What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 5pm Tuesday 8am - 5pm Wednesday 8am - 5pm Thursday 8am - 5pm Friday 8am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 7pm

http://www.saltoftheearthdachshunds.com/, https://ofa.org/advanced-search/

Salt of the Earth Dachshunds, Zebulon, NC (2026)

06/12/2026

゚viralシ

06/11/2026

Run Noa, Run 🏃‍♀️ 🐾

06/10/2026

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 “𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀” 🧬

It looks like understanding what those results mean...
And it also looks like understanding what it means when you choose not to test at all 💭

When you run genetic testing, you are not just collecting a list of “clear” and “carrier” labels. You are looking at how different genes behave in that dog, in that line, and in that breed, and then using that information to make thoughtful pairing decisions for the next generation 🐾

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That means 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨:
❥ How a trait is inherited, for example autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, or a pattern with incomplete or variable penetrance
❥ Whether it is mostly controlled by one gene [monogenic] or influenced by many genes [polygenic]
❥ Whether that specific mutation is even relevant to Dachshunds and 𝘩𝘰𝘸 it behaves in our breed

Most of us learn “dominant versus recessive” at some point...
𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 usually means one copy of a disease variant can be enough to increase risk or cause disease.
𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 means a dog usually needs two copies of the variant for health to be affected, while a dog with one copy is typically a carrier without obvious signs.

𝔹𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕖𝕣 💡

Some traits show things like:
❥ 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 when a dog has the disease genotype but never shows clinical signs
❥ 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 when two dogs with the same genotype show very different severity or patterns of disease

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬 and the rest of the genetic background can turn the volume up or down on a mutation. This is why the same variant can show up very differently in different breeds. In practice, that means a disease variant may behave more like a dominant pattern with incomplete penetrance in some breeds, while in other breeds the same variant is described and managed more like a recessive condition 🎯

𝐀 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝕧𝕠𝕟 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕪𝕡𝕖 𝟙 𝕍𝕎𝔻𝟙

Type 1 VWD is the most common inherited bleeding disorder in dogs and is caused by reduced quantity or function of von Willebrand factor, an important clotting protein 🩸

In Doberman Pinschers, research on the common VWF c.7437G>A variant has shown that type 1 VWD follows an autosomal dominant pattern with incomplete penetrance. In simple terms, one copy of this variant can be enough to lower von Willebrand factor and increase bleeding risk, but not every dog with the variant will show obvious clinical signs.

In other breeds, the same variant has been described as behaving more like an autosomal recessive pattern, where dogs with two copies are more likely to be clinically affected and some dogs with only one copy may appear normal.

So the key point is that the same VWD1 variant can act differently in different breeds. That is exactly why we cannot assume “Doberman rules” automatically apply to Dachshunds, and why we must look at how a mutation behaves in our own breed before we decide what to do with that result.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Dachshunds, VWD1 appears to be rare based on how infrequently it is reported, but rare does not mean harmless 🚫

Rare simply means “we do not see it often right now.” 𝘐𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘨𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦...

If you never test, you do not know which dogs are quietly carrying something found within the breed or even something uncommon in the breed like a VWD1 variant.
If you then breed carrier to carrier, you are suddenly producing affected puppies. Those puppies grow up, may be bred by others not testing or ignoring certain results, and now a variant that was 'rare' is being spread through multiple lines.

Skipping testing does not protect your program from bad news...
It just means you cannot see the risk you are creating. That is exactly how something 𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚 in a breed can become more 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 within certain lines over time ⚠️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One breeder in our community recently had a Dachshund come back with a VWD1 result on a panel. Instead of ignoring it because it 'belongs' to another breed, they asked questions, learned what it means for Dachshunds, and can better make informed decisions for their program. That one decision may have prevented affected puppies and kept a rare variant from getting a stronger foothold in their line 🙏

This is why responsible breeding is not “Run a panel and only breed the clears”...
And it is definitely not “Do not test so you do not have to think about it”

Responsible breeding looks like...
❥ Testing with intention
❥ Knowing which disease variants are documented in your breed even when they are rare
❥ Understanding that the same variant can behave differently across breeds, and checking how it is described for your breed when that information exists
❥ Recognizing which traits are mostly monogenic where one test can tell you a lot versus polygenic where you also need phenotype, family history, and litter history
❥ Using that information to avoid predictable risk while still protecting genetic diversity 🌱

That is the difference between checking a box and actually using genetics to protect the dogs in front of you as well as the ones you will never meet down the line 🧬🐾

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright © Salt of the Earth Dachshunds. You may share this post as-is using the Share button or with clear credit to our program as the original source.

