Senior Dachshund Care | 8 Useful Tips You Need to Know
As your Dachshund ages, you may start to notice issues with their vision, hearing, and mobility. It’s important to learn how to keep your senior Dachshund safe and comfortable in your home.
Here are some simple senior dachshund care tips that will help your dog live their golden years safe, happy, and healthy.
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Table Of Contents
If you have noticed any signs of aging in your Dachshund, don’t panic. Getting older isn’t a death sentence for your faithful long dog.
It is important to make some necessary diet and household changes in order to keep your doxie safe as they become more frail.
At What Age is My Dachshund Considered a Senior?
Dachshunds are considered seniors between the ages of 8 and 10 years old.
That being said, your senior dog’s aging symptoms may not actually be noticeable until they are 13+ years old, dog depending.
#8: Mealtime
Private Dining: Your senior doxie can still enjoy some tasty kibble at meal time, but at a much slower pace than before.
If you have other dogs in your home, provide a separate eating area for your senior. This will allow them extra time to eat and not have to compete for their food bowl.
Softer Food: If your senior pup is still able to eat their dry dog food, but you notice a slight struggle with chewing, try adding a little water to their food or consider changing to wet dog food.
My senior Dachshund, Bastian, doesn’t have many teeth left at this age, but he is still able to crunch down his dry dog food.
I add some water to soften his food during mealtime to help him chew a little easier.
Lift the Food: My dog, Bastian, is technically a Dachshund/Beagle mix. He is basically an extra tall Dachshund (pictured below).
Now that he is a senior dog, his legs have become weaker and tend to slide out from underneath him while he was eating.
So, I now use an elevated dog bowl stand to keep his food and water at a higher lever, which has worked wonderfully for him.
#7: Senior Dachshund Nutrition
Senior Food: Change your senior dog’s kibble to a food that is specialized for senior dogs. Senior Dachshund food contains higher levels of protein than adult dog food for stronger muscles, a healthier immune system, and mobility support.
Here’s how to change your dog’s food gradually to avoid an upset tummy.
How Often? Feed your senior dog 2 times daily. Splitting up the meals reduces anal gland issues and helps promote healthier digestion.
How Much? Feed your senior doxie the suggested amount of weight-based food on the back of your dog food bag.
Most senior dogs will do a lot more napping during the day, so they may start to eat smaller amounts of food than they used to.
Post You May Like: 3 Easy Ways To Keep Your Dachshund Healthy
#6: Incontinence
As your senior Dachshund ages, they will need to go potty more often and may start having accidents in your home.
When Bastian turned 15 years old, my family and I noticed that every time we sat down for dinner, he would flood the kitchen floor with a ton of pee (even after just being let outside).
It unfortunately started happening more frequently throughout the day. It was such a huge mess to clean up. Despite Bastian going potty outside, he was still leaking a ton inside.
So, for the last couple of years, I have relied on male dog diapers to help combat the huge pools of pee, and they work great! Here is the female dog diaper version.
Bastian can still go potty outside, but when he is inside our home, we put the diaper on him to help with his senior dog incontinence.
Nighttime Incontinence
Many doxie parents have noticed incontinence issues in the middle of the night while their senior dog is sleeping.
The doggie diapers mentioned above also work great for senior dog nighttime incontinence.
If you would rather not have your doxie wear a diaper at night, you can use large puppy pads or washable bed pads under their bedding to help with nighttime accidents.
#5: Senior Dog Proofing Your Home
Time to refresh your puppy-proofing skills! Luckily, it’s a little bit easier this time around. Your senior Dachshund will need special accommodations around your home to stay safe and comfortable.
No More Stairs: Create a safe living space for your doxie on the main floor of your home.
Painful arthritis and joint issues can develop at this age, which affects their mobility.
Have your Dachshund’s new living space located wherever you and your family hang out the most.
Use a dog playpen or some puppy gates to help block off any hazards like stairs and furniture, to avoid jumping or falling.
Dog Ramps: If your senior dog enjoys sitting with you on the couch or snuggling in bed with you at night, consider purchasing a couple of dog ramps to help prevent injury.
I like to recommend the DachRamp (or PawRamp) from Alpha Paw. Use code DACHSTATION20 for 20% off.
#4: Senior Dachshund Exercise
Keep your doxie moving! Continue to take your Dachshund on daily walks, just at a much slower pace and shorter length.
If walking is too painful or difficult for them, consult your vet for some help with arthritis pain and stiffness.
I walk my 17-year-old dog, Bastian, around our yard several times per day to help him go potty and to get his legs moving.
He doesn’t do a whole lot of exploring around our home anymore, just a lot of napping instead. So, to reduce any joint stiffness, I try my best to get him moving each day.
#3: Mental Stimulation For Senior Dachshunds
Mental stimulation is like brain food for your senior Dachshund. Providing simple dog brain games each day, like an interactive treat-dispensing toy, works wonders for your older dog’s mental health and well-being.
