What is the scheme?
The Kennel Club IVDD Scheme for Dachshunds (all varieties) in partnership with Dachshund Health UK uses X-ray to detect the presence and severity of IVDD in all varieties of Dachshunds. The scheme assesses for spine calcifications and gives guidance to breeders on how to reduce the risk of producing puppies affected by intervertebral disc disease.
What is IVDD?
Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is a condition that is caused by a gradual deterioration of the shock absorbing parts of the spine, known as intervertebral discs. These discs are filled with a jelly-like substance and sit between the bones in the spine. Intervertebral discs help hold the spine together, give the back its flexibility and also protect the spine by cushioning any impact. As dogs get older these discs can degenerate and harden (calcify). In Dachshunds this can happen at a much earlier age compared to other breeds. The calcification of these discs means they don’t absorb shock as well and can lead to a slipped disc (disc herniation) and spinal cord compression.
How is IVDD inherited?
A dog’s risk of developing IVDD is controlled by a number of different genes and influenced by several environmental and lifestyle factors (e.g. diet, exercise or factors when in the womb before birth etc.). Each of the genes that help to make a dog’s body may have different possible versions, or variants. Versions of some of a dog's genes increase the risk of IVDD, while others decrease the risk.
Each dog will have a mix of these 'good' and 'bad' versions of genes, making it very difficult to predict whether a dog will be affected. The impact made by one version of a gene might only be slight, but lots of genes having a small influence can have a combined additive effect.
Clinical signs of IVDD and treatment
- Signs of severe pain, such as yelping, moving cautiously or not wanting to move their head or neck
- Incoordination of the limbs and paws
- Frequent accidents in the house
- Not being able to move their limbs
Some dogs affected with IVDD can be treated with medication and rest, while others may require invasive or life-changing surgery and long-term rehabilitation therapy, or sadly in severe cases, this devastating disease can lead to euthanasia.
How common is IVDD?
Some varieties of Dachshund appeared to be more prone to IVDD than others. Results from the survey were:
- Miniature Smooth Haired Dachshunds - 29.9%
- Smooth Haired Dachshunds - 16.8%
- Miniature Wire Haired Dachshunds - 16.5%
- Miniature Long Haired Dachshunds - 15.7%
- Long Haired Dachshunds - 9.4%
- Wire Haired Dachshunds - 8.6%
Getting your dog assessed
To have your dog assessed under the scheme you will need to:
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Contact a participating centre and arrange for your dog to be X-rayed as part of The Kennel Club IVDD Scheme for Dachshunds (all varieties) in partnership with Dachshund Health UK
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Register for the scheme and make the £20 screening payment through our online shop
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Attend and pay for your radiograph appointment. This can be made through your vet
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Your dog’s X-ray will be submitted by the participating centre to be reviewed by an expert scrutineer and graded appropriately
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The result will be returned to you via an email from The Kennel Club, with details of any findings, including the total number of the calcifications and their location on the spine, if applicable. You can find information on what your grade means and breeding advice below.
Find a participating centre
A list of participating centres can be found at the end of this page, or please click on the link to be taken to a list of regional participating veterinary practice groups.
Essentials of the IVDD scheme
How old does my dog have to be and how often should they be screened?
To be assessed under the scheme, your dog must be between 24 to 48 months of age at the time of the X-ray.
Your dog will only need to be screened once and the result will be valid for their entire lifetime.
What do I need to bring?
You will need to bring your dog’s Kennel Club registration certificate and microchip identification with you to the participating centre. This will need to match the information provided at the time of IVDD scheme registration.
How much does it cost?
The Kennel Club charges a £20 registration fee to cover the scoring and administration for each submission. The total cost to have your dog assessed under the scheme will depend on the cost to have your dog radiographed at your chosen participating centre. Individual radiograph fees can be seen under each participating centre, however, please confirm this with your chosen centre before your appointment as this is subject to alteration.
To reward early adopters of the scheme, The Kennel Club and Dachshund Health UK are offering subsidies for a limited period (see next tab below).
Information for vets
The role of a participating centre is to take the radiographs in accordance with the scheme’s screening protocol and upload these via the scheme’s SharePoint portal. If your veterinary practice is interested in becoming a participating centre for the scheme, please complete the following application form and we’ll be in touch regarding the next steps.
Upon enrolment, you’d be provided with a welcome pack to make sure you have quick access to all the information you’ll need. If you have any questions, please email us - Health (The Kennel Club)
Applying for The Kennel Club subsidy
To reward early adopters The Kennel Club is offering a £100 subsidy for all dogs that participate in the IVDD scheme for Dachshunds during 2024.
Apply for a subsidy by completing an IVDD subsidy request form.
