Intervertebral disc disease in dogs

Measured in 7 breeds across 4 sources. Figures are grouped by how they were measured, because those groups are not comparable with one another.

16.4%Highest recorded
7Breeds measured
$5,810Typical treatment cost

Lifetime, owner-reported

Share of dogs whose owners report the dog has ever had the condition.

Counts everything a dog has ever had, so it runs higher than a one-year rate and is not comparable with one.

  • Dachshund

    clinical or cohort Dog Aging Project breeds 2023, 2019-2022 n = 56

    27,541 US companion dogs in the Dog Aging Project, owner reported

    16.4% 12.9% to 20.7%

  • Dachshund

    clinical or cohort DachsLife 2015, 2015 n = 2,031

    2,031 UK Dachshunds, owner survey with a veterinary diagnosis required for cases

    15.7% 14.1% to 17.3% $5,810 typical

  • Dachshund

    clinical or cohort Dog Aging Project 2025, 2019-2022 n = 541

    541 Dachshunds among 43,517 US dogs in the Dog Aging Project

    15.3%

  • French Bulldog

    clinical or cohort Dog Aging Project 2025, 2019-2022 n = 227

    227 French Bulldogs among 43,517 US dogs in the Dog Aging Project

    8.4% $5,810 typical

Owner survey

Share of dogs whose owners reported the condition at one point in time.

Depends on owners noticing and recalling. Mild or resolved cases are undercounted.

  • Dachshund

    breed-specific finding KC survey 2017, 2014

    Live UK Kennel Club registered dogs, owner reported

    9.8% 6.9% to 13.7% $5,810 typical

  • French Bulldog

    breed-specific finding KC survey 2017, 2014

    Live UK Kennel Club registered dogs, owner reported

    2.7% 1.4% to 5.1% $5,810 typical

  • Shih Tzu

    breed-specific finding KC survey 2017, 2014

    Live UK Kennel Club registered dogs, owner reported

    1.7% 0.79% to 3.7% $5,810 typical

Where these figures come from

  • Dog Aging Project breeds 2023 Grade B

    Forsyth KK, McCoy BM, Schmid SM, Promislow DEL, Snyder-Mackler N, the DAP Consortium. Lifetime prevalence of owner-reported medical conditions in the 25 most common dog breeds in the Dog Aging Project pack. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2023;10:1140417.

    View source
  • DachsLife 2015 Grade B

    Packer RMA, Seath IJ, O'Neill DG, De Decker S, Volk HA. DachsLife 2015: an investigation of lifestyle associations with the risk of intervertebral disc disease in Dachshunds. Canine Genetics and Epidemiology. 2016;3:8.

    View source
  • Dog Aging Project 2025 Grade B

    Demographic and lifestyle characteristics impact lifetime prevalence of owner-reported intervertebral disc disease: 43,517 companion dogs in the United States. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 2025;263(5).

    View source
  • KC survey 2017 Grade C

    Wiles BM, Llewellyn-Zaidi AM, Evans KM, O'Neill DG, Lewis TW. Large-scale survey to estimate the prevalence of disorders for 192 Kennel Club registered breeds. Canine Genetics and Epidemiology. 2017;4:8.

    View source

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