I like to recommend the Bob-A-Lot dog toy for Dachshunds of all ages.
When your dog pushes the toy over, it dispenses a yummy treat.
My senior Dachshund loves playing with the Bob-A-Lot. It helps keep his brain sharp and he acts so happy when he is interacting with this toy (pictured below).
#2: Keep it Calm and Familiar
Your elderly Dachshund may start to develop issues with their eyesight and hearing.
Approach Calmly: If your doxie is hard of hearing or has some issues with their vision, always approach them calmly. Suddenly picking them up or touching them without warning can send them into a panic.
Gently offer your hand to their nose for a quick scent check to let them know you are near.
Don’t Move the Furniture: Some senior Dachshunds go completely blind or deaf and can become disoriented in the home when things are moved into new places. Keeping your furniture in the same place can help them navigate much easier.
#1: Cherish Every Day
Even if your Dachshund doesn’t see or hear you as well as they used to, they still need you in their life.
Fill each and every day with love, attention, and cuddles. You will be so glad that you did.
Senior Dachshund care doesn’t have to feel stressful. I hope these senior Dachshund tips will help make things a little easier for you.
Bonus Senior Dog Care Tips:
Senior Dog Nails: Your senior Dachshund’s nails will become more brittle as they age and tend to bleed much easier. If you trim your doxie’s nails at home, consider using a Dog Nail Grinder instead of the traditional nail trimmers to avoid an injury.
Senior Dog Dental Care: Keep an eye on your senior dog’s dental health, learn the signs of dental problems, and discover the best foods for senior dogs with bad teeth from our friends at Furry Aging. Read there post for more info: Comprehensive Guide to Senior Dog Dental Care.
Do you have some senior dachshund health tips to share? Let us know in the comments.
Dear Ava, thank you so much for sharing these very helpful tips. Our Snoopy is a dwarf dachshunds 13 yo and going strong, but we see he became much slower and started to sleep very deep and nap a lot. All his life he was on Royal Canin Adult Dachshund food and since 1 year ago I moved him on Royal Canin Mini Aging 12+ I am wondering if this would be a good choice or I should go back to Royal Canin Adult Dachshund because it contains much more protein, cartridges and digestive support. I compared both nutrition tables and it looks like Adult Dachshund wins. Tried to find anything online about it and have found your article. What would you choose? Thanks! Natalie & Dachshunds team
Hi Natalie, I like the idea of a dog food diet that is tailored specifically for the age of your dog. So, my personal vote would be for the specific aging / senior dog food. Your 13-year-old Snoopy now has different health needs than he did when he was younger. I’m sure both dog foods have positive health benefits either way. Most importantly, do what is comfortable to you and how your Snoopy responds to the food as well. Is he ok with the Senior dog food compared to the adult dog food? Also, it wouldn’t hurt taking both dog food bags to your doxie’s vet to confirm that the ingredients are what they would recommend for his age.
I love this article! Thank you, Ava! My senior doxie’s age is uncertain, but probably 12 – 13. What you wrote gives me much hope for his coming years, and great information on what to look for and how to care for him in the future. I’m so sorry to read that Bastian passed away, but he was one lucky boy to have such a loving home!
Hi Caitlin, I’m so glad you liked my article. Your kind compliments mean so much to me, thank you so much.
Just found this website. My 15 yr old male dachshund not doing well. He has pancreatitis and teeth issues. Getting pain med into him impossible.I have had to take him back and forth to vet for shot. He has a comfy wagon so he need not walk. It is extremely hard to see him this way. He is my best friend and fear this maybe the end. Yet, I will not make that decision. So hard seeing such sudden change and no sign of improvement. Has anyone been through this??
Hi Robin, I’m really sorry to hear that your 15-year-old dachshund is not doing well. I’m sure it is incredibly tough to see him in pain and experiencing health issues. My senior Dachshund, Bastian (mentioned in this post) recently passed away at age 17. I can empathize with what you’re going through. It’s never easy to witness your beloved dog struggling. In the meantime, try to provide your dachshund with as much comfort and love as possible and take it one day at a time. Sending hugs and prayers to you and your pup during this time.
Dear Robin, I am so sad to see what you are going through. We also had a very difficult situation with our Waldi who passed away because of deadly sand fly Leishmania at age of 10. He was bleeding from all over with severe bloating and hair loss. When doctors just found Leishmania in his blood, they told us that this will be a very painful way for both of us and they recommend to put him to sleep now. We couldn’t imagine to say goodbye to our precious baby just like that and it cost us around 10 000 USD plus year of total suffering and pain for our Waldi. As hard as it sounds, if I would know all this upfront, I would let him go with peace and without so much suffering. It is up to us to let go of our ego and save our babies from suffering. God bless you and your family.