Why it is that we are now seeing an explosion of IVDD, particularly over recent times? As we already know, IVDD has a strong genetic (chondrodystrophy short-legs) and heritable (runs in families) aspect. The fact that Dachshunds are a short-legged breed remains the...
The two most common locations of IVDD are thoracolumbar (mid-spine) and cervical (neck). Dogs with spinal IVDD usually have neurological dysfunction (weakness, inability to walk, etc.) and pain. Cervical IVDD in dachshunds refers to intervertebral disc disease in the...
Disorders of the somatosensory* system such as neuropathic pain commonly result from an injury or disease (eg IVDD) relating to the body’s nerves and how they function, or within the spinal cord itself. The assessment of neuropathic pain in humans relies heavily...
What is it about being a volunteer Admin on a support group? It can’t be the pay. Well, there is a payoff. It comes with helping and guiding those owners that land in our group, often confused and frightened, overwhelmed by the experience of their hound being...
Over the years as IVDD has become prevalent throughout the Dachshund community, a clinical grading scale eg: 1 -5 has proven to be useful in working out the dog’s prognosis (how likely they are to get better) and can also make it easier to record any improvement or...
We often mention on our Support Forum that IVDD is for a lifetime, once a diseased spine always a diseased spine and while many IVDD dachshunds recover well in time, there is a significant risk of permanent damage so severe it is life-changing or threatening. Living...
Keeping nails at a safe length Most Dachshunds get away with long nails because they are too smart for their own good! They fool their owners into thinking that nail clipping or dremeling is devil torture. Don’t let the little darlings fool you, when you hear...
A no-no for dogs and a BIG NO NO for IVDD hounds! Our hounds can be ticking time bombs when it comes to the health of their spines. Statistics tell us that 1:4 will be affected during their lifetime, some worse than others. As an owner, it’s important to...
Meet Audree-RoseA little girl who has never said never. Audree-Rose is a 6.5-year-old pedigree long-hair silver dapple. When she was 12 months old she had bilateral Pes Varus surgery. This surgery was to correct her gait as she was quite bow-legged with a degree of...
We often talk about living a new normal following IVDD and bubble wrapping our fur kids for fear of further episodes. Maggie is a Grade 5 IVDD survivor and it’s now 3.5 years since surgery (September 2018). She doesn’t jump up anymore (with those little front...
Make yourself a cuppa and watch this YouTube presentation, a must for all IVDD Dachshund owners. Sam Khan, Bruno Scalia and Viviana Rojas from the University of Cambridge Vet School explain what IVDD is and how to care for a recovering dog. The team from Cambridge Vet...
When treating both conservatively and surgically, physiotherapy & associated modalities play a vital part in the treatment & recovery of dogs with spinal cord disease, but before I go any further, I need to explain why I have come to this conclusion and why I...
