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It is extremely important to keep a Dachshund from getting
fat, not only for the usual reasons of general good health
but also because their long back is susceptible to slipped or
ruptured (herniated) disks through the additional strain
placed on their spinal cord. This can result in partial or full
paralysis but is often treatable through a variety of methods.
Fortunately, a full recovery is likely if the problem is dealt
with promptly (as soon as there's any evidence at all that the
dog is having neck or back pain). In addition, to reduce the
chance of disc problems, it is important to make sure a
dachshund does not do things that put additional stress on
his back, like jumping off furniture or running down stairs.
This is not to suggest that you can completely avoid such
things all the time (after all, dogs will be dogs) but you can
take steps to minimize how often they occur. For example,
if you allow your dachshund access to the sofa or bed, it
would be a good idea to get a ramp and teach him to use it
when he is young; using a ramp to get on and off furniture,
rather than jumping, reduces the shock on their discs that
jumping can cause. Also, you should be careful, when
holding a dachshund, to keep his back horizontal. Holding
him like a football, with his rear quarters tucked under your
arm, and your hands supporting his chest usually keeps the
back in the horizontal position, thus reducing stress on the
back. Don’t interpret this to mean that dachshunds are
fragile dogs - they're not (after all, they were bred for
hunting). It’s just that an ounce of prevention goes a long
way. And if you accidentally hold one the wrong way, it's not
like he will immediately develop back problems, either but
you might as well take reasonable precautions.
fat, not only for the usual reasons of general good health
but also because their long back is susceptible to slipped or
ruptured (herniated) disks through the additional strain
placed on their spinal cord. This can result in partial or full
paralysis but is often treatable through a variety of methods.
Fortunately, a full recovery is likely if the problem is dealt
with promptly (as soon as there's any evidence at all that the
dog is having neck or back pain). In addition, to reduce the
chance of disc problems, it is important to make sure a
dachshund does not do things that put additional stress on
his back, like jumping off furniture or running down stairs.
This is not to suggest that you can completely avoid such
things all the time (after all, dogs will be dogs) but you can
take steps to minimize how often they occur. For example,
if you allow your dachshund access to the sofa or bed, it
would be a good idea to get a ramp and teach him to use it
when he is young; using a ramp to get on and off furniture,
rather than jumping, reduces the shock on their discs that
jumping can cause. Also, you should be careful, when
holding a dachshund, to keep his back horizontal. Holding
him like a football, with his rear quarters tucked under your
arm, and your hands supporting his chest usually keeps the
back in the horizontal position, thus reducing stress on the
back. Don’t interpret this to mean that dachshunds are
fragile dogs - they're not (after all, they were bred for
hunting). It’s just that an ounce of prevention goes a long
way. And if you accidentally hold one the wrong way, it's not
like he will immediately develop back problems, either but
you might as well take reasonable precautions.