06/09/2026

Dachshund Quality Control: Junior Inspector on duty 🕵️‍♂️🐾

Every reachable dish was thoroughly checked and found disappointingly clean 😅

Compensation package: one yummy treat for exceptional service 🦴💼

06/08/2026

🧬 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝘀 & 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 (𝗨𝗦𝗔)

There are many different opinions about which labs and panels are “best,” and that is completely expected. This post is not about naming a winner but about giving breeders a clear overview of commonly used options, what they offer, and how they can fit into a thoughtful, ethical testing strategy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🏛️ 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 & 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝘀 (𝗙𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴)

𝐔𝐂 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐬 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

❥ University based, research driven lab with a strong reputation for reliable canine testing.
❥ Offers individual DNA tests and some breed specific panels for health, coat, and parentage, but does not offer a Dachshund specific panel.
❥ Offers detailed Merle testing that reports Merle SINE insertion length (allele size), which is extremely valuable for making safe Merle breeding decisions.
❥ Excellent option when you know exactly which condition or trait you want to investigate.

𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐛

❥ University lab with a long history of developing DNA tests for inherited diseases.
❥ Commonly used for disease focused testing and referenced in OFA resources for DNA based disease tests.

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐒𝐨𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬

❥ Private lab offering DNA tests for dogs and other species, with very fast turnaround.
❥ States that animal DNA results are typically available within 1–2 business days after the sample arrives at the lab. (In my recent experience, from the time I ordered to having results in hand was about 8 days total, which is extremely helpful when making time sensitive breeding decisions).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
📦 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀

𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐤

❥ Comprehensive, all in one panel that is widely used in the breeding community.
❥ Embark’s breeder and health pages state that they test for 270+ genetic health risks and conditions.
❥ Also reports breed ancestry, coefficient of inbreeding, and a wide range of traits.
❥ Preferred by many breeders as a primary panel.

𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

❥ Breeder focused panel under the Wisdom Panel / Mars Petcare umbrella.
❥ Designed specifically for breeders, with health testing, trait testing for coat, size, and other traits, and genetic diversity and COI tools.
❥ Optimal Selection product information states that it includes 270+ genetic health tests and 50+ traits for breeders.
❥ Science materials explain that testing is performed in partnership with Neogen Genomics, a lab with human grade accreditations such as CLIA and ISO 17025 and extensive pet DNA experience.

𝐀𝐊𝐂 𝐃𝐍𝐀 + 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡

❥ Offered by the American Kennel Club as a combined identity and health panel.
❥ AKC’s FAQ states that DNA + Health includes the standard AKC DNA profile plus 283 health markers and 45 trait and color markers.
❥ Breeders report that it currently includes M locus allele length and PRA5, which may be important to some Dachshund programs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🎯 𝗣𝗮𝘄 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁/𝗢𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀

These labs are often used more for targeted disease, color, or coat testing than as full “everything in one box” breeder panels.

𝐏𝐚𝐰 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐭 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐞𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞

❥ Paw Print Genetics built a strong reputation for breed specific disease panels and extensive canine DNA test options.
❥ Offers Full Breed Profiles for purebred dogs, screening 260+ breed specific diseases and traits and providing a DNA profile, with the option to add single disease or trait tests when you need something very specific.
❥ Neogen acquired Genetic Veterinary Sciences, Inc. (Paw Print Genetics), and Paw Print later merged under the Orivet umbrella. Since this transition, some breeders have reported concerns such as missing results or perceived changes in service quality, especially around the merger period. Because of those reports, many breeders choose to use this lab cautiously, keep thorough records, and save copies of all results immediately.

𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬

❥ Long standing lab offering color testing, inherited disease testing, and relationship and parentage testing for dogs and other species.
❥ Commonly used for coat color and length testing and specific disease tests rather than as a primary all in one panel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🐾 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺

For my Dachshund program, I use a combination approach:

❥ Comprehensive baseline panel utilizing Wisdom Panel Optimal Selection as my main panel.

- I chose Wisdom Panel Optimal Selection because it is not just a health panel, it is a breeder ecosystem. It combines Dachshund relevant disease testing, including direct testing for key Dachshund genetics like CDDY, genomic diversity, ISAG 2020 SNP parentage, Litter Predict mating forecasts, and Breeder Access sharing tools in one human grade, accredited lab platform, which lets me plan pairings and verify pedigrees at the level of seriousness I expect for my program.

