title: Calcification of the intervertebral discs and curvature of the radius and ulna: a radiographic survey of Finnish miniature dachshunds.
abstract: The vertebral column of 124 randomly selected miniature dachshunds, representing 4.5% of the population registered by the Finnish Kennel Club during the years 1988 to 1996, were radiographed. The front legs were also radiographed in order to evaluate the curvature of the radius and ulna. Calcified discs were found in 75.9% of the longhaired miniature dachshunds and in 86.7% of the wirehaired ones. The occurrence of signs associated with IDD was 16.5% in longhaired and 15.6% in wirehaired miniature dachshunds. The occurrence of signs of IDD in dogs with calcified discs was 20.0% and 17.9% in longhaired and wirehaired miniature dachshunds, respectively. In dogs without calcifications only one dog showed signs of IDD. The curvature of the radius and the ulna did not differ between the dogs with signs of IDD and the healthy ones, or between the dogs with and without intervertebral calcifications. Our results indicate that radiographic eradication based on the presence of intervertebral calcifications is not suitable for breeding purposes for the Finnish miniature dachshund population because the percentage of dogs without calcifications is small.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland. anu.k.lappalainen@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lappalainen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Norrgård
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alm
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Snellman
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Laitinen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D003625:Data Collection; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D011884:Radius / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013045:Species Specificity; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D014457:Ulna / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging