Further analysis of our DachsLife 2015 Lifestyle Survey

Post date: May 26, 2015 4:38:34 PM

Here are some more findings from our survey:

  • Dogs over the age of 3 that were highly or moderately active were half as likely to have suffered an IVDD incident as dogs described as mildly or not at all active. This could either be a genuine effect of fitter dogs being less prone to IVDD, or affected dogs are now leading less active lives.

  • Dachshunds over the age of 3 that were only exercised by being given daily free running/playing in the garden were 1.8 times more likely to suffer IVDD than dogs that were taken for walks on and off the lead as well. This was statistically significant.

  • Dachshunds over the age of 3 that were allowed to go up/down a flight of stairs every day had a lower risk of IVDD than those not allowed to use stairs (Odds Ratio = 0.4). This was statistically significant.

  • Dachshunds over the age of 3 that were allowed to jump on and off furniture every day had a lower risk of IVDD than those not allowed to do this (Odds Ratio = 0.3). This was statistically significant.

  • Dogs over the age of 3 were 1.4 times more likely to have suffered IVDD if they had had more than 5 minutes exercise per month as a puppy than dogs that had received less than 5 minutes/month. However, the difference was not statistically significant.

  • Of 342 Dachshunds with a reported back problem, 50 (15%) of owners were aware of a family history of IVDD.

    • Living with 2 or more other Dachshunds: IVDD Odds Ratio 0.56 compared with single Dachshunds (Statistically significant)

    • Living with other non-Dachshunds: IVDD Odds Ratio 0.61 compared with single Dachshunds (Statistically significant)

    • 4 in 10 Dachshunds over the age of 3 were fed a Complete Diet and a further 1 in 4 were fed a combination of Complete/ Wet. There was no statistically significant difference in IVDD rates between any of the diets.

    • Overall, for dogs over the age of 3, the risk of IVDD was no different between dogs receiving supplements and those not.

    • Dogs whose diets were supplemented with Glucosamine and Chondroitin were nearly twice as likely to have had an IVDD incident. This is possibly a reflection of the fact that owners give supplements to dogs that have already had an IVDD incident.

    • Dogs whose diets were supplemented with Cod Liver Oil were half as likely to have had an IVDD incident.