Sun 5 Jul 2009
To the person about to get a dachshund…watch out for GRE…it is some kind of gastro enteritis that happens to little (and young) dogs. This happened to my doxie at about 6 months…she started throwing up blood, and it gets progressively worse. I didn’t take her to the emergency vet (as this happened around 2am, naturally) until the next morning at 8am…she nearly died. This is rare but must be treated immediately. It comes on quickly and progresses very fast.
Also, do NOT allow your dog to jump off chairs, sofas, etc. If your dog is on the sofa with you, be sure to just put her on the floor if you have to get up. Don’t give her any opportunity to hurt a disk in her back. If she goes “down” (when back legs don’t work), crate her immediately and go to a vet asap.
Don’t let your dog get fat…dachshunds love to eat…it’s bad for their backs if they are too fat.
Have fun with your new doggie…dachshunds are fun and have a great sense of humor. Housebreaking them is a challenge due to their nortorious reputation for being stubborn.