Supplements

Introduction

DRBC hopes this guide helps you and your dog to a longer, happier, and healthier life. The information presented is meant to be a guide as you look for the proper nutritional program for your pet. The best program begins and remains with your veterinarian. Always include them in your discussion on diet or any other changes to your pets’ lifestyle. Be sure to make that discussion a part of your semiannual veterinary visits.

DACHSHUND RESCUE OF BUCKS COUNTY & NJ

DRBC has developed a dietary approach aimed at sound health and long life. The building blocks of this program can be found by using the menu below.

  • DACHSHUND RESCUE OF BUCKS COUNTY & NJ

  • DACHSHUND RESCUE OF BUCKS COUNTY & NJ

  • DACHSHUND RESCUE OF BUCKS COUNTY & NJ

  • DACHSHUND RESCUE OF BUCKS COUNTY & NJ

Water General Availability

Your dog should always have access to freshwater from a clean bowl. Some people limit a dog’s water supply or take it away altogether in the evenings, to avoid late-night bathroom needs. This may be a helpful house-training tool, but it is not fair or healthy for your dog in the long term.

Water helps the body to:

  • Stay hydrated.
  • Regulate body temperature.
  • Aid digestion.
  • Lubricate muscle tissues.
  • Flush away bacteria that cause urinary tract infections.
  • Ease constipation by moving stools along more smoothly.
  • Transport oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

The quality of your dog’s drinking water is also important. Most tap water contains chemical additives, such as chlorine and fluoride, as well as heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, which can be harmful to your dog’s health.

While it’s true that dogs drink from ponds, puddles, and—horrors—the toilet, these water sources are teeming with bacteria and parasites. You can reduce the risk of infection by providing your dog with only bottled or filtered water.

DACHSHUND RESCUE OF BUCKS COUNTY & NJ

Dietary Additive

Hydration is a key component of the DRBC Long-Life Diet. We know that most doxies will not drink a sufficient amount of water per day to meet the needed requirements; therefore, water is the first ingredient added to our dinner bowls. Here is why:

  • Hydration begins from the inside out. Your doxie's body will hydrate major internal organs first and then will reach the skin or coat last. A beautiful coat is not because of the addition of any oils to our diet but is a measure of good hydration.
  • Commercial Dog foods all contain fillers and additives. Flushing the kidneys of the by-products that result from these additives can only be achieved through the kidneys. Flushing the kidneys frequently with water is paramount to long life.
  • Dogs, especially young dogs, rarely head for the water bowl with great frequency. Adding water into the dinner bowl will help them meet their hydration needs and will extend their life.

How does the addition of water in the DRBC Long-Life Diet work? Download the diet below.

Download the DRBC Dietary Guide

NOTE: Nutrition is part of the overall wellness plan you should discuss with your veterinarian. The information contained in this website and on this page specifically represents that of the DRBC organization. All of our decisions on diet are discussed with our veterinarians on a routine basis.