews with knotted ends as these can cause choking if the knotted bit becomes unattached. Also, avoid any chews that contain colourings as these are as bad as giving your Basset sweets all day!