What to Feed your Basset Hound

The Basset Hound developed in France.  Basset is the French word meaning “low set” and for a breed that weighs about 50 pounds they are very low set.  They may appear to be overweight do to a loose coat that will hang in folds on their body.  However, I must point out that this breed does not normally have a body weight problem.  The first Basset hounds in this country appeared after the American Revolution when Lafayette presented them as a gift of state to George Washington.  The Basset has a very keen sense of smell.  Their long low set ears also help cup the scent during a hunt.  Their short legs can cover an amazing amount of ground in a short time and, therefore, they can hunt game such as the fleet rabbit or deer.

Native meat supplies for this breed would have been venison, rabbit, mutton, and poultry.  the farm crops were wheat, corn, and beets.

For the Basset Hound I recommend commercial foods with poultry, lamb, wheat and corn.  However, you should avoid feeding a Basset Hound soy meal, horse meat, beef or its by-products, fish or white rice.