Unpacking Dachshund Health: Vital insights for Breeders and Owners from the latest UK study!

Hello, fellow Dachshund enthusiasts! At Dachshund Health UK, we're dedicated to improving the health and welfare of our beloved breed. We're thrilled to share the comprehensive findings from our latest analysis, drawing on over 1,150 owner-reported survey records collected since 2009. We are grateful to Leeds University student Ansh Shah for carrying out this analysis as part of his dissertation. This study offers useful insights into Dachshund health, longevity, and behaviour, providing a roadmap for focused action. Let's dive into what these results mean for you and your cherished companions!

The Dominant Health Concerns: what's keeping our Dachshunds from living their best lives?

Our analysis reveals that certain health issues consistently pose the greatest threats to Dachshund health.

• Spinal issues, particularly Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD), remain the biggest concern. This condition, along with cancer and gastrointestinal diseases, often exhibits a low median age of diagnosis and death, indicating rapidly progressing conditions. There have been significant increases in reports for spinal, cardiac, musculoskeletal, and gastrointestinal conditions over the 16-year study period. While a post-2019 decline in spinal reports might suggest early success from IVDD awareness initiatives, it’s crucial to sustain these efforts.

• Cancer and cardiac issues are also major players, following spinal problems closely in prevalence. Standard Wire, Standard Smooth, and Standard Long Dachshunds showed significantly higher cardiac condition rates compared with the other varieties.

• Female reproductive disease emerged as the strongest predictor of mortality. Other conditions significantly increasing the risk of death include immune-mediated diseases and musculoskeletal diseases.

• Interestingly, Lafora’s disease reports have been decreasing over the past decade, shifting our focus to spinal, cardiac, and female reproductive conditions as top priorities.

Variety-Specific Risks and Lifespans: Are all Dachshunds equal in health?

The study highlights significant differences in health and longevity across Dachshund varieties:

• The Miniature Smooth Dachshund is identified as the highest-risk variety, consistently showing the lowest median age of death (7.3 years) and the earliest age of diagnosis (4.9 years) for fatal diseases. They also showed higher reporting rates for spinal issues and a significantly increased risk of death. This reinforces the urgent need for variety-targeted health initiatives, especially for Miniature Smooths.

• In contrast, Miniature Wire and Standard Long Dachshunds tend to live the longest, with median lifespans of 10.9 and 10.4 years respectively, and later disease onset (7.5 and 8.1 years). Miniature Wire Dachshunds also showed a reduced risk of death and lower rates of musculo-skeletal issues.

The Power of Responsible Breeding: A path to healthier, happier dogs

One of the most interesting findings is the protective role of breeding status:

• Bred Dachshunds live significantly longer (a median of 10.0 years) compared to non-bred dogs (8.7 years). They are also diagnosed with diseases later in life (7.8 vs. 5.5 years) and consistently demonstrate modestly higher survival probabilities. This translates to a significantly reduced risk of death for bred dogs.

• This suggests that selective breeding practices may be protective, potentially due to more stringent health screening in breeding lines. We encourage the continued support for responsible breeding programmes and the dissemination of best practices.

Sex Matters: Subtle but important differences

The study also uncovered sex-based differences:

• Male Dachshunds showed a significantly higher risk of death and they also tend to have slightly shorter lifespans (8.8 vs. 9.4 years) and earlier health condition diagnosis ages (5.9 vs. 6.4 years) than bitches.

• Conversely, bitches have slightly longer lifespans and later diagnosis ages. However, female reproductive disease is a strong predictor of mortality.

Behaviour and Temperament: Beyond physical health

The study also delved into temperament, identifying four key factors: sociability, anxiety, aggression, and training-related behaviours.

• Sociability was found to be higher in Miniature Smooth Dachshunds and males, with bred dogs also significantly more sociable.

• Anxiety profiles were generally lower in bred dogs and females.

• Training-related behaviours were significantly more favourable in bred dogs, highlighting the potential welfare benefits of responsible selective breeding beyond just physical health.

• Crucially, these behavioural traits are largely independent of health condition risks, suggesting they are shaped more by genetic, demographic, and breeding-related factors. DHUK can use these findings to develop educational resources for owners on managing variety-linked behavioural risks.

Your Role: What you can do!

These findings offer clear directions for Dachshund owners and breeders alike:

1. Prioritise Miniature Smooth Dachshunds for IVDD screening.

2. Champion responsible breeding programmes to improve overall health, longevity, and temperament.

3. Focus health campaigns and owner awareness on spinal, cardiac, and female reproductive diseases.

4. Report your Dachshund's health and any causes of death to Dachshund Health UK. Your anonymised data is vital for our ongoing research and health plans.

By working together, breeders and owners can significantly improve the lives of Dachshunds across the UK. Thank you for being a part of this vital effort!