Dachshund: Vascular Disease & Ears

In general, dachshunds have a long lifespan, 12 to 15 years on average. As with any dog breed, your long-bodied, short-legged friend is predisposed to certain health conditions. Most health problems in dachshunds involve the spine or eyes. As an owner or potential owner of a dachshund, you should be aware of other problems that can occur, such as vascular diseases and ear problems.

  1. Heartworms

    • Some symptoms of heart disease in dogs are coughing or hacking, wheezing, low energy, edema, abdominal bloat, poor circulation and fainting. The most common type of heart disease is heartworms. Regular veterinary exams can help prevent heartworms. If you and your dachshund live in a tick prone area, your veterinarian will likely recommend preventative heartworm treatment. Once your dog has heartworms, there is no cure, but proper treatment can help your dog live a long and healthy life.

    Heart Murmurs

    • Dachshunds and other small breeds are highly susceptible to heart murmurs. Murmurs in young dachshunds are likely to be congenital, whereas a murmur that occurs suddenly in an older dachshund is likely due to heart valve disease. This is common around six years of age. The main symptom of a heart murmur is coughing.

    Heart Disease

    • The dachshund breed is prone to several forms of heart disease, including myxomateous valve degeneration (MVD), congenital heart disease and cardiac arrhythmia. According to the Miller Dachshunds website, 70 to 80 percent of canine heart disease is due to leaky heart valves. Congenital heart diseases, such as patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), are inherited. Dachshunds are twice as likely to develop PDA as other breeds. Older dachshunds have an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmia, where the heart beats abnormally fast or slow.

    Seborrhea

    • Seborrhea is a disorder of keratinization that occurs most often in dogs with pendulous ears, such as dachshunds. Symptoms include scales, crust and hair loss along the edges of the ear, especially at the tips. Treatments focus on the symptoms and include medicated shampoos, antibiotics for secondary infections and cortisone for inflammation.

    Reverse Sneezing

    • Many dachshunds have a predisposition to reverse sneezing, although it actually has nothing to do with sneezing. When reverse sneezing occurs, your dog appears to be snorting or choking. Excitement or stress is often the trigger mechanism that brings on a bout of reverse sneezing. This is common in small breeds due to the already reduced size of the trachea. When it happens, the trachea narrows, reducing the amount of air able to enter the lungs. Although this event seems worse than it is, your dog will not suffer any long-term damage. You can help your dog through the event by encouraging him to calm down.