Basset Hound Feeding Guide (Amount, Frequency & Schedule) (2024)

Hello, adorable pet parents! Welcome to my comprehensive guide to feeding Basset Hounds.

In this guide, I will cover how much to feed a Basset Hound, how often to feed your Basset Hound; when to feed your Basset Hound, what foods to feed your Basset Hound, what foods to avoid feeding your Basset Hound; and other questions you may have about your Basset Hound’s nutrition.

You can read the article to the end, or go through the table of contents below and jump to the section that answers the questions you have on your mind.

Basset Hounds are famous for their strong sense of smell, they are one of the most beloved breeds in the United States and around the world.

Basset Hounds are big dogs with small legs that make them look small, They are family dogs that are known for their docile demeanor. They tend to gain weight rather quickly and are prone to obesity because of their body structure, which is why pet parents should take special measures to ensure their hounds get the best nutrition to grow right.

I have created this ultimate guide to feeding your Basset Hound for curious pet parents and even new pet parents to solve your dog’s nutrition problem.

Let’s jump into the article.

What Are The Nutritional Requirements of A Basset Hound?

Basset Hounds are large dogs with short legs, so in order to grow healthy muscles and bones they have to have the right amount of nutrients that will enable them to grow optimally. If some of these nutrients are absent or excess in your dog feed, you can end up endangering your dog’s health.

Your Basset Hound meal when they are in their growing phase should majorly consist of 25% protein, adults 21% protein, 5-10% fats as puppies, and as adults 5% fats; fiber, carbohydrates, multi-vitamins, and minerals.

Your Basset Hound’s source of fiber should come from wholesome vegetables from broccoli, carrots, cabbage, and sprouts, while its source of protein must come from animal flesh like fish, chicken, turkey, beef, and organ meat. its source of fat must come from vegetables and fish oil.

Nutritional Requirement For A Basset Hounds Puppy

The nutritional requirement of a Basset Hounds puppy should consist of 25% protein, 5-10% fat, and 6% fiber. The puppy stage is also known as the growth stage, at this stage your basset hounds sufficient protein in its diet to grow muscles, and also minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and potassium should be present in their food for healthy bone growth.

Nutritional Requirement For An Adult Basset Hounds

The meal plan for mature and adult Basset Hounds should consist of 21% protein, carbohydrate, fat, and fiber. At this stage, Basset Hounds growth slows down and most of the nutrients are used for keeping a healthy body weight and energy generation. Basset hounds are not very active and so their carbs should be limited to avoid obesity.

Nutritional Requirement For Senior Basset Hounds

At this stage of your dog’s life, it is less active than at other stages. The food your pet will eat at this stage of its life should ideally consist of 18% protein, 8% fat, and fiber. Senior Basset Hounds will need minerals and vitamins added to their food to keep their immune system and bones healthy.

What Factors Affect The Feeding of A Basset Hound?

There are some factors that will affect the diet of your Basset Hounds such as the size of the breed, its age, its activity level, and its underlying health conditions.

Let’s take a quick look at those factors before we jump into the quantity of food to feed your dog.

Size consideration

The average length of a Basset Hound male is 28–26 cm (12–15 inches), and that of a female is 28–36 cm (11–14 inches), from the sole of its feet to its shoulder. The weight of a Basset Hound male is 25–34 kg (55–75 pounds), and that of a female is 20–29 kg (45–65 pounds).

Their nutrition will play a vital role in maintaining a healthy body size and energy level. A body size above the figures is considered overweight, which puts your pet’s health at serious risk. Males are typically bigger than females, and so they will require more calories than females.

Age consideration

Different stages of growth will require different amounts and qualities of nutrients, failure to do this will put your pet in harm’s way. Puppy food is usually packed with nutrients required for growth, feeding adult or senior dogs puppy feed can lead to overweight and obesity. Feeding puppies, adult food can lead to malnourishment or your puppy not growing optimally.

Activity Level

Basset Hounds are known to be lazy around the house and they are usually docile, most of the activity will come from exercise or if they are used as scent hounds. If your basset is not the active type then you should take extra care not to overfeed your pup, as this can lead to obesity and a whole lot of health problems. If your basset is active however then properly they should be fed the normal to make up for energy loss. What this looks like if for example the basset one is very inactive then instead of feeding it 2 cups of meals per day, you can make one and a half.

Health Consideration

Basset Hounds are prone to certain health conditions, which should be taken into consideration in their diets if you wish to manage or prevent those issues.

Some health issues that affect your dog breed include Obesity, Eye issues, Gastric Dilation Volvulus, Paralysis, bone, and joint injuries.

