Calcification of the intervertebral discs and curvature of the radius and ulna: A radiographic survey of Finnish miniature dachshunds

The vertebral column of 124 randomly selected miniature dachshunds, represe nting 4.5% of the population registered by the Finnish Kennel Club during t he years 1988 to 1996, were radiographed. The front legs were also radiogra phed in order to evaluate the curvature of the radius and ulna. Calcified d iscs were found in 75.9% of the longhaired miniature dachshunds and in 86.7 % of the wirehaired ones. The occurrence of signs associated with IDD was 1 6.5% in longhaired and 15.6% in wirehaired miniature dachshunds. The occurr ence of signs of IDD in dogs with calcified discs was 20.0% and 17.9% in lo nghaired and wirehaired miniature dachshunds, respectively. in dogs without calcifications only one dog showed signs of IDD. The curvature of the radi us and the ulna did not differ between the dogs with signs of IDD and the h ealthy ones, or between the dogs with and without intervertebral calcificat ions. Our results indicate that radiographic eradication based on the prese nce of intervertebral calcifications is not suitable for breeding purposes for the Finnish miniature dachshund population because the percentage of do gs without calcifications is small.