Dachshund IVDD and Other Health Problems

Why do Dachshunds get IVDD?

It comes with the shape. The Cornell University Riney Canine Health Center explains that chondrodystrophy, the body type with short legs relative to body length, goes with early hardening of the soft centre of each spinal disc, from birth to about one year of age. A hardened disc can rupture through its tough outer layer and press on the spinal cord or nerves. That is Type I IVDD, and the pressure is what causes pain, weakness and paralysis.

The University of Sydney Veterinary Teaching Hospital names intervertebral disc disease as a common cause of a dog losing use of its back legs, more often in Dachshunds, Corgis and other chondrodystrophic breeds. Cornell's list of predisposed breeds also includes Beagles, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels and both Corgi breeds, so this guide is useful well beyond Dachshunds. Because the disc was already weakened, a rupture can happen during an ordinary moment, not only after a big jump.

How common is IVDD in Dachshunds?

Studies from several countries agree that it is common, and that the risk differs between the six Dachshund varieties.

DachsLife also found that older dogs and desexed dogs had higher odds of IVDD. That is an association in a survey, not a reason on its own to change desexing plans. Talk to your vet about timing if you have a Dachshund puppy.

What are the signs of IVDD, and when is it an emergency?

The Cornell Riney Canine Health Center lists these signs, and says early intervention provides the best outcome.

Do not wait overnight to see whether a wobbly dog improves. The specialist outcome data below shows how much worse the outlook becomes once a dog loses feeling in its legs. When you ring ahead, ask the clinic how best to move your dog.

One Australian twist: the University of Sydney's veterinary hospital points out that paralysis tick, especially in the tick season (typically September to March in NSW), is another common cause of a dog losing use of its back legs. In tick country, a weak Dachshund might not have a back problem at all, which is another reason to let a vet decide. See our guide to paralysis ticks in dogs and cats.

Rest or surgery: how is IVDD treated?

It depends on how badly the spinal cord is affected, and that is a decision for your vet or a veterinary neurologist or surgeon. Cornell summarises the general picture: milder cases may be treated with rest and pain relief prescribed by your vet, and more severe cases may need surgery.

The most detailed guidance comes from a 2020 paper by the Canine Spinal Cord Injury Consortium (CANSORT-SCI), an international group of veterinary neurology and surgery specialists. Moore and colleagues reviewed the evidence on sudden disc extrusions in the middle and lower back and made these points:

• Surgery once a dog cannot walk. The available evidence supports recommending surgical decompression for dogs that are non-ambulatory (cannot walk unaided) or worse.
• Strict rest is standard but poorly studied. Neurologists and surgeons treat strict activity restriction, usually called cage rest, as a vital part of both non-surgical and after-surgery care. It usually means confinement to a small pen or crate at all times except toileting. The paper notes its impact is poorly studied and recommended lengths vary, with some authors recommending as much as six to eight weeks. Your vet sets the length for your dog.
• Timing still matters, though the paper found no evidence for a fixed cut-off after which recovery becomes impossible.

The paper also summarises published outcome data (from a 2017 review by Langerhuus and Miles and earlier studies). These are averages across many dogs, not a forecast for yours.

Source: Moore et al. 2020, compiled from published case series. Outcome means regaining the ability to walk independently.

Rest at home only works if it is strict. A dog that already settles happily in a crate copes far better with weeks of confinement, which is one good reason to crate train a Dachshund puppy early. Your vet will refer you to a specialist if surgery is needed, and our guide to cheap vet care in Australia covers payment plans and hardship help.

How can I protect my Dachshund's back?

You cannot change the genetics, but you can change the load on the spine. Here is what has support, and how strong it is.