Most of these health issues can be avoided by feed control and placing your dog on a strict diet with the right nutrition and quantity.

If Basset Hounds are fed low-quality feed, it can trigger some of the health problems above. Also, pet parents ensure that their feed contains adequate minerals and vitamins for healthy bones and immune systems.

Basset Hound Feeding Amount

Your Basset Hounds just like any other dog breed will require different amounts of food according to their stage of development. The amount of food a puppy will need will be different than the amount of food an adult will need according to their nutritional requirement.

On average, feed your puppy Basset Hound 0.3 to 0.6 cups of food that has 220 to 605 Kcal per day; feed your adult Basset Hounds 0.75 to 2.75 cups per day that has 1,125 to 1575 Kcal per day, according to their activity level; and feed your senior Basset Hounds 0.5 to 2 cups per day, that has 900 to 1000 Kcal per day.

I will provide you with charts below to help you plan your dog’s meals from its puppy years to its senior years. However, this meal plan is not a one-size-fits-all. It’s just a general guideline that should be followed based on your dog’s needs and recommendations from your vet or dog nutritionist.

How Much To Feed A Puppy Basset Hound?

The meal meant for your puppy and adolescent Basset Hound should be very rich in protein and contain a moderate amount of fats that can be gotten from animal meat for them to grow into healthy adults.

A Basset Hounds puppy should be given 0.3 to 0.6 cups of food per day that contains 220 Kcal to 605 Kcal of nutrients based on its age, weight, size, gender, and physical activity.

The feeding requirement of your puppy is given in detail in the charts below:

Following the guidelines above will aid in bone development, and muscle growth, and strengthen their immune system to fight off common bacteria and viruses that can lead to some health complications.

How Much To Feed An Adult Basset Hound?

The nutritional requirements in the meal of an adult Basset Hound are different than that of a puppy given that they are done with growing. The food of a mature Basset Hound should have a lesser percentage of proteins and fats to prevent obesity. This is done by reducing the feeding frequency to 2 times per day.

An adult Basset Hound should be given 0.75 to 2.75 cups of food per day that contains 1125 to 1575 Kcal of nutrients based on its age, weight, size, gender, and physical activity.

The chart below will give you an understanding of the daily consumption needs of adult Basset Hounds to help you with their meal plan.

How Much to Feed A Senior Basset Hound?

Senior Basset Hounds are generally less active than their younger counterparts due to fragile bones and joints. This means their meals will contain lesser quantities of calories, protein, and fat.

Geriatric Basset Hounds are often plagued with health issues. Some of these issues are controlled by feeding your senior dog more vitamins and minerals to help revive the weak immune systems and fragile bones.

Senior and Geriatric Basset Hounds puppies should be given 0.5 to 2 cups of food per day that contains 900 to 1000 Kcal of nutrients based on their age, weight, size, gender, and health issues.

The table below gives you some details about the meal plan of older Basset Hounds.

However, you must still ensure that they get the essential nutrients they need.

You can continue giving your senior dog the same food you gave them as an adult, only in a smaller quantity as they don’t need as many calories as adult dogs. However, you should still consult your vet or pet nutritionist to be on the safe side.

Basset Hound Feeding Frequency

Your Basset Hound’s meal frequency will vary the same as the feeding amounts, which is majorly dependent on its age. Below is the list of how often to feed your Basset Hounds:

How Often Should You Feed A Basset Hounds Puppy?

• During the weaning process or at 8 weeks old and below: feed them four times a day at equally spaced intervals.

• 8 weeks to 3 months old: feed them four times a day at equally spaced intervals.

• 4 months to 12 months old: gradually transition to feeding them three times a day with equally spaced time intervals

How Often Should You Feed An Adult Basset Hound?

You should feed your adult Basset Hounds two times a day, with 12 hours of spacing between meals. Ideally one in the morning and one in the evening.

How Often To Feed A Senior Basset Hound?

You should feed your senior Basset Hounds two times a day except given a specific schedule by a vet.

Basset Hound Feeding Schedule

• Basset Hounds’ puppies should be free-fed or fed in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night due to a faster metabolism in comparison to their adult colleagues

• Adolescent Basset Hounds should be fed in the morning, afternoon, and evening to help them transition properly into an adult.

• Adult and Senior Basset Hounds should also be fed in the morning and in the evening unless stated differently by your vet or pet nutritionist.

As a general rule, you should feed your Basset Hounds a few hours before going to bed in the evening, so they have enough time to digest the food before going to sleep.

Treats should only be used for training, as Basset Hounds are notoriously stubborn, and treats should be used as an incentive for obedience training.

