How to reduce the risks of IVDD in your Dachshund | UK Edition

Hey I'm Lenny & I am owned by 6 dachshunds and 2 min pins x
In this video I talk about what I've learnt about IVDD including facts, reducing the risks and charities involved.
Here are the two charities mentioned;
/ dedicatedtodachshunds
dachshundbreedcouncil.wordpre...
Here is the Dachshund IVDD website by the breed council that's full of information, far more than I know: www.dachshund-ivdd.uk/
Here are some groups on Facebook to join that have a lot of IVDD survivors and more: / vitaldachshundivdd
/ 888353577938186
Please share & subscribe for future content and comment below any video ideas such as training tips, more about my dachshunds or just more about the breed and I will try my best to cover everyones questions in a video or reply :)
If you check out my first video it offers you lots of information on the breed and have many links in the description which will be super valuable to you if you are looking into getting a dachshund in the UK.
Thanks for watching!

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

Hey guys! Thanks so much for popping by :) This video was so highly requested! I’ve tried my best to cover this topic but I will also be interviewing a few experts in this topic soon for my channel so don’t forget to subscribe! Also if you’d like to view my ‘what I feed my dachshunds’ video to look more at body condition please click here; m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHPCl5dphJ2Zi9k

[@chaerish28]

Hi Lenny. Can you do a video on getting a dachshund to recognize their name? I'm a new dachshund owner. My puppy will be arriving on July 25, 2021.

[@schofield4836]

Wonderful video, Thankyou so much, really informative and clear and concise. Just about to get my first miniature long haired and now I have lots of links and reading and research to do. Brilliant !

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

Thank you Lisa x best of luck

[@cicihernandez5273]

Your content in amazing! Thank you for sharing.

[@dharmacharinipasadanandi7110]

Thank you, Lenny. I am a new subscriber, as of today. This happened to our Doxie. We did all the right things. My five year old short-haired mini, named Twiglet was so toned, slim and muscular that my own vet initially mis- diagnosed his IVDD as a pulled muscle. He was on strict rest, steroids and painkillers for three days until I took him back, because he had started swaying on the back end. That's when he was referred for an MRI and diagnosed with grade 3 disc lesion. He had immediate surgery (in February '21), and is now able to walk but takes most of his weight on his front legs. It broke my heart when it was diagnosed. The vet explained this is so prevalent in the breed that even screening for IVDD is unlikely to be reliable when purchasing a pup. Thank god we had lifetime insurance, his treatment has cost over £7000 so far. Twiglet was always so strong, fast and sassy, a real love of a boy, he still has his sass, but now at a slower pace. :) aw, I love him so much. Thanks for your videos, I've watched four so far, - you tell it like it is, bless you. X

[@alexxxblood7659]

What pet insurance did you have ? Planning to get a mini dachshund real soon

[@dharmacharinipasadanandi7110]

@@alexxxblood7659 hi you need to get a policy that covers for "lifetime". I got Petplan lifetime. There are others out there, too. Some cover for up to £12K, some up to a max of £8K. Also bear in mind the hard work you will have to do when the doggy comes home after surgery, as its you and your family that will do the main rehab, supported by physios and possibly hydrotherapy. I hope all goes well for you.xxxx PS: my dog, Twiglet, had not been neutered. PPS: train your dachshund sofas and beds are for peoples not puppers. If you want him on your lap, sit on the floor, once trained not to jump on and off furniture, you have removed 80pc of the risk at home. Xxx

[@jasminemariedarling]

I let my veterinarian talk me into fixing my dogs young even though I didn't want to and I never fixed my first mini dachshund who lived till 17 without ivdd. Now I'm sad I got them fixed 😢... Great channel, subscribed 👍

[@heidisunshine3326]

Oh my gosh I’m so glad I found this video! I have a 9 month old longhaired girl who we were planning to get fixed in 2 months, I will definitely wait longer. Thank you for sharing this info!

[@SourCandy2007]

Hi thank u so much for your video, its helped me a lot with my mini dachshund. How do you secure your babies in the car? I have a seatbelt which goes round the headrest and set her in her bed on the seat so she can rest and not slide. The seatbelt is attached to her harness but she likes to look out the window so I’m scared when she is up looking around its stressing her back?

[@rikkihadwick3270]

Thank you for this video, I’m getting a dachshund in a few months so doing as much research as possible and I’m finding your videos so helpful. With regards to walking I’ve seen mixed opinions between using a harness and collar, from your experience what do you prefer to use/ is better for their backs? TIA! X

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

Hi Rikki! My personal preference is collars. I think you have better control? Less pressure on their backs and doesn’t encourage them to pull. Xx

[@ZrankFappaH]

@@lennysixdachshunds1069 I’m a little late to this discussion, but I’ve also been doing TONNES of research for my new puppy. I’ve seen numerous comments about a harness being better, and basically saying word for word, what you said about Collars. So much conflicting opinion, I feel like I should just try both. Trial and error and all that?

[@carmelinatodaro5820]

please explain the wobble board. What type and how is it used? thank you so much!

