Can you prevent IVDD?

[poohbearsmom]

My daughter has a Dachshund.
She is around 2 now and doing great (the Dachshund - not my daughter ).
I know this forum deals mostly with what to do after IVDD.
Are there any things that you can do to prevent IVDD?
I've read that Dachshunds should not do steps or any jumping.
Pick them up with both hands - supporting the spine.
Keep them at a healthy weight (that's a difficult one).
I've also heard the opposite - that they need to do some of those things to keep the muscles strong that support the spine.
Are there any supplements or exercises that help delay or prevent IVDD?

[Christine]

Never having had to deal with this, but reading so many stories here, I always take a deep breath when I see a doxie owner who encourages their pup to jump up on the couch or bed with them. Once they start that, it is difficult to make the dog understand that they should not. From an "outsiders" viewpoint, it would seem that this is the most important preventative followed by keeping their weight at a healthy range.

I think we all give our dogs our preferences and feel bad when we don't share our food or give them a treat for every little thing. (Used to be guilty of that too until I learned what table scraps can do to a dog's system.) I have discovered that my dogs enjoy anything that I hand them to eat - even if it is a piece of their kibble. Many dogs love carrots, green beans, etc., so you can still give them "treats" with the loving intention, but not the calories.

Here is an article I found about IVDD with some preventative information: http://neuro.vetmed.ufl.edu/neuro/AltMe ... AltMed.htm

Good for you thinking ahead to help them protect their little buddy. Hanging around here does that to us, doesn't it?

[Bobbie]

You probably cannot prevent it but being overweight could increase the damage when the disk rupture occurs.

I am not sure why you think weight control is difficult. You feed the dog, you control it's weight.

Jumping doesn't cause IVDD, at least, not the kind corgis and dachshunds get. Neither do stairs. The actual rupture sometimes occurs when a dog jumps but it isn't the underlying cause. My dog Candy had his when he was walking across the living room carpet. He was not at all overweight, was in top condition, and had immediate surgery, none of which helped and he has been paraplegic for 7 1/2 years.

Having said that, I still would try to event jumping off of things as it does not help the dog's shoulders, regardless of whether it contributes to IVDD. Teaching your dog to wait to be lifted or to use a ramp is a good idea.

Someday there may be a genetic test to determine susceptibility but right now there is none.

[Christine]

It never ceases to amaze me that I learn something new everyday here. I had no idea that IVDD could happen so easily. I always thought it was caused by the jumping or twisting the wrong way, but if you think about it, human's have thrown their backs out doing something as simple as blow drying their hair or brushing their teeth. I hope they do come up with more research and answers to enable prevention.

[poohbearsmom]

Thank-you for the advice.
While my dog of choice is the Labrador Retriever - my Grand dog (Dachshund) has been raised with the Labs since a pup.
I really do believe she thinks she's a Lab.
Like the Labs - she will over eat if given the chance and being only 10 lbs - just a few treats add up fast.
I keep my Labs lean and encourage my daughter to do the same for her Dachshund.
My Grand dog is very cute - smart and rather spoiled.
We will just have to make sure she gets spoiled with more toys and walks to the park and not treats so she keeps her slim & trim figure.

[Bobbie]

The disk degenerates spontaneously, and then you have a rupture waiting to happen. Often it happens when the dog jumps, but if not then it would have been something else.

Here is a blog entry by a Cardigan breeder who attended a lecture at their specialty. Be sure to read the comments as there is much more information there.

http://c-myste.com/2011/04/cwcca-health-seminar-ivdd/

[poohbearsmom]

I read the following with interest:

The Doctor specifically said that Glucosamine supplements do nothing for IVDD, nor do any other supplements. Supplements or drugs that work on soft tissue or on joint membranes have nothing that will do anything for degenerating bone in discs.

I know that we all want to be able to “do something” so that our dogs won’t suffer this fate. From the information in the seminar it doesn’t really sound like there is much to do. There are no supplements, there are no pre-rupture surgical solutions, the weight and condition of the dog doesn’t matter, nor does its activity level.

I will continue to use steps/ramps, but that is even more important for joint and growth-plate protection than it is for their backs.

Doesn't sound like there's anything you can really do to prevent it.
But an over weight dog is never a good thing IMO no matter what the breed.

[Bobbie]

Healthy weight won't prevent it but a recent study showed extent of damage was worse for longer and heavier dog's, and he said in that talk recovery was faster for dog's in good condition, also.

[kristenv]

I wish there was something conclusive in regards to supplementation.
Another suggestion that was made to me was to keep your dog active with at least a daily walk. Walking is great for a dog and not only helps to keep weight down but also keeps the muscles that support the spine strong.
I have heard some positives about the ablation procedure as a preventative as well, but don't have personal experience with that.

Take Care!