Complete Care for your Dachshund

We’ll help your suasage get the most out of life!

Dachshunds are considered a chondrodystrophic breed, like Basset hounds and Corgis. Chondrodystrophy literally means is the abnormal development of cartilage.

In the legs, this abnormal cartilage causes the growth plates in the long bones of the body to grow at an abnormal rate and results in shortened legs, with a greater angle than normal. This can affect both the front legs, causing elbow dysplasia, or the back legs causing hip dysplasia or luxating patellas.

In the spine, it can cause weakness of the discs that sit and provide cushioning between each of the bones, or vertebrae of the spine. This can lead to Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD) that will always require immediate veterinary attention.

We’re always here to help!

Angular Limb Deformities

Due to the bowing in the front legs of Dachshunds, they can be very prone to angular limb deformities that can causes a painful lameness that affects them throughout their life. For that reason, picking up and treating this condition in growing puppies is important and we’re here to help you on that journey.

We know that different breeds have different risk profiles for cruciate injuries. This is mainly based on their anatomy and the angle of the average angle of the joint in each particular breed. Some of the common breeds for cruciate rupture in dogs include:

  • Large breeds: German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Huskies, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Great Danes, Malamutes, Standard Poodles,
  • Medium breeds: Cocker Spaniels, Kelpies, Border Collies, Blue Heelers,
  • Small breeds: Cavoodles, Poodles, French Bulldogs

The cruciate ligament is the main ligament within the stifle (knee) joint of dogs. It’s job is to firmly hold the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone) in place during the knee’s normal range of movement.  Cruciate injuries are normally due to a mix of weakness in this cruciate ligament over time that then suddenly gives way, often with a twisting motion like chasing a ball or jumping. The subsequent tear in the ligament can either be a partial or a full tear but either way the damage is irreversible.

We know statistically that 50% of dogs that tear one cruciate ligament will tear the other cruciate ligament within 2 years. For that reason, getting the best possible surgical outcome and monitoring weight closely will give us the best chance for a great outcome long term.

MVH-XRAYSURGICALROOMS1

Intervertebral Disk Disease

Intervertebral Disc Disease occurs in 25% of all Dachshunds at some point in their life. This is due to a weakness in the cartilage of the disc that sits between their spinal segments (called vertebrae). IVDD in Dachshunds causes a very sudden onset pain, difficulty walking and in severe cases a complete paralysis of one or multiple legs. Veterinary attention is always required for IVDD.

At Macquarie Veterinary Hospital, our experienced surgeons Dr Matt Buchanan-Pascall and Dr Michael Stephen are trained to perform Tibial Tuberosity Advancements (TTA’s), Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomies (TPLO’s) and lateral sutures (nylon implants) in dogs and cats. We select the surgical procedure based on your pet’s anatomy, size and age with the aim to get the best outcome possible for you and your fur child. You’re in good hands!

Rest and exercise moderation is a key factor for dogs recovering from cruciate surgery and we will guide you throughout the recovery period.

The first 10-14 days include strict cage rest, where the only time your dog comes out of the pen is to go to the toilet (always on lead so they can’t make sudden running movements). We also ask you to ice the surgical site for the first few days post-operatively and then once the swelling has reduce we ask you to start with passive range of motion exercises.

From the 2-6 week period your dog will still need to be strictly cage-rested, however we now get you taking them on increasingly longer on-lead walks. These will increase by 5-10 minutes each week, so that a couple of months after surgery they should be tolerating 30 minute walks well.

At 8-12 weeks we recommend repeating x-rays of your dog’s knee to ensure healing is on track and so that we can instruct you to continue to increase exercise intensity and frequency with confidence. After 4 months of healing your dog should be ready to run around again and go back to a full and fun life!

Every surgical procedure has potential complications and worldwide studies show that there is up to 20% complication rates in TTA’s and TPLO’s. For this reason we make our selection of which procedure to use based on your particular dog’s anatomy, temperament and age.

