It was the latter part of the 1980s. I was back on the family farm in rural Ohio; Summer break from college had just begun. The weather was warm and wonderful. My best friend Andy was coming over to pick me up. We were going to his parents house as it was still his main home; where his old room was, his garage where we worked out, where we played basketball, etc. He was at that in-between stage of living at home and getting out on his own. We had been great friends since kindergarten and over the years, had practically lived with one another.

He soon pulled into our driveway in his red pickup truck. I sure was glad to see him cause being away at college, I didn’t get to see him as much anymore. He was glad to see me too though I quickly learned he was troubled. He had been recently living in his Aunt’s house as it was much closer to where he worked and last night, had had a really bad dream.

On the way to his parents house he told me about his nightmare.  He had experienced a vivid dream about the family pet, Daisy.  In his dream, Daisy had been run over and fatally injured at his family home. He awoke from his dream crying and sweating. He described his Mother on her knees over a dying Daisy. He said his Mom was screaming in his direction that Daisy had been run over, he described the anguished look on his Mother’s face, etc. He described the dream to me in great detail on the way to his parents’ house.

Daisy was the family’s beloved Dachshund. Daisy was a short haired, brown/tan, female Dachshund. As she grew older she became very fat; her belly dragged against the ground somewhat. At the time, she was 11-12 years old and also had visual problems. She was the most memorable and beloved pet they ever had. She was the primary pet Andy grew up with during his most formative years.

I have many great memories of Daisy as I practically lived at his parents’ house while growing up. We could sometimes hear Daisy approaching in the house by the sound of her feet on the carpet. She would sit on the couch with us while we watched movies. She would roll onto her back and we would rub her tummy. Dick, Andy’s Dad, would  a few times say “sing Daisy, sing” and Daisy would start howling. She would get lost in grass that really wasn’t that high but would ultimately emerge.  The grass must have seemed like a large forest to Daisy. She would chase and nip after moths and butterflies. She would snore quite loud and there was something endearing and heartwarming about it.

As we pulled into the family home, we turned around the side of the house to park. As we came into view, we immediately heard his mom screaming towards us “they’ve run over Daisy”. We saw his Mom, Joan, in the driveway close to the sidewalk which led to the entrance of the house. She was on her knees over a fallen Daisy and had a profoundly anguished look on her face. Andy’s Dad, Dick, was also there. Andy and I looked at one another in total disbelief. What we saw unfolding was EXACTLY how he had described his nightmare to me.

Joan had been out having fun with some of her lady friends. As they were dropping Joan off and saying goodbye, Daisy came waddling out to meet Joan. In her excitement to come out and be with Joan, Daisy accidentally got partially behind one of the tires of the car. Daisy was run over as the car backed to leave. Amazingly, the woman who was driving thought it was not such a big deal and drove away. Andy and I arrived just a minute or two later.

We both rushed to Daisy and Andy dropped to his knees over her. She was laying on her side and was not moving; it was clear she had suffered a terrible injury.  Andy gently put his face down upon her and was talking to her; telling her how sorry he was and how much he loved her.  I could tell she was comforted by having Andy there. Over the next few minutes,  Daisy’s breathing grew more shallow and her eyes more glassy in appearance.  Andy was able to caress and cry upon her as she died at the scene.  It was so heartbreaking and we all were crying. 

There were a few times in Andy’s life where he was  ”sensitive” in a paranormal kind of way. He had experienced a nightmare about Daisy’s death the night before and had described it to me in great detail.   I was a witness to the sad, paranormal reality later that same day.  Andy’s nightmare and the sad reality were an exact match.

Daisy during her younger years

Daisy during her older years

You could go many years without there being anything significantly wrong with your Doxie. The pet insurance payments over those years could add up to be quite a lot of money out of your pocket. By the same token, if and when you do have to have an expensive procedure, the pet insurance sure would come in handy. Who wants to put $3000.00 (or more) on a credit card for doxie back surgery when your pet insurance could pay most all of the expense?

