IVDD in Dachshunds: Understanding the Risk and Protecting Your Dog's Back

Seek emergency veterinary care immediately if your dachshund experiences:

• Sudden inability to stand or walk

• Partial or complete paralysis

• Loss of bladder control

• Loss of bowel control

• Signs of severe or uncontrollable pain

These symptoms can indicate significant spinal cord compression and may require urgent treatment. The longer treatment is delayed the more the likelihood of permanent nerve damage, so prompt assessment is critical in these cases.

For more information about the condition, visit our general IVDD page, and if your pet is acutely affected, see our  Pet Emergency  resource immediately.

While IVDD cannot be prevented entirely, good lifestyle management can help reduce avoidable strain on your dachshund's spine, support overall musculoskeletal health and lessen symptoms should IVDD develop.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Weight management is one of the most important things dachshund owners can control. Excess body weight increases the load placed on the spine and joints, potentially worsening stress on already vulnerable intervertebral discs, especially with the long body shape of the dachshund.

Feed measured portions rather than free-feeding, avoid excessive treats, and regularly monitor your dog's body condition score. If you are unsure whether your Dachshund is at an ideal weight, your veterinarian can provide tailored guidance.

Limit Jumping and Stair Use

Repeated jumping on and off furniture can place considerable pressure on the spine. While no owner can eliminate every jump, reducing repetitive high-impact activities is generally beneficial.

Pet ramps and steps are simple, cost-effective tools that allow dachshunds to access sofas, beds, and vehicles with less spinal stress. Limiting unnecessary stair use may also help minimise repeated strain over time.

Use a Harness Instead of a Collar

A properly fitted harness distributes pressure across the chest and shoulders rather than concentrating force around the neck. This can be particularly helpful for dogs that pull on lead walks, reducing sudden strain on the neck and upper spine, while providing owners with better control.

Prioritise Regular Low-Impact Exercise

Exercise remains important for maintaining muscle strength, weight control, and overall health.

Consistent, controlled activity is generally preferable to infrequent bursts of intense exercise. Daily walks, gentle play sessions, and supervised activities help maintain core and back muscle strength, which supports the spine, while avoiding unnecessary high-impact movements.

Avoid difficult terrain like loose beach sand, as this puts extra strain on knees and backs. If swimming for exercise, using an inflatable vest will help lessen the effort required for them to keep afloat.

Improve Traction at Home

Slippery flooring can increase the risk of slips, falls, and awkward movements that place stress on the spine.

Consider placing rugs, runners, or non-slip mats in high-traffic areas, particularly where your dachshund frequently turns corners, jumps down, or transitions between rooms.

Additional suggestions

Learn the correct techniques to lift your dachshund that puts the least strain on their spine. Supporting under their chest and abdomen, keeping their backs level as possible with your lifting technique and not letting young children carry them.

Introducing crate training early can be very beneficial. Should your Dachshund develop IVDD they will need to be strictly rested and pre-training them to be content resting in a crate will make having them rest during recovery far easier and less stressful for them.

An Important Caveat

Even with excellent management, IVDD cannot be completely prevented because genetics play a significant role in the condition. These recommendations are intended to reduce risk and support spinal health, but they cannot guarantee that a Dachshund will never develop IVDD.

If you suspect your Dachshund may be experiencing back pain or signs of IVDD, restrict activity immediately. Prevent running, jumping, playing, or stair use, and confine your dog to a crate, pen, or small area where movement can be minimised. Continuing normal activity may worsen spinal cord compression and increase the severity of injury.

Do not adopt a "wait and see" approach if symptoms are more than mild stiffness or temporary soreness.

Contact your veterinarian the same day, ideally as soon as you identify a problem, if you notice:

• Back or neck pain

• Reluctance to move

• Difficulty walking

• Weakness in the limbs

• Changes in gait, such as unsteadiness or knuckling/scuffing of paws

Seek emergency veterinary care immediately if your dog loses function in one or more legs, becomes unable to walk, has weakness/unsteadiness, develops loss of bladder or bowel control or shows signs of significant pain.