❥ Targeted and focal testing

If I need to confirm a result or run a test that is not included on my panel, for example Merle allele length or MMVD, I use:

- 𝘜𝘊 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘴 for research backed, highly respected individual tests.
- 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘚𝘰𝘭 for fast, focused testing with excellent turnaround.

This combination allows me to use panels for broad screening and university or private labs for precise follow up where needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
📑 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗢𝗙𝗔 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗡𝗔 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝘀

OFA accepts genetic and DNA testing from multiple established laboratories for their DNA based disease registries. In practice, that means breeders can use the labs discussed in this post for many breed specific DNA conditions and then submit those results to OFA when the test and lab are approved for that particular disease.

It is always important to check OFA’s current information for your specific condition and breed, because accepted labs and test requirements can vary by disease and may be updated over time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🧠 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵

This is the most important takeaway:
Simply running a genetic panel is not enough if you do not understand what the genes actually do or how to apply the results in a breeding program.

A panel is just a tool. To use it responsibly, breeders need to understand:

❥ whether a mutation is dominant or recessive
❥ whether it shows incomplete penetrance or variable expression
❥ whether it needs modifiers to express
❥ and what one copy vs two copies actually means in that specific gene and breed

Many people stop at the summary page or traffic light style icons, but serious breeding decisions require going deeper than the short explanations some companies provide. You need to understand which results are truly significant for your breed, which ones are carrier only, which ones are low penetrance, and how they fit into the bigger picture of structure, temperament, and overall health.

The goal is not just “I tested.” The goal is to understand what was tested, what the result truly means, and how it should or should not change your breeding plans.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
👉 Coming up in this series: A closer look at select individual mutations and traits that appear on panels and how to interpret them for responsible breeding.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright © Salt of the Earth Dachshunds. You may share this post as-is using the Share button or with clear credit to our program as the original source.

06/06/2026

🦸‍♂️

゚

06/05/2026

Another preemie litter pupdate!

Mieke (formerly Lainey) was the largest of the 2 puppies. She was a Rockstar from the start and continues to do great per her dad's report 💜🐾

I love getting updates from my puppy families...hearing how well they're doing and about the joy they bring to the lives around them, but these updates hit a little different. This litter was the most memorable because of the struggles we faced together and I'm just in awe looking at them now!

Happy belated 1️⃣st birthday sweet girl!

06/05/2026

Who remembers our preemie litter from last year?

We got a pupdate on Moose (formerly Wilson) yesterday! Look at this handsome fella 😍

They turned 1️⃣ year old June 3rd!

I had moments with this guy in particular where I wasn't sure he would experience the world outside of that whelping box...but God. His family's update really made my heart smile big! So thankful to have been apart of his journey into this world to bless the lives of his amazing family 💙🐾

06/04/2026

🐾 DachsLife 2018: 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙄𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙈𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝘼𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝘿𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨? 🐾

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If we want to make better breeding decisions, we have to start with which health issues are most concerning in Dachshunds, not guesses, not one vets experience in practice, and not whatever gets argued about most online 💬

The DachsLife 2018 survey gave us that big picture by collecting health information on 2,564 Dachshunds and charting which diseases owners reported most often 📊 For a single breed, that is a very large sample size, far bigger than most veterinary studies ever manage in one breed, which is why this graph is so important.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🔎 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙨

In the bar graph, IVDD is shown as the most prevalent health issue in the breed 🦴

Just behind it are conditions like:
❥ Skin allergies and atopy (genetic predisposition to develop allergic diseases)
❥ Cancers and tumours
❥ Cryptorchidism (undescended testicle(s))
❥ Several reproductive issues
❥ Heart disease

Then we see:
❥ Neurologic conditions such as idiopathic epilepsy
❥ Immune mediated and inflammatory disease
❥ Gastrointestinal issues like inflammatory bowel disease
❥ Orthopedic problems including pes varus and other limb issues

Much further along the graph you reach the rarer conditions, this is where PRA appears down near the tail of the distribution alongside things like liver shunt, hip dysplasia, SARDS and Lafora. The exact percentages matter less here than the pattern. Most of the overall health burden in this breed is coming from spinal disease, skin and allergy problems, cancers, heart and endocrine disease, neurologic conditions like epilepsy and structural problems such as patellas and pes varus, with PRA and other rare inherited diseases sitting much lower in comparison.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
📚 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨

This survey is not just a casual online poll 🚫

❥ DachsLife 2018 was run by Dachshund Health UK and the UK Dachshund Breed Council, the main health body for the breed that works closely with the Kennel Club and the Royal Veterinary College on research and screening programs.
❥ The same team has run multiple large surveys in 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2021, and the 2015 DachsLife data on IVDD have been published in a peer reviewed veterinary journal 📖
❥ The Kennel Clubs own large health surveys show the same main themes for Dachshunds, especially around IVDD, skin disease, epilepsy and other chronic issues.