Some who may not have much money or insurance might consider putting their doxie “to sleep” rather than paying for back surgery or some other serious illness/injury.  This is a terrible thing for me to think of but I’m sure it happens. Of course pet insurance doesn’t just help for the expensive stuff; it also comes in very handy for all the more routine things.

I use to have pet insurance for my Dachshund, Charlie, but currently do not. I wish I did! I do not exactly recall why I ever cancelled my pet insurance as it was years ago. I believe however that it had to do with me going through a very difficult money situation.  When I had it, it did make me feel more secure and helped quite a bit.

Charlie is 12.5 years old now so if any insurance company agreed to cover him, I’m sure the premiums would be very expensive and his coverage options quite limited.  Many pet insurance companies would not accept him based on his age.  Fortuneately,  Charlie’s health has always been quite good Thank God! 

No one can argue, in my opinion, that having pet insurance is a bad thing. Over the course of a month, the expense for it would likely be pennies per day out of your pocket. You would probably spend as much if not more in one month buying your family lunch or dinner at a modestly priced restaurant. Attending one professional sports game would cost far more than one month of pet insurance for your Dachshund.

If you want pet insurance, it is better to sign up while your Hotdog is young; premiums are cheaper for young weiners. You then can get locked in at a good price for the life of your Dachshund. Furthermore, if you sign up while your friend is healthy, there is a reduced chance you can be denied coverage for a “preexisting condition.” Once you doxie gets older the premiums go up and if your friend has a pre-existing condition, you likely will be denied coverage for any complications related to that condition. Most any new condition would be covered.

The most impressive pet insurance company I found, with my focus being overwhelmingly on Dachshunds, is called Embrace Pet Insurance. They are based in the North of Ohio.  They were quickly responsive to my inquiries and very pleasant to interact with.  I had a good “vibe” or feeling from my contacts with them.

Their policies are customizable meaning you choose what maximums, deductibles, options, etc. that you want. You then get quotes and can adjust or choose accordingly. This is all easily done through their website. You need to sign  up purebred dogs between the ages of 8 weeks at a minimum and 6 years at a maximum; this would apply for most of us Dachshund folks.  If not a purebred dog the age window is 8 weeks to 8 years. If you sign up prior to the 6th year of age of your purebred Dachshund, you are covered and can never, as your doxie ages, be ejected from Embrace’s program.

So you probably want to know if Embrace will help if your Doxie comes down with a dreaded back problem? The answer is YES! If your Dachshund has had no back problems or symptoms prior to you getting pet insurance with Embrace you are safe. For example, if you have had your pet insurance for awhile and then your Dachshund develops back problems for the first time, Embrace will take care of you. You are also then covered should the condition become chronic. Many other insurance companies will not cover back problems in Dachshunds since the breed is predisposed to this kind of problem. Embrace does not preclude hereditary and genetically predisposed conditions like many other pet insurance companies do.

Embrace, like all pet insurance companies,  has what is called a waiting period.  A waiting period is a window of time from when you sign up for insurance to when it actually kicks in. This deters people taking out insurance just to make a claim;  this makes it more fair for everybody that has the insurance. At Embrace, the waiting period is 14 days for both accidents and illnesses and 6 months for cruciate ligament injuries. So let’s say you sign up today and your doxie has a problem in a week–you are not covered because this falls into the 14 day waiting period. Let’s say your doxie has a problem 3 weeks after you sign up—-you then are covered and forever after. There is no waiting period when your policy renews; it only applies when you are a new enrollee.

The ideas and plans for Embrace began to take root in 2003 or thereabouts and the company officially launched in 10/06. The youth of the company worried me a bit. I thought to myself…if they are new maybe they are not yet strong or solid or maybe they won’t last very long.  My research however eliminated any fears I had.  Here are some things I found out by talking to one of the higher ups at Embrace.  They are insured by Lloyd’s of London. Embrace is growing and doing very well. While many other companies in the vicinity of Embrace are laying off per the bad economy, they in fact have been hiring. I also came across favorable comments from customers. Good customer satisfaction, to me, is an indicator an organization will continue to thrive.

