Back problems are one of the biggest health concerns for Dachshunds, and about 1 in 4 will experience intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) in their lifetime.
Unfortunately, many Dachshund owners are unaware of this risk. Of those that are, a significant portion are either terrified it will happen to their Dachshund and/or it’s happened to theirs and they’ve made it their mission to educate people about back issues in the breed (the latter is what happened to me).
Almost all Dachshund around the world are at risk due to a disease associated with a genetic mutation associated with dwarfism, which gives the Dachshund their distinct look. While there is no definitive test for IVDD, there has been some progress is preventing the effects of that genetic mutation.
Photo Credit: Depositphotos/MattiaATH
The Too Long; Didn’t Read Version
This is the TL;DR version if you just want to skim over the explanation of why back screening is important and just jump right to the list of US breeders that do it.
While there’s no way to completely prevent disk herniations as a result of the genetic disease that causes spinal disks to age prematurely and rupture (Intervertebral Disk Disease – IVDD), breeders in Europe have been using Radiographs (X-rays) of the spine to help lower the risk in future generations.
Back screening is done between ages 2–4 and looks for calcified disks. Fewer calcifications generally means a lower chance of serious back problems later in life.
Because of the high heritability of disk calcification, it’s possible that selective breeding against high numbers of calcified disks could reduce the occurrence of severe disk herniation in Dachshunds. (source)
In Denmark, this program has been tracked for more than a decade and has already shown promising results in reducing the average number of calcifications in Dachshunds.
It’s not a guarantee – any Dachshund can still hurt their back – but screening is considered the current “best practice” for breeders who want to give their puppies the best possible start.
If you’re looking for a Dachshund puppy, choosing a breeder who screens their dogs is one of the best ways to stack the odds in your favor.
A Deeper Look – Why Back Screening is Useful
One of the biggest health challenges Dachshunds face is Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD), which can cause painful spinal disk bulges or ruptures. Unfortunately, some ruptures will cause a dog to become paralyzed (luckily, there are treatments, which include conservative and surgery).
Since around 25% of Dachshunds will experience IVDD in their lifetime, breeders and owners alike have looked for ways to reduce the risk. One of the most promising approaches is using X-ray to screen for spinal calcifications in potential mates.
This method, widely used in Denmark and Finland, involves taking specific radiographs of a Dachshund’s spine when they are between the ages of 2 and 4 to count the number of calcified disks. The number of calcifications gives breeders an indication of how severely the dog may be affected by IVDD and how likely they are to experience a disk herniation later in life.
The results are reported as a back score, called the K Number:
- Grade K0 = no calcifications
- Grade K1 = 1–2 calcifications
- Grade K2 = 3–4 calcifications
- Grade K3 = 5 or more calcifications.
In 2014, veterinarians Tine Marx and Charlotte Mørck Andersen conducted a Masters thesis on back heath and concluded: Dogs with five or more calcified discs had 11 times greater risk of disc herniation compared to dogs with fewer than five calcifications. (source)
By avoiding breeding dogs with high calcification counts together, or making sure to only breed one that has a high count with one with one that has a very low count, breeders can slowly shift the population toward fewer back problems over time.
Genetic testing for the genetic mutation that causes IVDD exists, but because nearly all Dachshunds have at least one copy of this gene, DNA results don’t provide useful predictions. X-ray screening offers practical, measurable information that reflects how severely a dog is affected. This makes it one of the best tools available for breeders committed to reducing IVDD.
Denmark has been at the forefront when it comes to research into disk rupture and prolapse. The Danish Kennel Club (DKC) has tracked the results of this breeding scheme for almost 20 years.
They’ve found that selective breeding based on back scores has gradually reduced the average number of calcifications in the population, showing real progress toward lowering risk.
This information is so clear, that in 2019, new breeding rules for Dachshunds were established in Denmark. The DKC mandated that both parents must be back X-rayed before breeding and only Dachshunds that are K0-K2 can be used in breeding.
Important note: Neither the Dachshund Club of America (DCA) or American Kennel Club (AKC) suggest back screening as a way to help prevent IVDD related back issues in Dachshunds.
While the American Kennel Club (AKC), which takes direction from the Dachshund Club America (DCA), emphasizes health testing like patella, cardiac, and eye exams, they do not suggest back x-ray screening before breeding.
In a letter sent from DCA to in June 2019, it’s stated, “diseases such as LaFlora Disease, IVDD (Intervertebral Disk Disease), and PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy)
should be considered by breeders and will be potentially addressed as reliable, meaningful tests become available.”
In all of my research, it appears that, despite the evidence coming out of Denmark, the DCA still does not consider back x-ray screening “reliable” or “meaningful”, which is why they do not recommend it.
