08/01/2026
Smooth-coated dachshunds consistently exhibited poorer spinal health than long- and wire-coated dachshunds across all study populations, suggesting that coat-related genes may influence spinal health and susceptibility to intervertebral disc disease (IVDD).
A retrospective study evaluated 4,295 dachshunds from the United Kingdom, Norway, and Denmark. Researchers assessed spinal health using owner-reported symptomatic IVDD in the UK and radiographic intervertebral disc calcification scores in the Scandinavian populations. Smooth-coated dachshunds consistently had significantly poorer spinal health than either long- or wire-coated dogs, while small (miniature/kaninchen) smooth-coated dachshunds generally exhibited the poorest spinal health among all coat-size combinations.
The authors propose that coat-related genes may directly influence spinal health. The RSPO2 gene, which produces the wire-haired coat, may have a protective effect through activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, whereas FGF5, the gene associated with smooth coats, may adversely affect intervertebral disc health. In contrast, body size showed inconsistent associations with spinal health across populations. Overall, the findings support the concept that IVDD is a polygenic disease, rather than one explained solely by the FGF4L2 retrogene.
Study cited in the comments:
