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.