Calcification of intervertebral discs in the dachshund. A radiographic study of 327 young dogs.

The vertebral columns of 327 clinically normal, 12 to 18 months old dachshunds, were x-rayed. This sample represented 16.1% of all dachshunds registered with the Norwegian Kennel Club in the period 1986-1988. Calcified intervertebral discs were identified in 79 (24.2%) of the dogs and the number of calcified discs in each individual varied from 1 to 11 with a mean of 2.3. Calcified discs were estimated to occur in 23.5% of Norwegian dachshunds. The occurrence of calcified discs in standard-sized dachshunds was higher in the wirehaired variety (27.1%) than in the smoothcoated (16.4%) or longhaired (9.1%) varieties. However, within the longhaired variety the occurrence was higher in dwarfs and kaninchens (36.0%) than in standard-sized dachshunds (9.1%). Calcification was identified in all cervical, thoracic and lumbar intervertebral discs other than T1-2, and was found to be most frequent in the caudal thoracic vertebral column.