Re: Akita: punctuation; more health problems or added-details
just a small quibble - it is AKITAS plural not "Akita's", the second is a possessive as if the breed 'owned' it, as in the phrase,
"the Akita's possessive nature makes territorial and resource-guarding behaviors very likely, unless the dog is carefully taught with positive-reinforcement to tolerate strangers, and to trust people near treasured objects."
re health, what about
* Brucella [organism] and Brucellosis [disease] -
an[b] STD which can be both crisis and chronic; often cyclical, with crises followed by stable periods - high fever, hallucinations, and erratic behavior in humans with mood-swings; see the fictionalized memoirs of JAMES HERRIOT [nom de plume] for a description of his pre-antibiotic era chronic infection, after delivering a stillborn calf from a Brucella-affected cow.
a ZOONOSIS - in most regions this is a mandatory-reported public health disease, as it can cause stillbirth, miscarriage, sterility, death of young animals, and serious or possibly fatal illness in dogs, cattle, and humans; DEER, BISON and ELK are all potentially affected species, and can be carriers, as well.
* luxating patella AKA 'trick knee' - the Japanese and Asian love for vertical rears and skyward anus means that the bones of the rear legs are stacked like cards in a house of cards, and any minor deviation means instability in the joint; the knee can be medially or laterally displaced.
VISUAL SYMPTOMS: overpronation of the foot and hyperextension of the leg - vertical, vs a series of near-90-degree
angles at hock, knee (under the forward-curve of fleshy thigh), and femur to pelvis.
* Progressive Retinal Atrophy or PRA - average age of onset in Akitas is sadly late - between 3 and 5 years of age; meaning that many dogs have been bred before they become symptomatic. waiting until any prospective breeding stock are a minimum of 24-MO is strongly advised, as according to Padgett DVM, over 85% of problems which will become symptomatic in any one dog will manifest by 2-years-age. thus even diseases or problems which are untestable, can be seen before progeny who will be carriers or affected, are in utero or born.
PRA can be visualized by an eye-exam by a certified canine-opthalmologist, which is a Board-specialty, not an ordinary vet; annual certificates of CLEAR status should be current on any stock being actively bred. dilating the pupils is necessary for such eye-exams, and care must be taken to protect the wide-open eyes from any light brighter than low-wattage indoor lighting. hooding the dog and carrying them to and from the car, or walking in the gloaming or after dark, are strongly suggested. bright-light is not only painful, but damaging to the open and helpless eyes, as the iris is frozen until the meds wear off. a calming-cap made by Premier Pet Products is another safe option for protecting the dilated eyes.
* Von Willebrandt's Disease AKA vWd or VWD - a clotting abnormality which can be tested for - samples should be sent to the vet-lab at Michigan State University in the USA for best analysis, as they have the world's largest breed-specific database for accurate value and range comparison for normal.
* Sebaceous Adenitis or SA, also found in Poodles - a skin disorder that eventually involves organ damage, and is fatal; it can and should be tested for, before choosing prospective studs or dams - 3 full-depth skin-punches should be taken in various parts of the body, which will necessitate local-injection anaesthetic before the punches are done, AND a stitch at each sample-site to close them.
again, the samples should be sent to MSU/ Michigan State Univ vet-lab for microscopy, looking for cellular anomalies.
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terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007
Last edited by leashedForLife; 29-11-2010 at 07:52 AM..
Reason: ADD: test for PRA, dilation, Board-cert'd. specialty, etc.
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