[@powerblockbeast]

Hi Lenny needing some help with the toy you mentioned On 5:01 I didn’t quite understand. Have my first dachshund and just trying to do as much as I can to prevent her from getting this disease.

[@johnkiefer9152]

I neutered my miniature long haired dachshund at 9 months as the vet told me he had reached full maturity being a small dog. I wish I had waited now after seeing your video. Banger is by far the most active and athletic dog I have ever known and I constantly worry about him. He enjoys much off leash exercise and a lot of walks with me as a dog walker/pet sitter and loves swimming. My standard smooth coated dachshund does not have near his energy and was neutered much later in life when I adopted him through rescue. His name is Oscar. Both are lean and on a raw diet. Can you explain how coat length can influence the prevalence of IVDD? I don't know which dachshund I should worry about more.

[@justicegusting2476]

I have a mixed terrier, 12 lb., long bodied, female, spayed at early puppy age by the shelter by the name of Libby. She will be 8 years old in Dec. She shows no signs of IVDD, but, having stumbled across this information, it looks like it’s something I should watch for. The best insurance I can find would cost $189 per month. As Libby ages, I will definitely be taking more precautions. Are there any nutritional supplements that would help keep the disc material supple and resist hardening? Do you think that costly insurance will pay-off in the long run? Thank you for your intelligent video and your pulchritudinous countenance.

[@iristang4808]

Great video Lenny! Do you have a link for the wobble board for dogs? Or can a human exercise one do for mini daxies? X

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

A human one will do too :) x

[@raemarie615]

How do you use a wobble board with your dog ?

[@jobenson5850]

Great video 😊Can you recommend the best place to get a ramp from please? Thank you x

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

My ramps are from Alphapaw who ship internationally. I honestly love them, but they aren’t the cheapest. I’ve had them several years now though and still going strong 🤣 although could do with a hoover as you can see in the video LOL x

[@VIC-x6r]

Great video and super helpful will definitely look into getting a ramp. I would love to know recommendations for which insurance companies to use? Like are there a couple that a lot of UK Dachshund owners tend to go for?

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

The most recommended I see is bought by many and petplan, but I definitely don’t see any harm in shopping around. Never be afraid to call insurance companies and ask questions about their policies. I did last time 💜❤️

[@RogerMooreFan1]

I've been looking into Trupanion. They cover IVDD as long as they weren't diagnosed before you got the insurance or within the 30 day period before they cover things. They don't cover routine checkups. vaccines etc. but most pet insurance doesn't cover those things anyway. They also have a one lifetime illness deductible, which means if they're diagnosed with something you only have to pay the deductible one time for the life of your pet and they'll cover their treatment etc. for it. They also automatically cover 90% of costs for illnesses etc. They cover hydrotherapy and many other things in extra plans for around $5.50.

[@kathleenregul8912]

I am looking at Pumpkin pet insurance for 2 Frenchies I'm getting. They will cover 90% and I'm getting the 20K option for each dog.

[@andyuxd]

Great info. My dog Alfie has recently come out of surgery for IVDD. It was sudden and progressed in 12 hours from wobbly to unable to walk at all. I got him emergency surgery within 24 hours and thankfully (at grade 3/5) he has a good chance of a very good recovery in 2+ months. He’s in week 3 and can walk when I hold his tail for support (surgeon’s advice) three times a day. Many great physio exercises you can do when having a cuddle or even while they eat! One question I have is what happens now re insurance. Kennel club covered the £7K bill but is that it now? Any way an insurance company would cover me again? Most say no more existing conditions so I guess if it happens again I am paying (I would because he’s worth every penny!) Thanks 🙏🏻

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

It depends if you have life time insurance Andy! Usually if you keep the same policy now they will cover you again. Depending on your policy. Was the £7000 per condition or lifetime? Have a look into the policy details :)

[@niharikaprasad8349]

I'm planning to get a doxie, is there any way I can find out if they are at a risk of IVDD when I first get the pup?? And can I let them run or is it okay if they slightly jump when they see me like how other breeds do??

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

Unfortunately not - the parents can’t be IVDD screened in the UK. But this is all very new x

[@laura-4146]

Lenny, love love love your videos🥰 A question; I bring home my puppy at the end of March, and I want to sort out the absolute best insurance - do you have any recommendations? Xxx

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

Hey!!!! Well we use the 10K lifetime cover from bought by many! I always recommend getting at least 10K lifetime wherever you go x

[@laura-4146]

@@lennysixdachshunds1069 thank you so much! Honestly I can’t even tell you how much your videos have helped me - I’ve watched them all about fifty times through haha! You’re just so lovely too, and I can’t wait to see your future videos🥰

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

Thanks so much Laura!! ❤️❤️

[@cheriephilp8584]

Hi Lenny. Great video, thank you! What age did you start allowing your dachshunds to use the stairs? We have read a study stating that dachshunds that were allowed to use stairs actually happened to have less rates of IVDD than Dachshunds that's weren't allowed to do so. We are in the process of looking at ramps for our 14 week old puppy (we have stairs going out to the back yard) and were wondering how long we'd need to use the ramps for. Thanks so much, your channel is a go-to for all our Dachshund advice! 😁

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

I just let them use them when they’re tried too but I didn’t let them go down stairs until around 8 months ish I think :) but going up whenever they worked it out 🤪

[@cheriephilp8584]

Thank you 😊

[@voodooer92]

What is the process of waiting until 2 to fix a female dog? I’ve never waited that long so would they go into heat and what do I do about that? I live in an area where we may need to board her at times for travel, and they may require a dog to be fixed. But maybe it is worth it if it significantly reduces risk of IVDD.

