If you spend any time at all at DachsieHaven the one thing you will notice is that we have our share of special needs wieners. With their stubby little legs dachshunds are known for their susceptibility to spinal issues. Most commonly this is from a condition known as Intervertebral Disk Disease — IVDD for short.
The whys and wherefores of IVDD are long and complicated. Some of the components are genetic, some are environmental and some are just sheer luck. What isn’t always obvious is who has it and who doesn’t. Many who go down with IVDD go on to recover full use of their legs. And if they don’t….well there are always wheels to transform them into little hot rod hot dogs.
The picture above features not one but three dogs with IVDD. Only Giggles to the far left has never had a bout. Both Angel (far right) and Reggie (second from the right) have been down in the rear. Angel had a mild case when she was just two and Reggie had three known bouts between the ages of three and eleven. In future posts I will go into more detail but lets just say life with IVDD is an adventure.