What This Guide Covers (and a quick disclaimer)
This article explains how to structure a safe, progressive home-care and physiotherapy plan for a Dachshund after IVDD surgery (e.g., hemilaminectomy), including activity restriction (“crate rest”), pain control, bladder care, at-home exercises, and when to consider professional rehabilitation like underwater treadmill or acupuncture. Always follow your surgeon’s written discharge instructions first; every dog and surgery is different. If anything here conflicts with your veterinarian’s orders, defer to your clinical team.
IVDD in Dachshunds: Why Recovery Needs Structure
Dachshunds are predisposed to thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion (IVDE) due to chondrodystrophy (early disc degeneration). While surgery relieves spinal cord compression, the spinal tissues and supporting muscles/soft tissues still need controlled time and movement to heal. Evidence-based rehab focuses on protecting the spine early, then gradually rebuilding strength, proprioception, and endurance. Recent consensus work by veterinary neurologists emphasizes standardized diagnosis and management while acknowledging that rehab protocols must be individualized.
Core Principles of Post-Op Rehab
- Protect first, strengthen second. Strict activity restriction for several weeks minimizes re-injury. Most dogs go home within 3–7 days post-op, then complete a period of “bed rest” (crate rest) while starting gentle, surgeon-approved exercises.
- Pain control & comfort. Dogs should be comfortable enough to rest and perform brief exercises. Your veterinary team will prescribe medications and advise on side-effects.
- Hygiene & nursing care. Bladder expression (if needed), skin checks, safe sling walking, and non-slip flooring are basic but critical.
- Plan progression. Advance difficulty only when pain is controlled and milestones are met, never by the calendar alone. Owner education and realistic confinement strategies make or break success.
- Use adjunct therapies judiciously. Hydrotherapy and targeted physiotherapy can help selected patients; evidence for some modalities (e.g., laser) is evolving and mixed.
Week-by-Week Dachshund IVDD Rehab Roadmap
Important: Timelines are typical but must be customized to your dog’s neurologic grade, surgery notes, and recheck findings.
Weeks 0–2: Protection, Pain Control, and Gentle Mobility
- Crate rest: 24/7 confinement except for toileting and prescribed exercises. Use a well-sized crate or pen; add non-slip matting.
- Handling & transfers: Support the chest and hindquarters as a unit; avoid stairs and furniture. Use a harness (not a neck collar).
- Medication & nursing: Follow prescriptions precisely; monitor appetite, bowel/bladder function, and incision integrity. Contact your vet for fever, swelling, discharge, uncontrolled pain, or loss of function.
- Passive Range of Motion (PROM) & massage: If your surgeon approves, do 1–2 sessions/day of gentle PROM on the hind limbs (10–15 reps/joint) plus light massage to aid comfort and circulation. Evidence for PROM alone accelerating ambulation is limited; think of it as maintaining joint mobility and comfort rather than a shortcut to walking.
- Assisted standing & weight shifts: With support, help your dog find all-four stance for a few seconds; progress to gentle weight shifts if comfortable (2–3 sets of 10–15 seconds).
- Toileting with a sling: Short, level trips on leash and belly sling; keep steps minimal.
Milestones to advance: Comfortable at rest, incision healing well, able to stand with support, safe transfers—confirmed at your 10–14 day recheck.
Weeks 2–4: Controlled Activation & Proprioception
- Continue crate rest with slightly longer, controlled outings (still a few minutes only).
- Supported walking drills: 3–5 short sessions/day of slow, flat leash walks (1–3 minutes), using a sling as needed.
- Proprioceptive “home gym”:
- Cookie stretches (nose-to-shoulder/hip), 5–10 reps.
- Three-leg stands (briefly lift one fore/hind paw while standing, support as needed), 3–5 reps/limb.
- Cavaletti at floor height (if approved), 1–2 passes.
- Hydrotherapy (case-by-case): If cleared, underwater treadmill allows buoyant, controlled stepping with adjustable water height and speed. Some studies suggest improved neurologic scores/return to function with in-house rehab (including treadmill), but results are not uniform—benefit is greatest when individualized and supervised.
Milestones to advance: Pain well-managed, smooth incision healing, improved paw placement, short supported walks tolerated without setbacks.
