All of the information that we have shared below has been founded by Dachshund Health UK who focues a lot of time and research on IVDD/back problems for the breed. Their page can be found at this link below in case you'd like to look further into to IVDD! Click Here to be directed to their page

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How common is it for a Dachshund to be diagnosised with IVDD or other back problems?: Studies have shown that, typically, 1 in 4 Dachshunds will suffer some degree of back disease during their lifetime. This figure is about 10-12 times higher than would be expected in the general population of dogs.

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Does using ramps help prevent back problems?: A survery that was done in the UK showed Dachshunds over the age of 3 that were allowed to jump on and off furniture every day, they had lower odds of IVDD than those not allowed to do this. Dachshunds over the age of 3 that were allowed to go up/down a flight of stairs every day also had lower odds of IVDD than those not allowed to use stairs. A dog in good body condition, that is well-muscled, should be capable of tolerating the normal activities of day-to-day living.

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Does Spay/Neuter increase the risk of back problems?: The results of the DachsLife 2015 survey showed that the odds of a fixed Dachshund suffering IVDD over the age of 3 is nearly double (1.8x) that of an intact Dachshund.  Neutering/Spaying under the age of 12 months has higher odds of IVDD than fixing over the age of 1. Because Dachshunds are predisposed to IVDD, it is particularly important that the growth hormones have time to do their vital work on the skeletal frame, ligaments and muscles. As a breed, Dachshunds have a relatively low risk of cancers and tumours compared with many other breeds, so the argument for neutering to avoid these health issues is weak 

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Are harness' better for walking your Dachshund than a collar/leash?: In a survey, they looked at dogs over the age of 3 that were exercised wearing harnesses were 2.3 times more likely to have suffered an IVDD incident than those exercised in collars. 90-95% of all Dachshund disc herniations occur in the middle to lower back, not in the neck. It, therefore, seems unlikely that walking a Dachshund in a collar increases its risk of back problems. ​

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Lifestyle Advice:

• Keep your Dachshund fit, not fat

• Adopt a mixed regime of on and off-lead exercise

• Increase the amount of exercise you give your Dachshund as it grows from puppy to adult

• Feed a well-balanced diet, appropriate to your Dachshund's life-stage 

• Ask your vet to check if your Dachshund has an ideal Body Condition Score

• Allow your Dachshund to mature fully before considering neutering (unless there is a strong health reason to do this before 12 months)