A Dachshund Warning

My friend Sarah found out some really awful news a few nights ago and wanted to pass it along so that this type of tragedy doesn't happen again.

Chuck, a sweet and loving dachshund mix who seemed as healthy and spry as can be, had to be put down. I'm not completely aware of all the details, as I didn't hear it from Chuck's owner himself, but a mutual friend explained that Chuck was put down due to a back issue that arose suddenly, causing the pup excruciating pain. The cost of the surgery that needed to be performed was out of his owner's ballpark, somewhere in the $6000 range, and so Chuck's dad was forced to put him down. When I heard the heartbreaking news, I immediately thought of another dachshund I know named Mabel.

Mabel is a dog I met through Karen, a former co-worker. Karen used to bring Mabel with her into the office on a weekly basis. The first time Mabel and I met, it was love at first sight, but Karen had to restrain my affections for the lil' pooch. My first desire -- to bend down and pick Mabel up by her front paws to give her a big, sloppy kiss -- was quickly cock-blocked by Karen, who let me know that I could be hurting Mabel this way. She gave me a lesson in the right and wrong way to love a dachshund. Mabel had also experienced back problems, I believe a slipped disc, but was lucky enough to have had the pricey surgery that saved her. Karen warned me that many daschunds (and other long-bodied dogs like basset hounds and corgis) experience back and spine problems, but that there are ways to avoid, or at least lessen the chance of, aggravating their backs.

First of all, never pick up a dachshund like you would a toddler. That is, don't pick them up by their front legs and hold them up vertically. Instead, gently scoop them under their bellies, horizontally, with maximum support to their backs/spines. I've seen so many people holding up their dogs like little rag dolls, shaking them around, not giving their backs any sort of support. This is asking for trouble. Dogs aren't meant to be upright like this, especially ones with really long bodies and short legs. Another piece of advice is that if your dachshund has to go up and down a lot of stairs, it's probably a good idea to either take an elevator, when possible, or carry the dog up or down the stairs, since this activity can put a lot of strain on their backs. Lastly, keeping the dachshund at a healthy weight can prevent back and other health problems.

I wanted to share this information with people who might not realize that they're putting their dogs at risk. Thinking back on it, I recall seeing Chuck's owner holding him up improperly and I regret that I didn't say something at the time. It makes me really upset that I might've said something that could've changed what happened, but I can't change the past. Hopefully, though, I can help prevent another dog and dog owner from experiencing a similar tragedy.

Below is a video someone made on how to pick up dachshund's properly and here's some extra info.