• Keep the dog lean. In the Packer 2013 referral study, overweight dogs were at higher risk of disc extrusion, and the authors say keeping high-risk dogs lean is particularly important. Cornell and the Dachshund Club of NSW both list weight management. Ask your vet for a target weight and measure meals.
• Keep the dog fit. In DachsLife, dogs exercised for more than an hour a day had lower odds of IVDD and dogs exercised for under 30 minutes had higher odds. The authors caution this could be reverse causation (dogs exercised less after a back problem), or it could reflect stronger muscles supporting the spine.
• Use ramps or steps for furniture and the car. Cornell recommends steps or ramps to reduce jumping on and off objects, and the club advises restricting excessive jumping. Be aware that DachsLife found dogs not allowed on furniture had higher odds of IVDD, which again may be reverse causation. Ramps are cheap and sensible; they are not a guarantee.
• Ask your vet about a harness. Cornell notes that low-stress options such as front-clip harnesses may be recommended when a harness is used.
• Learn how to lift your dog. Ask your vet or vet nurse to show you how to pick up a long-backed dog with the body supported. A demonstration is better than a diagram.

Stairs come up often. DachsLife asked owners about daily stair use and found only a weak trend, not statistically significant, towards higher odds in dogs that did not use a flight of stairs each day. That gives no evidence that ordinary stairs cause IVDD. After a back episode, your vet will tell you what is safe for your dog, including stairs.

Back scoring and the DNA test: what breeders can do

The Dachshund Club of NSW describes back scoring as five spinal X-rays taken under sedation, ideally between the ages of 2 and 4, then scored by a spinal analyst for calcified discs. The club stresses it is a breeder's tool, not a diagnosis of IVDD in that dog. Dachshund IVDD Support Australia (DISA) says X-ray screening and scoring is currently the only way to reduce the incidence of IVDD, and does not recommend relying on the CDDY DNA test sold as an IVDD test, which it says is not predictive of herniation.

If you are buying a puppy, ask for back scores on both parents. Our guide to Dachshund puppies: adopt or buy? covers the breed club price, registered breeders and how to spot a scam.

What other health problems do Dachshunds have?

The Dachshund Club of NSW health page (last updated February 2022) calls the Dachshund typically a healthy breed with a lifespan of 12 to 15 years, and lists these conditions alongside IVDD. Several are managed in registered breeding through DNA testing.

Teeth deserve a mention too. The Royal Veterinary College's VetCompass study of 22,333 UK dogs found smaller breeds at higher risk of dental disease, so a Dachshund benefits from a brushing habit from day one. See our guide to dog dental care. Vaccination and parasite prevention are the same as for any dog; see puppy and kitten vaccinations, and in tick country talk to your vet about a tick prevention product suited to your dog.

Adopting a Dachshund, including one with a back history

Dachshunds and Dachshund crosses turn up regularly across the rescues we aggregate, mostly as young adults and adults. Rescue dogs usually come desexed, microchipped and vaccinated; RSPCA NSW, for example, says its animals are desexed, microchipped, vaccinated and health-checked. The Dachshund Club of NSW also runs a rescue service for older dogs, and the club's site links to Dachshund Rescue Australia, a registered charity that rehomes the breed nationally. A rescue Dachshund rarely comes with back scores, so ask about the dog itself:

• Has the dog had a back episode? Ask for the vet records, the treatment given and the vet's advice for the future.
• How does it move? Foster carers notice reluctance to jump, a hunched posture or a wobble.
• What does it weigh, and what is its ideal weight? An overweight rescue Dachshund is a fixable risk.
• Will it settle in a crate? If it ever needs strict rest, this matters a lot.
• Insurance. Moneysmart notes most insurers exclude pre-existing conditions, so a recorded back episode is unlikely to be covered. Price a policy before any new problem is found.

See the Dachshunds listed right now on our national Dachshund page, or by city: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Open to other small dogs? Browse small dogs in Sydney or Melbourne, and read adopting a dog in Australia. If a new dog leaves you feeling overwhelmed, the puppy blues are common and pass, and a Dachshund left alone a lot may need help with separation anxiety.

Other emergencies worth knowing

• Paralysis ticks: the other common cause of sudden back-leg weakness on the east coast.
• Snake bite in dogs: small, curious dogs are at real risk in the warmer months.
• Cane toads and dogs: the poisoning signs and what vet bodies say to do.
• Dog bloat (GDV): the emergency for large, deep-chested breeds.