What Kind of Food Should You Feed Your Basset Hound?

The food you feed your Basset Hounds should specifically cater to large breeds and contain the required nutrients necessary for a strong and healthy dog.

The kind of food to feed your Basset Hounds includes dry dog food, wet dog food, a home-cooked diet, and Biologically Appropriate Raw food to ensure your dog eats a balanced diet.

Let me touch on these few points to help you understand what to feed your dog:

Dry Food: Dry dog or kibble is a portion of commercial pet food made by grinding and mixing up ingredients like meats, grains, and nutritional additives, which are then shaped into little kernels and cooked at high temperatures to remove the water content. Dry dog contains more carbs, less fat, less water, and sometimes less protein, and is often recommended by vets due to its lower cost, dental health benefits, convenience, weight loss support, and playtime perks.

Wet Food: Wet dog food, or canned food, is made by mixing up and cooking the ingredients before adding or extracting varying amounts of water. Unlike dry dog food, wet dog food contains more water, fewer carbs, more fat, and often, more protein. They are recommended by veterinarians due to their high-water content, taste, ease of eating, and high nutritional profile.

Home-Cooked Diet: Home-cooked diets are a great option for pet parents who are not into commercial dog food, and want to go the extra length to prepare a meal for their furry companion. Feeding your dog, a home-cooked meal will give you control over its nutrition and can put you at ease knowing that you will always give your dog the best treatment.

BARF Diet: Biologically Appropriate Raw Food is a type of food that contains raw meat, raw eggs, crushed animal bones, fruits, vegetables, probiotics, and other natural ingredients. BARF diets are used as a substitute for processed foods with preservatives. However, consult your vet before feeding your pet a raw diet to avoid health complications from harmful substances.

What Food Should You Avoid Feeding Your Basset Hound?

We should take caution against giving whatever food we’re eating to our Basset Hound. They have large appetites, which makes it tempting to hand them whatever we find ourselves eating.

There are certain human foods, fruits, and vegetables to avoid feeding your Basset Hounds because these foods contain toxins that are harmful to your pet that could lead you to frequent trips to the vet.

Human food to avoid feeding your Basset Hounds includes chocolates, coffee, gums, peanut butter, candies, cooked bones, etc.

The Fruits and vegetables to avoid feeding your Basset Hounds include grapes, avocado, garlic, onions, etc.

You should always check the ingredients on the food label to see if these ingredients are present in the food. Or you can simply consult a vet, or pet nutritionist to check the ingredients with them.

When Can I Transition My Basset Hound From Puppy Food To Adult Food?

You should transition your Basset Hounds puppy from puppy food to adult food when he’s around 10–12-month years old.

Transitioning your adolescent Basset Hounds from puppy food to adult food is an important stage in your dog’s development. Puppy food contains more calories and nutrients than adult food to meet the nutritional requirement at that stage of life.

Transitioning needs to be gradual by introducing adult feed in their diet bit by bit, till you get to 100% adult feed.

However, feeding your adult puppy food will fill them with more protein and fat than their body requires and will lead to obesity due to the high-fat content the body doesn’t need for optimum growth.

Why Is My Basset Hound Not Eating?

Your Basset Hounds will not eat if it has one or a combination of the factors listed below:

Illness, Dental Problems, Teething, Medication, Separation Anxiety, Spoiled Food, Stress, and Picky Eaters.

Basset Hounds are prone to having stomach issues due so you should ensure that your pet has not been free feeding, another reason may be underlying sickness. If your dog refuses to drink water as well as eat food then you should see the pet immediately for a medical examination.

Why Is My Basset Hound Always Hungry?

Basset Hounds are big eaters and they can eat their way to obesity and health problems if they are not properly trained and directed by the responsible pet parent. Underfeeding can also make your dog hungry all the time especially if the dog engages in too many exercises.

An alternative reason may be if your dog is infected with worms.

Frequently Asked Questions on Feeding A Basset Hound?

Final Thoughts on Feeding A Basset Hound

Basset Hounds are adorable, strong, and stubborn beloved pets, as a new or seasoned pet parent you have to ensure that you take special care of your pet, essential quality nutrients have to be in their meal for healthy growth.

Options such as dry, wet, raw, and homemade diets are all great for them. You can free-feed your Basset Hound as a puppy but you have to draw a strict plan as they go on. It is also essential to know what foods are healthy and should be avoided, as some foods are toxic.

However, if you desire more information on how to take care of your Basset Hound, you should contact the nearest vet for information on essential nutrients, and you can also see a pet nutritionist for a regimen schedule for your pet.