IVDD

Intervertebral Disc Disease, or IVDD, is a very common condition that over 25% of dachshunds develop due to their short legs. 95% of dachshunds, according to EMBARK, have one or more copies of the gene associated with IVDD. Similar conditions are common in many short-legged breeds, such as Degenerative Myelopathy, or DM, in corgis. While IVDD can be inherited, it can also be caused by spinal injuries or spinal stress, and sometimes can be caused or worsened by spaying or nuetering. IVDD can be caused by something as simple as falling down or playing too roughly. IVDD may cause your dog's spine and hips to fail, causing paralysis or even death. In order to prevent these spinal issues, it is recommended to feed your dachshunds occasional Beef Trachea to provide them with natural glucosamine and chondroitin. Healthy exercise starting from a young age is also incredibly important to build your dog's back muscles which will help their spine. It is also important to remember that your dachshund is a small and fragile breed. Picking them up the wrong way or roughhousing too roughly with them may damage their spine. It is recommended to limit your dachshund's activity levels. Do not let them jump onto the bed or couch, for example, and instead pick them up gently to place them. Jumping and running at full speed can damage your dachshund's spine and trigger IVDD. Be wary of their long spines when playing, exercising, and picking them up. When going on walks, it may be best to use a harness rather than a collar, which can help support their spines.

While there are some genetic tests, such as the ones that EMBARK offers, that can determine if your dachshund has genes associated with IVDD, these tests are not accurate at predicting whether or not your dog will be affected by IVDD. A dog that tests positive for IVDD may never experience any issues related to it, while a dog that tests negative for IVDD may still develop it. Even if your dachshund's parents developed severe cases of IVDD, this does not mean that your dachshund will be affected by it. Therefore, IVDD is very difficult to test for and impossible to predict- but it is not always impossible to prevent. It is very important to consider your dachshund's delicate spine and take good care of them to prevent any complications. This means not man-handling your dog, feeding them properly, and not allowing them to often jump onto furniture or climb up stairs or fences. 

I recommend contacting your vet and doing further research on how to care for short-legged breeds in this regard before purchasing any dachshunds.