So in conclusion, it is a personal decision if you chose to obtain pet insurance; no one knows your situation better than you do. If you decide you do wish to have pet insurance, I suggest you sign up sooner rather than later. If Charlie were younger and my money situation better, Embrace would be my first choice for pet insurance.  As it is, he is way over their age limitation so would not be accepted anyway.

My goal is to do my utmost to have Charlie around until he is at least 20 years old.  I was worried sick the few times he tweaked his back. His only problem at the moment is dry eye syndrome.   

I hope this article has been helpful and I wish all of you the best with your Dachshund/s or with whatever other pet you may have!

Sincerely, Link

Dachshunds are best known for their elongated body and short, stout legs.  This made them the perfect hunting dog in regards to digging into and entering the underground lair of the badger.  Dachshunds are also known as weiner dog, hot dog, sausage dog, “a doxie”, etc. 

The origin of the dachshund as a breed can be traced to Germany between 1550-1850. Some people claim the Dachshund can be traced back to ancient Egypt but I’m not convinced of this. The dachshund first appeared in the United States between 1879-1885. 

World War I almost spelled the end of the doxie as  anti German sentiment made it unpopular to own one at the time. The popularity of the breed improved somewhat only to once again encounter anti German sentiment during World War II. 

After WW II, the Dachshund Club of America carried out a successful educational campaign to reduce and/or eliminate the unfair bias the breed had endured.  The dachshund has since experienced an ever growing  popularity.

The two sizes, standard and miniature, come in several colors with black, black and tan, and red being the most common.  Their coats are distinguished by three varieties:  smooth, long-haired and, wire-haired.

If you manage your doxie’s food intake they will not get obese. This will go a long ways in staving off back problems.  Also try to minimize how much your doxie jumps.  Consider obtaining a ramp (see the Gifts Page) at some point. It is also important to understand how to properly hold a Dachshund. Both the front and rear portions of their body must be fully supported when holding them.

In case of back strain/sprain, please go to a vetrinarian as soon as possible.  Signs of a strain/sprain may be inability to hold their head/neck normally, stiffness, abnormal posture, crying when you handle them or in general, not eating, etc.  The doxie will need to be confined to a small space and given an anti-inflammatory medication, pain medicine, and possibly steroids.  Most of the time, the doxie will come out of the crisis in about one week.

Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is the more serious back problem a Dachshund can face. Surgery is often needed and recovery prolonged. A doxie with IVDD can cost you alot of $$$ too. Signs of IVDD are an abnormal gait, inability to stand/walk, inability to control the bowels or bladder, crying when you handle them or in general, not eating, etc. There is a site called Dodger’s List which is dedicated to the topic of Dachshund IVDD. The site offers support for those who have a Dachshund in crisis with IVDD.

Charlie strained/sprained his back a few times when he was young due to too much jumping.  He overcame this problem with improved training and had not had a back problem in many years. Unfortuneately, earlier this year in February, he had an episode. It is always scary cause at first you are not quite sure how bad it is. This episode was like the others and I reacted to it and treated it as described above. I think my four year old Son had something to do with it but I don’t know for sure. The vetrinarian told me there does not have to be a cause…that a back crisis in a Dachshund “can just happen”. Charlie’s only significant problem right now is dry eye syndrome.

Dachshunds, of course, can have any other host of health related issues. I know of a wonderful Dachshund named Oscar who experienced sudden canine blindness earlier this year. You can learn more about Oscar and learn more about visual problems in dogs in general at SARDs/IMR–Awareness Central. I’m sure there are Dachshunds out there who have just about any health related condition you can think of i.e. diabetes, deafness, seizures, cancer, etc.

Well, don’t let me alarm you too much! With a proper diet, some training, and a little bit of exercise, your doxie can live a long and healthy life. Even if your doxie does develop a health problem it is, most of the time, not the end of the world.  Doxie health problems can be treated, managed, cured, etc. and the joy to be experienced with your buddy can still be tremendous.   A Dachshund’s life span can be as long as fifteen years and you will never have a better friend. I know of a Dachshund that is 19 years old and my doxie, Charlie, is 13 years of age.