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As your Partner in Pet Health, the team at Hillside Animal Hospital would like to provide you with as much information as possible regarding your role in keeping your dog happy and healthy. With this in mind, we have developed new Breed-Specific Wellness Programs. These programs are intended to increase your awareness on health conditions that have been found to be commonly associated with your dog's breed. While many dogs live a long, healthy life without facing major health issues, we feel that educating pet owners about possible health conditions is the best way to be proactive in detecting health issues before they become a problem. You'll find important recommendations for scheduling physical exams and diagnostic tests which we encourage you to discuss with the doctor throughout your pet's care. Please contact us at 480-391-7297 if you would like further information or to schedule an appointment.
Dachshund - Specific Wellness Program
Endocrine Conditions
 Hypothyroidism
About the condition:
- A deficiency in the secretion of thyroid hormone.
How to detect this condition:
- A blood test can determine whether your pet is within the normal range of thyroid hormone. This is recommended starting at age 6 and every other year thereafter.
Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing's Syndrome)
About the condition:
- Most commonly diagnosed endocrine condition in dogs.
- Caused by elevated levels of a hormone called cortisol from the adrenal cortex.
How to detect this condition:
- A blood test, recommended at age 6 and again every other year, can determine your pet's cortisol level.
Diabetes mellitus
About the condition:
- Blood glucose levels become dangerously high due to extremely low or lack of insulin.
How to detect this condition:
- Excessive thirst and urination are warning signs.
- A blood test and a urine test can determine the severity of the condition. These tests are recommended starting at age 6 and every other year thereafter.
Neoplastic Conditions
Mast cell tumors
About the condition:
- These skin tumors may range from benign to highly-aggressive malignant and are relatively common in dogs.
How to detect this condition:
- If you notice any new lumps on your dog, please let your doctor know so an examination can be done.
Neurological Conditions
Inter-vertebral disc disease
About the condition:
- Very common in dachshunds.
- Degeneration of the inter-vertebral discs that can lead to pressure on the spinal cord, which leads to pain and/or partial paralysis.
How to detect this condition:
- Let your doctor know if your pet seems to be in pain and is reluctant to move around. Holding the back in an arched position is another common sign.
- X-rays are important in detecting this condition as they will show any disc irregularities. These are recommended starting at age 6 and then every 2 years.
This list is not intended to cover all possible diseases and/or conditions found in Dachshunds, but instead lists those that we have found to be most common at Hillside Animal Hospital. Please let your doctor know if you have further questions regarding these or any other conditions.
Wellness Recommendations
An annual physical exam is recommended for the life of your pet so that any problems can be detected. In addition, we recommend the following diagnostic evaluations in order to provide more thorough veterinary prevention and care:
| Age 6 |
40 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, x-rays to check for inter-vertebral disc disease |
| Age 8 |
48 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, x-rays |
| Age 10 |
56 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, x-rays of chest, abdomen and hips if needed |
| Age 12 |
64 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, x-rays |
| Age 14 |
72 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, x-rays |
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