It is important to understand that even the best screening program cannot eliminate disk herniations completely. A dog with a low calcification count can still suffer a back injury, and a dog with a higher score may never have problems. Screening is a “best practice,” not a guarantee.
However, I think it’s the best chance we have to prevent back injuries at this time.
Directory of US Dachshund Breeders Using X-ray Back Screening
In more recent years, I have become somewhat of a believer in X-ray back screening. It’s very rarely done in the United States (US) though. In the almost 3 years I have been searching, I’ve only found three breeders that I can confirm do it.
I decided to make this list for:
- Potential puppy buyers who want to buy from a breeder in the Unites States who attempts to reduce the incidence of disk herniation in the Dachshund breed through an X-ray scheme.
- Dachshund breeders who want to connect with other breeders who are using x-ray screening for calcifications in their breeding program, either to learn or obtain males or females for breeding from them (I have not verified that these people will sell with breeding rights though).
I will add to this list if I learn of more breeders doing it.
1) Eridox Dachshunds
Eridox Dachshunds is located near Kansas City, MO and Lisa J. Emerson has been using x-ray screening for calcifications in her breeding program for close to 20 years (for 8 generations!). She is extremely knowledgeable about the Dachshund breed, is the author of the Wienepedia educational website and book The Dachshund Spine.
Lisa is also co-author on the paper The PMEL gene and merle (dapple) in the dachshund: cryptic, hidden, and mosaic variants demonstrate the need for genetic testing prior to breeding and is working on a paper called Dapple (merle) genotype influence on ocular and undercoat phenotypes in the dachshund, which is set to publish in 2026 (Otter is included in research for the latter).
Lisa breeds both miniature (primarily) and standard (occasionally – typically small standards) Dachshunds with short, long, and wire coats. She is the only breeder that does both back screening and breeds fancy and unique coat colors and patterns (dapples, dilutes, etc.).
My boy Otter came from Eridox and I am still in regular contact with Lisa. We like to nerd out on Dachshund stuff and I plan to get Otter back screened after he turns 2 years old so that information might help her in the future.
She is the founder of the Dachshund IVDD Reduction Initiative, a study that aims to look at the correlation between nutrition and spinal calcifications.
2) Dachshunds in the Sky With Diamonds
Dachshunds in the Sky With Diamonds is located in Rochester, MN and is owned by Michelle Kutzler, a veterinarian and board certified veterinary reproduction specialist at Oregon State University (OSU). I don’t know how long she has been x-ray screening, but I imagine it’s been a long time.
Michelle is an AKC Breeder of Merit of show and performance miniature Dachshunds (wire-haired, long-haired, short-haired). She is also an AKC judge for scent hound field trials, earthdog, CGC, and farm dog.
Michelle has been involved in way too many publications to list, but a couple of her YouTube interviews I find very valuable are The Truth About Early Spay and Neuter and The Powerful Role of Hormones in Your Pet’s Health.
While I have never spoken with her personally, we do “run in similar circles” in the Dachshund and IVDD communities. I hope to connect with her personally one day and perhaps interview her for our YouTube channel.
3) Majors Dachshunds
Majors Dachshunds, located in Northern Utah, is owned by Stephanie Major. She has over 20 years of breeding experience, and is the creator of the Breeders Bootcamp program and a course instructor for the Master Class and Labor & Delivery.
She breeds smooth and long hair miniature Dachshunds, and has been back screening for calcifications since 2024.
Final Thoughts
While there is evidence that x-ray back screening in a breeding program has the potential to reduce the incidence of IVDD-related disk injury in the Dachshund breed, I also understand it is not a guarantee against it.
Historically, Dachshund breeders in the US have used anecdotal evidence that their lines don’t have a history of back injuries (made by observations of their breeding dogs and reports from puppy buyers), and that is still the most common practice today.
I acknowledge there is merit to that. At least they are aware of the problem and monitoring it in their breeding program. However, at least in my mind, there is a huge margin of error here. This method largely relies on puppy buyers to report any IVDD back issues to the breeder.
From the owner perspective, I have personally seen conversations around this. Some people say they didn’t know they should report it back to the breeder. Others say that they did and the breeder didn’t care (implying that they are less likely to do it next time).
I don’t understand how a breeder can be reasonably sure there is isn’t a history of back injuries in the puppies they produce if they aren’t hearing about them?
I definitely won’t claim I will never buy a Dachshund puppy from a breeder that doesn’t back screen ever again, but now that I know better, I am not sure that I can “go back”. I do really believe this is the best chance we have of reducing the frequency of spinal injuries in the breed at the moment.
I like to think that if potential buyers ask breeders about x-ray screening, more will start doing it.
English (US) · 