Prompt assessment is often critical to achieving the best possible outcome.

There isn’t one standard treatment protocol for every dog with IVDD. Your dog’s individualized treatment plan will depend on factors such as where the affected disc is, if there are more than one disc affected, how severe the symptoms are, and whether your dog has compromised nerve function.

Milder cases may be managed conservatively with treatments such as strict exercise restriction or crate rest and pain relief/ anti-inflammatory medication.

More severe cases, particularly those involving weakness, paralysis, or progressive neurological decline, may require surgery to relieve pressure on the spinal cord.

Recovery times and outcomes vary depending on the severity of the injury and how quickly treatment is started. For a detailed guide to IVDD grading, treatment options, rehabilitation, and expected recovery, see our dedicated IVDD in Dogs page.

Managing IVDD risk is best viewed as a lifelong commitment rather than a one-time intervention.

Maintaining a healthy weight, providing appropriate exercise, using ramps where practical, and avoiding unnecessary high-impact activities should become part of your dog's normal routine. Small daily habits often provide the greatest long-term benefit.

Pet insurance is also worth considering. Because IVDD is relatively common in Dachshunds and spinal surgery can be costly, insurance may help reduce financial stress if treatment becomes necessary in the future. Having a personal pet savings account in case of emergency is another option to be financially prepared.

Regular veterinary check-ups can help identify weight gain, mobility changes, and other factors that may affect spinal health over time.

Can IVDD in Dachshunds be prevented completely?

No. IVDD cannot be prevented completely because Dachshunds have a strong genetic predisposition to early disc degeneration. Keeping your dog lean and fit, reducing repetitive jumping and other high-impact activity, and improving traction at home may reduce avoidable strain, but they cannot guarantee prevention.

At what age are Dachshunds most at risk of IVDD?

Disc degeneration can begin early, but clinical IVDD is most often seen in young to middle-aged Dachshunds, commonly between 3–8 years of age. It can occur earlier or later, so owners should remain alert to signs of back pain or reduced mobility throughout their dog’s life.

Is IVDD surgery in Dachshunds usually successful?

Often, yes—especially when surgery is performed promptly and the dog still has good pain sensation and some neurological function. However, the prognosis depends on the severity of the IVDD and duration of spinal cord injury before surgery is performed. If severe or delayed there may be permanent nerve function damage, of varying degrees. Surgery cannot prevent another disc from herniating later. Your veterinary specialist can provide the most accurate outlook after examination and imaging.

Should I avoid stairs with my Dachshund altogether?

Not necessarily for every healthy Dachshund, but repeated rushing, jumping or uncontrolled stair use should be discouraged. Use gates or carry your dog when practical, provide a ramp where suitable, and prioritise controlled activity that keeps them lean and well-muscled. If your dachshund has pain, weakness, a previous IVDD episode or is recovering, follow your veterinarian’s stricter activity advice.

Dachshunds have a well-recognised genetic predisposition to IVDD, but this does not mean spinal problems are inevitable. Maintaining a healthy weight, encouraging safe daily exercise, reducing jumping, and making simple modifications around the home can all help support your dog's spinal health. Most importantly, learn to recognise the early signs of IVDD and seek veterinary attention promptly if concerns arise. If your dachshund develops sudden pain, weakness, or mobility changes, contact AREN immediately for urgent assessment and advice.

References

1. Packer RMA, Seath IJ, O’Neill DG, De Decker S, Volk HA. DachsLife 2015: an investigation of lifestyle associations with the risk of intervertebral disc disease in Dachshunds. Canine Genetics and Epidemiology. 2016;3:8.
2. IVDD scheme for Dachshunds. The Royal Kennel Club.
3. Reduce the risk. Dachshund IVDD Support Australia.

You can read more of our specialist veterinary news and stories here.

For referring vets, please use our online referral form to submit a case enquiry.