Tikasa Akita's

Akitas, although they are a quite hardy breed they are susceptible to some health problems, some are genetic, others are viral. The following are some of the more common health issues that can be found in the Akita breed:

Hip Dysplasia

Canine Hip Dysplasia effects millions of dogs each year and can result in debilitating orthopaedic disease of the hip. It's caused when the femoral head does not fit properly in the hip socket, causing instability of the joint. Over time, this malformation can cause degenerative joint disease which causes increased pain and immobility. Through selective breeding strategies, veterinarians and breeders are attempting to eliminate the problem.

Eye Problems

Cataracts. Like humans, dogs can get cataracts. If the dog is in good health, cataracts can be surgically removed usually with good results.

Entropion. Conformational defect where eyelid margin inverts, or rolls inward, toward the eye causing eyelashes and hair to rub against the cornea resulting in ocular irritation.

Glaucoma. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in dogs and is the result of increased fluid pressure within the eye. If the pressure can not be reduced, there will be permanent damage to the retina and optic nerve resulting in visual impairment. Complete blindness can occur within 24 hours or can occur slowly over weeks or months and is usually very painful. Glaucoma is an emergency. Treatment must be started as soon as possible if your dog's sight is to be saved. Irreversible damage to the retina and optic nerve occur within a few hours of significant elevation of the intraocular pressure.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy. PRA is a family of diseases involving the gradual deterioration of the retina. In the early stages of the disease, an affected dog becomes nightblind and cannot see well in dim lighting. As the disease progresses, daytime vision also fails. Provided that the affected dog's environment remains constant, an affected dog can adapt quite well to this handicap. As the affected dog's vision fails, the pupils become increasingly dilated, causing a "shine" to his eyes. The lens of the eyes may also become cloudy, or opaque, resulting in a cataract. It should be noted that while some breeds are affected early in life, others can develop PRA much later.

Retinal Dysplasia. This is an abnormality in the development of the retina. There may be no visual defect in affected dogs, therefore, will only be found when the eye is examined. It is a condition that is thought to be inherited in a number of breeds. The condition may also be acquired as an injury or due to viral infections, toxins and nutritional disorders.

Autoimmune

VKH, or Uveo Dematological Syndrome, is one of the worst diseases found in Akitas. It affects eyes, with most (though not all) dogs eventually becoming blind. Most often it seems to start with a severe conjunctivitis and often follows a sudden stressful period. The affected eyes are extremely painful, bulging with internal pressure, and the retinas detach, resulting in many cases in permanent blindness. However, as with many diseases both in humans and animals, the degree of severity varies from individual to individual. For reasons that are not understood, the retina in dogs is more resilient than in humans and if treated quickly with the appropriate drugs, can reattach and a reasonable degree of sight can be restored. Since this can recur at irregular intervals, the retina will be damaged on each recurrence, and therefore the degree of sight restored will gradually be reduced. It also affects the skin, with loss of pigmentation, and hair loss around the eyes, muzzle, anus and these mucous membrane areas can also become “crusty”.

In dogs, the disease itself is not life threatening, but blindness is not unusual. The uveitis varies in severity and prompt diagnosis can result in relatively effective treatment. Acute blindness is due to retinal detachment, whereas chronic uveitis can lead to blindness as the result of cataract formation or the development of glaucoma. Poliosis and vitiligo usually begin within 2 weeks of the uveitis, but it may take several months to develop. Poliosis involves the face, and the eyelids, the nose, the lips, the scrotum and the footpads may be involved in vitiligo. Occasionally, the vitiligo may involve the whole body, and the depigmentation areas may ulcerate. Loss of hair may occur, but not all patients will be involved.

Bloat

This is a condition affecting the digestive system and is unfortunately life threatening in dogs. Initially the stomach begins to fill with gas and becomes distended noticeably on the left hand-side in the first instance. This is known as GASTRIC DILATATION. It is not uncommon in dogs, humans even cats, problems arise however when the gas cannot escape.

As the gas and dilatation increases pressure inside the stomach builds up, this creates stress and pressure on major organs such as the heart and liver. The pressure increase reduces the flow of blood by 75% resulting in heart irregularities such as arrhythmias toxic shock also becomes a life-threatening problem.

As the gases build up further the stomach swells to enormous capacity looking and sounding like a case ball when tapped at the side. The pressure inside the stomach is by now so intense, that the stomach begins to rotate the rotation can be a partial twist or a full twist. This is now GASTRIC DILATATION VOLVULUS. Blood flow to the stomach ceases, within minutes the stomach tissue begins to turn black and die.

The condition is now a real emergency and the dog will be showing extreme signs of distress as all of the major organs become seriously compromised.

The key point is that this condition is life threatening and time is of the essence. The sooner veterinary attention is sought the more promising the outcome.