RVC Student Research Project on Miniature Dachshunds - can you help?

RESULTS now published.

Charlotte Fletcher's research project is entitled "The Long and the Short of it: the effect of thoracic and lumbar spine lengths, and hair coat type of miniature dachshunds on the development of Intervertebral Disc Extrusion (IVDE)" and has two questions:

1. Does the ratio between thoracic and lumbar spine length influence the development of IVDE in miniature dachshunds?

2. Within the three dachshund coat types (short, long, and wire haired), is one group overrepresented in miniature dachshunds presenting to neurologists with IVDE?
   

To form the control group for the study, Charlotte is recruiting owners of miniature dachshunds over the age of one with no previous spinal injury or disease to take measurements of their dog's spine. There are a few questions to answer through a Google Forms survey with instructions on 'How To Measure' included in a link embedded in the description. The neurology departments at the Royal Veterinary College Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Hannover are collecting patient measurements to form the 'IVDE affected' group.