Owners are required to pay the full screening cost at the participating centre before applying for the subsidy. To receive The Kennel Club subsidy, you will need to complete the subsidy request form once your dog's radiograph has been submitted for grading by the participating centre. We will then be in contact with you regarding your application.
Other subsidies may also be available to owners from Dachshund Health UK.
If my dog was assessed before 2021 can the result be published?
Yes - to reward those who initially participated in the IVDD scheme subsidised by Dachshund Health UK, we will be accepting X-rays for submission if scored by Dr Anu Lappalainen between 2016–2020. If owners submit all relevant files and information to The Kennel Club, the grade can be verified and recorded on the dog’s record.
For more information please contact
What happens if my radiographs are rejected?
We will not charge an additional screening fee.
What happens with my dog’s grade?
Can I appeal my dog’s grade?
What are the IVDD Scheme terms and conditions?
What happens with the results?
Currently, IVDD Scheme results are not yet published on Health Test Result Finder. However, you can access this information here and also through the owner. We hope that the results will soon be available on Health Test Result Finder.
Experienced an issue with the IVDD scheme?
If you have experienced an issue with The Kennel Club/Dachshund Health UK Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) scheme for Dachshunds (all varieties), please complete this form to report the issue. Your feedback is very important to us so we can improve our services for the future.
What statistics are known about the IVDD Scheme?
Statistics on the number of dogs graded by the scheme and their results can be accessed in our IVDD Scheme breed-specific information.
What does my dog’s grade mean?
Your dog will receive a grade ranging from 0 to 3, depending on the number of calcifications present in the spine. The higher the grade the higher the number of calcifications found and the more at risk a dog is for developing clinical signs and passing the disease on to any offspring.
- Grade 0: your dog has no calcifications
- Grade 1: one to two calcifications have been observed
- Grade 2: three to four calcifications have been observed
- Grade 3: five or more calcifications have been observed
Breeding advice
The way that IVDD is inherited is not fully understood and is not always entirely predictable but has been shown to be partly influenced by genetics. Using the guidelines below can help you reduce the chances of breeding puppies affected by IVDD. However, even if used responsibly, this guidance cannot guarantee that a puppy from grade 0 parents will be free of IVDD. Breeding appropriately from screened dogs will reduce the risk of producing affected puppies. Please use the following table to note the outcome of mating a male and female with a known IVDD calcification grade.
Amber: A higher risk of producing puppies that may grow up to be affected by IVDD.
Red: A mating that has a high risk of producing puppies that may grow up to be affected by IVDD. These matings are not recommended. IVDD can have a serious impact on a dog’s health and welfare, so a mating which has a high risk of producing affected puppies should never knowingly be carried out.
Making balanced breeding decisions
As well as considering the implications of a dog’s IVDD grade, there are other equally important factors to consider when deciding whether two dogs should be mated together, such as temperament, genetic diversity (avoiding inbreeding), conformation, other available health test results, the general health of the dogs etc. Your breeding decisions should always be well-balanced and take into consideration the qualities and compatibility of both the sire and dam that you are considering.
Participating centres
Scotland
Centre: | Ark Veterinary Centre |
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Location: | Glasgow Road, Lockerbie, Dumfries & Galloway, DG11 2SE |
Radiograph fee: | £300 |
Booking - telephone: | 01576 202552 |
Booking - email: | Ark Veterinary Centre |
Centre: | Buchan Veterinary Clinics |
Location: | 29 Finlayson Street, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, AB43 9JQ |
Radiograph fee: | £300 |
Booking - telephone: | 01346 510099 |
Booking - email: | Buchan Veterinary Clinics |
Centre: | Buchan Veterinary Clinics |
Location: | 66 York St, Peterhead, AB42 1SP |
Radiograph fee: | £300 |
Booking - telephone: | 01779 472460 |
Booking - email: | Peterhead Buchan Veterinary Clinics |
Centre: | Heartland Veterinary Services Ltd |
Location: | Kennedy Place, Pitlochry, Perthshire, PH16 5BB |
Radiograph fee: | Please enquire |
Booking - telephone: | 01796 472201 |
Booking - email: | Heartland Veterinary Services Ltd |
Centre: | The Stewartry Veterinary Centre Ltd |
Location: | Oakwell Road, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway, DG7 1JT |
Radiograph fee: | £300 all varieties |
Booking - telephone: | 01556 502263 |
Booking - email: |
The Stewartry Veterinary Centre
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Centre: | Thrums Veterinary Group |
Location: | 20 Forfar Road, Kirriemuir, Angus, DD8 5BY |
Radiograph fee: | please enquire |
Booking - telephone: | 01575572643 |
Booking - email: | Thrums Veterinary Group |
Wales
Centre: | Carmarthen Veterinary Centre and Hospital |
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Location: | Llysonnen Road, Llanllwch, Carmarthen, SA31 3SA |
Radiograph fee: | £300 |
Booking - telephone: | 01267 220404 |
Booking - email: | Carmarthen Veterinary Centre and Hospital |
Centre: | C S Veterinary Imaging |
Location: | Unit 3, Highwayman Business Park, Castle View, Bridgend, CF31 1NJ |
Radiograph fee: | £300 all varieties |
Booking - telephone: | 01639 643188 |
Booking - email: | CS Veterinary Imaging |
North East
North West
Centre: | Chester Gates Veterinary Specialists |
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Location: | Units E&F, Telford Court, Gates Lane, Chester gates, Chester, CH1 6LT |
Radiograph fee: | £300 |
Booking - telephone: | 01244 853823 |
Booking - email: | Chester Gates Veterinary Specialists |
Centre: | Millcroft Veterinary Group |
Location: | Wakefield road, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 0HR |
Radiograph fee: | £300 all varieties |
Booking - telephone: | 01900 826666 |
Booking - email: | Millcroft Veterinary Group |
Yorkshire and the Humber
Centre: | Bishopton Veterinary Group |
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Location: | The Surgery, Mill Farm, Studley Road, Ripon HG4 2QR |
Radiograph fee: | £564 - all varieties |
Booking - telephone: | 01765 602396 |
Booking - email: | Bishopton Veterinary Group |
Centre: | Howells Veterinary Services Ltd |
Location: | York Rd, Easingwold, York YO61 3EB |
Radiograph fee: | £300 all varieties |
Booking - telephone: | 01347 823678 |
Booking - email: | office@howellsvets.co.uk |
Midlands
Centre: | Dovecote Veterinary Hospital |
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Location: | 5 Delven Lane, Castle Donington, Derby, DE74 2LJ |
Radiograph fee: | £350 |
Booking - telephone: | 01332 810395 |
Booking - email: | Dovecote Veterinary Hospital |
Centre: | Breeder Imaging Services |
Location: | Leadenhall Farm, Holbeach Marsh, Lincolnshire PE12 8HB |
Radiograph fee: | £240 all varieties |
Booking - telephone: | 01406 701127 |
Facebook page | |
Booking - email: | Breeder imaging Services |
Centre: | Brookfield Veterinary Practice – Hereford branch |
Location: | 1 Old Eign Hill, Hereford, HR1 1TU |
Radiograph fee: | £270 |
Booking - telephone: | 01432 357 222 |
Booking - email: | Brookfield Veterinary Practice – Hereford branch |
East of England
Centre: | University of Cambridge Veterinary School |
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Location: | Queen's Veterinary School, Madingley Road, Cambridge,CB3 0ES |
Radiograph fee: | £300 |
Booking - telephone: | 01223 337621 |
Booking - email: | University of Cambridge Veterinary School |
London and South East
Centre: | Beaumont Veterinary Hospital |
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Location: | 172 Oxford Road, Kidlington, Oxon, OX5 1EA |
Radiograph fee: | £360 |
Booking - telephone: | 01865 373397 |
Booking - email: | Beaumont Veterinary Hospital |
Centre: |
Swale Barn Vets |
Location: |
Macknade Farm, Selling Road, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8XF |
Radiograph fee: |
£500 |
Booking - telephone: |
01795 608820 |
Booking - email: | Swale Barn Vets |
South West
Centre: | Rosmullion Veterinary Hospital |
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Location: | 66 Melvill Road, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 4DD |
Radiograph fee: | £330 |
Booking - telephone: | 01326 313991 |
Booking - email: | N/A |
Centre: |
South Moor Vets - Kingsbridge |
Location: |
Derby Road, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 1JL |
Radiograph fee: |
£350 |
Booking - telephone: |
01548 852766 |
Booking - email: |
kingsbridge@southmoorvets.co.uk
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Centre: |
South Moor Vets - Dartington |
Location: | Beacon Park, A385, Totnes, TQ9 6DX |
Radiograph fee: | £350 |
Booking - telephone: | 01803 900181 |
Booking - email: | |
Centre: | South Moor Vets- Ivybridge |
Location: |
Endsleigh, Ivybridge, Devon PL21 9JL |
Radiograph fee: | £350 |
Booking - telephone: | 01752 892390 |
Booking - email: |
Can’t find a centre local to you?
Want to become a participating centre for the scheme?
If you’re interested in participating in the scheme and have on-site diagnostic imaging facilities, we’d love to hear from you. Please email
Health (The Kennel Club)for more information on our application process.