In other words, DachsLife 2018 is part of a consistent, multi year evidence base, not a one off outlier ✅

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
👩‍⚕️ 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨

It is completely reasonable to care deeply about specific conditions or to want your dog to be free of certain genetic and health risks 💗 The problem comes when breeders or puppy buyers focus almost entirely on a very rare disease while giving much less attention to the conditions that are far more common and often more devastating for the breed.

DachsLife 2018 gives us the context to:
❥ See the rare conditions
❥ Recognise that they should not take priority over major issues like IVDD, chronic skin disease, cancers, heart problems, epilepsy and serious structural disorders when we are setting health priorities.

For breeders, understanding this prevalence picture is essential for deciding which dogs to pair, where to bring in new lines and which risks can realistically be reduced over time. For pet owners, it is just as important when you are evaluating breeders and asking questions about testing and health history 📝

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🧬 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ᴛᴇꜱᴛɪɴɢ, ɢᴇɴᴇᴛɪᴄ ᴛᴇꜱᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇᴅɪɢʀᴇᴇ ʀᴇꜱᴇᴀʀᴄʜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ 🧩

❥ 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 lets us screen the individual dog in front of us for many of the conditions that appear on this bar graph, including heart disease, eye disease, orthopedic problems like patellas and angular limb deformities, and endocrine or other systemic issues.
❥ 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 adds another layer for diseases where we have DNA tests available, such as Lafora disease, cord1 PRA, MMVD risk variants and some pigment related conditions that sit towards the right hand side of the bar graph 🧪
❥ 𝐏𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 and *honest* line sharing to connect all of that information across generations so we can see which families repeatedly produce epilepsy, heart problems, chronic skin disease, IVDD, pes varus, fertility issues and other patterns that we cannot yet swab for but still need to factor into our decisions 🌳

We are not going to eliminate every disease on this bar graph, but DachsLife 2018 gives us a clear, data driven picture of where health concerns lie for the breed 🧠 By taking this survey seriously, and by combining health testing, genetic testing and transparent pedigrees, breeders and pet owners can make choices that genuinely reduce risk in the conditions that commonly affect the Dachshund breed 💪🐾

Original bar graph and data from DachsLife 2018 (Dachshund Health UK / Dachshund Breed Council). 𝘍𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright © Salt of the Earth Dachshunds. You may share this post as-is using the Share button or with clear credit to our program as the original source.

06/03/2026

Summer has officially arrived in North Carolina, which means the bugs and critters are back in full force 🌞🐝

This morning, this girl found out the hard way that yellowjackets are not friends, and within seconds she was pawing at her face and panicking 💔🐾

Because I was outside with her and watching, getting my usual morning dose of dachshund antics and entertainment, I saw the behavior change before I ever saw swelling. That let me get her inside, check her nose to tail, start Benadryl, and get on the phone with one of our vets right away. A couple of hours later she still has some swelling, but it is significantly better than it was and we can finally laugh about how she briefly looked like a very confused little cocker spaniel 🚑😂

A few takeaways for dog owners as we head into the warm months:

❥ Be out there supervising, especially if your dogs have access to woods, tall grass, or brush where insects and snakes hang out 🌿🐍
❥ Do a quick “nose to tail” check when they come back inside so you can catch problems before they snowball 👀
❥ Keep a **dog safe** antihistamine like Benadryl on hand, and know your dog’s dose ahead of time. Always confirm with your veterinarian for your dog’s weight, health, and any medications they are on 💊
❥ If you use liquid Benadryl, double check the label to be sure it does not contain xylitol or other additives that are toxic to dogs 🚫🧪
❥ Have your regular vet and the nearest emergency clinic numbers saved in your phone and somewhere visible at home so you are not scrambling when seconds count 📱🏥

Even as a nurse who is used to emergencies, I had a brief moment of panic before my brain kicked into gear and I did what I know to do 🧠❤️ In those urgent moments our dogs do not need us to open an app and ask for a hundred opinions, they need us to act, call a vet, and use the tools we have ready. Our dogs have a way of turning minor scares into reminders about why being prepared, present, and educated matters so much 🐾✨

Salt of the Earth Dachshunds

06/12/2026

06/11/2026

06/10/2026

06/09/2026

06/08/2026

06/06/2026

06/05/2026

06/05/2026

06/04/2026

06/03/2026

Address

Opening Hours

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 7pm