The complications range from minor infections at the surgical incision, to meniscal injuries following surgery, loosening of the screws, movement of the plates, infection of the implants or fractures  of the shin bone from the implants. Although some complications require further intervention, we always work with you to get the best outcome possible for your pet.

We take anaesthetic monitoring extremely seriously and are proud to offer the highest level of monitoring care for you pet.

We go above and beyond the accepted standards to include:

  1. monitoring of oxygen levels via an spO2 probe (called pulse oximetry)
  2. a continuous ECG trace to track the heart’s rhythm throughout surgery;
  3. blood pressure monitoring – this is the key to a successful recovery;
  4. carbon dioxide monitoring to ensure the lungs are able to blow off all harmful gases;
  5. patients are warmed with a ‘bare hugger‘ to prevent deleterious cooling;
  6. all patients receive intravenous fluids to ensure hydration remains perfect;
  7. we use the most modern anaesthetic machines and drug protocols.

Patient comfort is also key and again we go above and beyond! We ensure all patients are kept as comfortable as possible with a combination of local anaesthetic pain relief, opioid pain relief and anti-inflammatory pain relief.

Hip and Stifle Surgery

Due to the bowing of their back legs, Dachshunds can be prone to patella luxations (slipping kneecaps). We are adept at picking up this condition on routine examination of your Dachshund and can recommend treatment based on the grade of your pet’s knee issues and can help guide you on that journey.

We know that weight is a key factor in increasing the risk of cruciate injury in dogs and also predicting the outcome long term. That means overweight dogs are at higher risk of developing cruciate injuries but also of struggling with the early onset arthritis that can follow.

So, keep your dog in a lean, healthy weight throughout it’s growth and then entire adult life. Extra weight on your dog not only increases the load on the joints and puts more strain on them, but we also know that fat cells are ‘pro-inflammatory’, meaning they keep the body and joints in a constant state of inflammation.

The ideal weight is described as the “ribs (easily) palpable with minimal fat covering. Waist clearly visible when viewed from above. Abdominal tuck evident – particularly when viewed from the side.”

You might find this link to condition scoring your dog’s weight helpful and again, always ask us for help – we are here to guide you.

Rest and exercise moderation is a key factor for dogs recovering from cruciate surgery and we will guide you throughout the recovery period.

The first 10-14 days include strict cage rest, where the only time your dog comes out of the pen is to go to the toilet (always on lead so they can’t make sudden running movements). We also ask you to ice the surgical site for the first few days post-operatively and then once the swelling has reduce we ask you to start with passive range of motion exercises.

From the 2-6 week period your dog will still need to be strictly cage-rested, however we now get you taking them on increasingly longer on-lead walks. These will increase by 5-10 minutes each week, so that a couple of months after surgery they should be tolerating 30 minute walks well.

At 8-12 weeks we recommend repeating x-rays of your dog’s knee to ensure healing is on track and so that we can instruct you to continue to increase exercise intensity and frequency with confidence. After 4 months of healing your dog should be ready to run around again and go back to a full and fun life!

We regularly use injections of pentosan polysulphate (known as zydax or cartrophen) during the recovery phase after surgery and then every year thereafter.

The injections are given under the skin each week for 4 treatments. The injections contain a synthetic medication which draws more water into the joints, effectively thickening the joint fluid to provide a cushioning effect. By reducing the rubbing between the cartilage surfaces, the cycle of inflammation is interrupted which can help with ongoing health and delay the eventual onset of arthritis.

There is lots of help available beyond the cruciate surgery and these extra treatments can have positive impacts on dogs during their initial recovery and long term outcome. Treatments include referral for physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and acupuncture. You will be guided as to how often you need to have these procedures performed to keep your dog feeling the best they can!

Supplements and neutraceutical use in dogs is an area of debate between veterinarians. There is still limited evidence for the use of various supplements, however, we believe that they may indeed play some role in helping our pets.

The most heavily studied supplement recently is green-lipped muscle and it comes in two forms, either a lower concentration in a product called 4Cyte or in a stronger concentration in a product called antinol.