# Dachshund/back/legs question



## DonnaC (Jul 31, 2011)

As I have mentioned, I have a beautiful, crazy dachshund, Libby, who just turned a year old last week. She checked out healthy at eight weeks and, at every visit, the vet has said she was structurally sound. I'm pretty careful about how I carry her and how we play with her -- though she and my Hav do go at it with gusto!

This morning, when we got Libby out of her crate, she had difficulty standing on her hind legs. It was quite frightening. I took her out to go potty, and she just didn't want to stand up. I stayed home with her and, by late afternoon, she was running around again like she owned the world.

I know dachshunds, like Havs, can have leg/back problems, and I've been so careful about her weight because of that. Has anyone heard of a serious problem that comes and goes like that, or do you think it may have just been a temporary thing?


----------



## kristin08 (Oct 11, 2011)

I don't know if this problem can come and go...but it may be a disk problem in her back. I had a lhasa poo that died January of last year after he had a disk rupture. He went from perfectly fine to paralyzed in 36 hours. I took him to the emergency vet (this was New Years Day) and they put him on steroid while they ran blood test to check for meningitis,etc. Less than 12 hours later he had lost all deep pain reflexes in his hind legs. I took him to a surgical vet who performed a myelogram and then did surgery. I got the call that his spinal cord was completely dead after the rupture and made the horrible decision to put him to sleep rather than have him be paralyzed and not able to even pee on his own. Worst time of my whole life. He was almost 3 years old. I have heard this is a very common problem in doxies, but it can be reversible/treatable if caught early enough. My advice would be don't chance it! Get the myelogram as it is the only definitive way to check for a ruptured or bulging disk. We had an x-ray done and it looked perfect so I wouldnt trust that! I really hope this is not the case for your little one!


----------



## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

My mother had a dachshound that did that and then the next day it seemed worse. I went over to Mother's and decided to take the dog to the vet. Even though he did extensive treatment, she was paralyzed by within 3 days and started to swell. We had to have her put down also. But the little dog was always running and jumping, etc. And was overweight. I would have your dog checked out.


----------



## DonnaC (Jul 31, 2011)

She seems fine this morning. Disc problems were my first concern. It seems as though pain from a ruptured disc would not come and go. 

I am going to take her in to the vet for a general check -- have her hips and legs and gait looked at. And, unless I hear differently, I'm going to assume, at this point (and given her young age) that she just played too roughly with Baxter the night before.

I feel so sorry for those of you who lost a pet this way. I can't tell you how terrible it was seeing her lame yesterday. She is my hero -- so brave, so plucky, so self-confident.


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

for sure Donna, see what the vet says. Better to be safe than sorry. Keep us posted.


----------



## waybrook (Sep 13, 2009)

Dachshunds are so prone to this - I had 1 growing up, DH & I had a minature longhair for 17 years and my son has one now. The most important thing is weight and jumping. We never let them jump up or down from anything. Its tough because they are so full of life, but their little backs just can't take the stress. 

Just hope and pray your little one is okay...


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

waybrook said:


> Dachshunds are so prone to this - I had 1 growing up, DH & I had a minature longhair for 17 years and my son has one now. The most important thing is weight and jumping. We never let them jump up or down from anything. Its tough because they are so full of life, but their little backs just can't take the stress.
> 
> Just hope and pray your little one is okay...


Definitely Donna. here is what the wonderful world of breeders have done to the Dachshund No wonder they have back issues.


----------