Weeks 4–6: Strength & Endurance (Still No Free Roaming)
- Leash walks: Increase to 5–10 minutes, 2–3×/day on flat ground; keep speed slow and symmetrical.
- Therapeutic exercises:
- Sit-to-stand (if form is good and pain-free), 5–8 reps × 2–3 sets.
- Figure-8s around small cones to encourage controlled turns.
- Cavaletti rails (2–4 cm height), 3–4 passes focusing on rhythm and paw clearance.
- Hydrotherapy progression: Slightly lower water level or increase duration when gait looks even and fatigue is minimal.
- Adjunct modalities: Laser therapy is commonly used for analgesia and soft-tissue healing, though high-quality evidence in canine neurorehab is mixed; if used, it should complement—not replace—exercise and activity control.
Milestones to advance: Independent, controlled walking without knuckling; good endurance on short sessions; no post-exercise soreness the next day.
Weeks 6–10: Return to Daily Life (With Limits)
- Leash walks: 10–20 minutes, adding gentle hills late in this phase if approved.
- Dynamic balance:
- Wobble cushion/air disc stands (assisted at first), 15–30 seconds × 3–5 reps.
- Backwards steps a few paces to challenge proprioception.
- House privileges: Very gradual; start with one small room under supervision, no couch/bed access, ramps only, and baby gates at stairs.
- Lifestyle changes: Work toward an ideal body condition, switch to a harness, and establish strict “no jumping” house rules to reduce recurrence risk.
Milestones to graduate: Confident, even gait; can handle low-level daily activity without soreness; your surgeon/rehab clinician signs off.
Home-Care Checklist (Owner-Friendly)
- Crate/Pen: Big enough to stand, turn, and lie comfortably; non-slip bedding; water within reach.
- Harness + sling: For every potty break and early walks; avoid neck leads.
- Daily log: Track meds, bladder/bowel events, minutes walked, and any wobbliness or soreness.
- Flooring & ramps: Non-slip runners; ramps for couch/bed if those areas will ever be reintroduced (ideally, avoid).
- Body weight: Ask for a target weight and stick to it; excess weight increases spinal load.
Red Flags - Call Your Vet!
- Sudden loss of function (new knuckling, stumbling, paralysis), severe or increasing pain, loss of bladder/bowel control after previously regaining it, fever, incision redness/swelling/discharge, or refusal to eat/drink.
Sample Daily Plan (Weeks 2–4)
- AM: Potty break with harness + sling (2–3 minutes). Passive Range of Motion (PROM)/massage (10 minutes).
- Midday: Short supported leash walk (2–3 minutes). Log observations.
- PM: Potty break with harness + sling (2–3 minutes). Proprioceptive drills (cookie stretches, brief three-leg stands).
- Evening: Surgeon-approved hydro session or second short walk, depending on energy.
- Throughout: Strict crate rest outside sessions; meds as prescribed; calm enrichment (lick mats, food puzzles) to reduce crate frustration.
Long-Term Prevention for Dachshunds After IVDD
- Maintain lean body condition (ask your vet for an ideal weight and calorie goal).
- Permanent lifestyle rules: No jumping off furniture; use ramps; harness for all walks; non-slip flooring.
- Regular conditioning: 3–5 days/week of structured leash walks and core/proprioception exercises (short sets, high quality).
- Early intervention: At the first sign of back pain or hind-end wobble, confine and call your vet—early action can change outcomes.
References
· American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS): Intervertebral Disc Disease -aftercare & outcome guidance (discharge, crate rest, rehab). American College of Veterinary Surgeons
· ACVIM Consensus Statement (Thoracolumbar IVDE): current recommendations on diagnosis/management. Wiley Online Library
· Hodshon et al. and related summaries on in-house rehab (PROM/exercise/treadmill) vs. controls; mixed evidence base summarized. ivdd.org.au
· Veterinary Evidence review on PROM and rehabilitation intensity after decompressive surgery (evidence appraisal). veterinaryevidence.org
· AARV: modality overviews, including therapeutic laser. rehabvets.org
· Post-op discharge examples for home care and warning signs. vscdsurgerycenters.com
· Owner education on IVDD and early recognition of signs. SASH Vets