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

I personally would find a dog sitter that will allow non neutered and when in season get family or friends to watch her until 2 x

[@cathybrowning4502]

Thanks for the videos, they are always really useful. I was unaware of the research about IVDD and neutering. The advice I was given by my vet was to get her spayed 6 months after her first season, which I did. I’m now feeling I should have been given different advice specific the breed, as then I would have waited, rather annoyed!!

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

Unfortunately vets can’t know the best advice for all species and breeds so often let people down with their advice. Always best to do your own breed research, but honestly this is such a common mistake by the vets. You’ve done your best .

[@painbow6528]

We lost two of our dashies to IVDD. They both had grade 5 and the first had surgery while the second didn't because we were told it was only 50/50. I'm starting to wonder if it would have been better (or possible) to simply avoid the surgery altogether and let them run around with wheels or something. But would they be in any pain? Is this even an option? Does anyone know?

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

It totally depends! Some do opt for crate rest conservative treatment, but usually that required quite heavy pain medications and you also have to help them urinate etc. But each dog copes differently x

[@lhapsody7072]

Hi Lenny, what height do you consider the limit for them to jump down from? Thank you.

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

I would say a low bed or sofa is fine but shouldn’t be encouraged. Hope that makes sense :) although mine pick and choose what they think is ok 😂

[@treborkciddur]

Great video. I am a very small sized breeder, with 5 Doxies, all long-haired. Recent DNA testing has shown that my 2 males have IVVD signs. One is 10 months, and the other is 3 years (fixed recently). Is it permissible to breed these babies to non-IVDD females? Do I inform prospective buyers? What percentage of Doxies has this condition? hank you so much for your input.

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

Sadly it would mean neither are suitable for stud.

[@barbaracotti6417]

I cannot find your information on biting is there a possibility that you could publish it again, he is a baby but I don't know how to stop him he thinks he is playing I have tried to make noise and raise my voice I have teething toys. I have not seen this in my other minis, l now am trying a water spray bottle and I say NO it seems to slow him down, he is a very sweet little guy but when he gets into this frenzy he is hurt full and he draws blood,

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

Please don’t ever use water Barbara. You’re not teaching what not to do or what to do you’re punishing for normal behaviour x will link the video here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6bSh4V6Zsxggck

[@chuckjen8]

Do you find any issues with your boy dogs marking? Here in the USA it’s very common to neuter at 4-6 months but I’m very interested in this new info :)

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

No scent marking at all here xx

[@chuckjen8]

@@lennysixdachshunds1069 That’s encouraging news. I think I will hold off and wait until he’s over 18 months then😊

[@dunjaschipperus3857]

Ohhh I'm a littele bit shocked by this story Can you perhaps also tell something or how you can best handle the dachshund? (lift) My English is not perfect I hope you know what I mean

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

Hi Dunja! Great idea. I will do a video on how to pick up a dachshund :)

[@julies.3147]

Do you suggest that we hold off on spaying the females as well. Or is it just neutering the male dogs that we should wait on. Sorry if that seems like a dumb question.

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

Both! Neutering as a term refers to both genders. Spaying is female only. Confusing I know 🤣

[@julies.3147]

@@lennysixdachshunds1069 Thank you. I figured it probably meant both, but I appreciate the response. 🙂

[@plainkady]

Can you recommend some insurance policies?

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

We use bought by many in the uk :)

[@plainkady]

@@lennysixdachshunds1069 Thanks Lenny, I will check it out! I was looking for a wobble board and there are many types. I have a standard black short hair who is nearly 12 months old. What sort of board would be good for his training? I saw flat, rounded, rubber, wood, various textures, dimensions. What would work best?

[@errolazaredo1755]

Will I face any problems with the puppies ....since they are inbred. And this is the 4th time the mother is giving birth

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

If they’re inbred ie a son and mother or siblings then yes you will face problems with their health

[@errolazaredo1755]

@@lennysixdachshunds1069 thank you so much Lenny .......do you recommend me taking any precautions that I can do ??

[@erica04901]

my poor baby weiner boy just hurt his back so badly he's 15

[@niamhnidhalaigh5861]

You shouldn't let them go up and down the stairs 😬

[@lennysixdachshunds1069]

That isn’t true. Statistical research shows no correlation to stairs and IVDD increase. If anything the stats show they those allowed to use stairs had less chance of IVDD.