#9 The Akita

It's week two of the count down of the most expensive dog breeds to own. Our list is from an article on Main St from last summer. Last Sunday, we looked at Great Danes, and today we move on to the Akita. Here's the list in case you missed it:

10. Great Dane
9. Akita
8. Basset Hound
7. French Bulldog
6. American Pit Bull Terrier
5. American Staffordshire Terrier
4. Samoyed
3. Rottweiler
2. Bernese Mountain Dog
1. American Bull Dog

Photo from Dog-Photos.net

The Akita is a breed that originated in Japan. It is a large breed with a very heavy coat, sometimes referred to as a double coat. They are revered in Japan and are used for multiple purposes: as companions, guard dogs, and also for hunting. The coloring can vary tremendously and so does their temperament. The Akita is slowly gaining popularity in the United States, and was first introduced to the US by Helen Keller [AKC].

Typical health issues for the Akita include:

• Skin: Hot Spots, Allergies
• Hormones: Addison's Disease, Hypothyroidism
• Behavior: Aggression, Panic Disorders, OCD (tail chasing)
• Digestive: Bloat, Malabsorption, Spleenic Torsion
• Eyes: Cataract, Entropion, Glaucoma, Retinal Dysplasia
• Heart/Blood: Hemophilia, Thrombocytopenia, Von Willebrande's Disease
• Musculoskeletal: Hip Dysplasia, Myasthenia Gravis, Osteochondritis, ACL Tears

Heart-Breakers
Being a large breed, like the Great Dane, the Akita has large breed problems including bloat, hip dysplasia, and osteochondritis. Unique to the Akita are problems with the skin and behavior.

The heavy, double coat of the Akita can lead to chronic skin problems such as Hot Spots and allergies. Hot spots are localized allergic reactions with secondary bacterial infections. The heavy hair coat makes it hard to manage the condition by trapping both allergens and bacteria while making it difficult to treat. These conditions require ongoing treatment which does not often yield very good results. 

The Akita's temperament can range from docile to aggressive. Considering the variation among temperaments within the breed, it's paramount to get a good family history for the dog in question before bringing it into the home. Although familial history is not a guarantee of behavior, it can be a strong indicator. Unless you are a trained animal behaviorist, it is not easy to modify behavior and there's no need to be macho about this. Akitas are very nice dogs, however, they have their limitations as to how they will behave with different owners. Akitas perfer to be "pack leaders" and without a strong personality in the home, can easily become domineering and aggressive. Known as "silent hunters," many experts caution owners to never leave an Akita alone with small children or animals.

Things to Consider

• Akitas are a large breed that need plenty of space and exercise. Because of their temperament, daily exercise is a requirement. A bored and restless Akita is more likely to act aggressively.
• The heavy coat of the Akita requires daily grooming, even though Akitas will often "groom" themselves like a cat.
• The Akita requires an "Alpha Male" personality within the household to maintain household tranquility and keep behavioral problems at bay.
• Akitas require a good and balanced diet, keeping in mind musculoskeletal and skin issues.
• Bred to be working dogs, Akitas need to be kept mentally active! An Akita would be a good choice for special training and sometimes work as therapy dogs.
• Insurance at an early age is highly recommended because of high medical costs for this breed's peculiar health issues.

Join in on the discussion and help create awareness! Leave a comment and tell us about your experiences with Akitas both good and bad. 

Check back next Sunday for #8 The Basset Hound.

Why Should You Know Your Breed?

40 years of Veterinary practice have taught me a few things about how, why, and when people choose to bring a new animal into their homes. Often times, people neglect to gather important information about health issues, temperament, breeding, and rearing conditions. I've seen too many people heartbroken by congenital health problems or behavior issues in an animal they already have an emotional connection with. Health problems they may not be able to afford to fix or adequately adjust their lifestyle to deal with. Likewise, many people bring a new animal into their home without thinking about how their lives will change (exercise and space requirements, socializing a young animal properly, creating a stable routine for a young animal, etc). It makes me sick to think of the number of pets that are given away or euthanized due to owner ignorance or lack of preparedness. I want to help educate to create better lives, relationships, and homes for owners and pets alike.

Things to Consider

1. Read up about different species and breeds and get a good understanding of what species and breed would be best suited for your needs. Take into consideration space, time and other pets already in the household. Do you have a large space for a large dog? plenty of time to exercise an active breed (or they could become destructive)? the time to introduce the new pet to your existing pets?
2. Spend A LOT of time gathering this information (a new pet should never be an "impulse buy").
3. Although a conscientious breeder may be an expert on the breed they deal with, you should also consult a veterinarian and a behaviorist to get a well rounded picture. Remember that anyone selling you an animal (a product) is still selling something. Remember that pet store employees might not have any experience with a particular breed. Get expert advice. There is plenty of good information available online, but make sure to check the sources (no breed bias, and an experienced/informed opinion).
4. That cute puppy in the magazine ad will have needs and behaviors you can't see or know by just looks. Don't fall in love with the looks of an animal before you read up about health and behavior issues.
5. The right dog for your best friend/neighbor/cousin is not necessarily the right dog for you!
6. When selecting a new pet, get familial history if possible before you make a commitment. This includes temperament of the parents and grandparents as well as a family tree/pedigree. Does the tree branch or is it a straight line? Have a veterinarian look over the family tree to ensure there is no inbreeding which leads to more congenital defects.
7. Puppies and kittens grow into adult dogs and cats that live for roughly 12+ years. Are you willing to make a lifelong commitment?
8. Pets require medical attention which can be costly. Even healthy pets need yearly exams and vaccinations. Factor in yearly exams, vaccinations, food, and grooming costs when budgeting for a new pet.
9. Get pet insurance! Pet insurance can mean the difference between a deadly disease, and a maintainable disease because you can afford maintenance medication or surgery.

I'm always looking for contributors! Are you an expert on a particular breed? e-mail me at daktarijay@yahoo.com to contribute a guest post.

#10 The Great Dane

Main St posted a great article last summer about the most expensive dog breeds to own. Here, at Know Your Breed, I want to expand on this great information and give you a break down on costs and commitment for these breeds. Here is the countdown:

10. Great Dane
9. Akita
8. Basset Hound
7. French Bulldog
6. American Pit Bull Terrier
5. American Staffordshire Terrier
4. Samoyed
3. Rottweiler
2. Bernese Mountain Dog
1. American Bulldog

This week we will be focusing on the Great Dane.

Photo by Allpet.com

In all my years of practice, I've found Great Danes to be one of the most loving breeds. I can count on one hand the number of vicious Danes I've come across (invariably due to an underlying disease). Even at 150 lbs, they still think they are lap dogs. However, they do come with a lot of health issues.

Historically, an average dog was probably around 30 lbs with medium hair and build. A simple rule of thumb is that abnormalities develop in a species where they deviate from the norm. The larger the deviation, the larger the incidence of genetic abnormalities. Giants, such as the Great Dane, are prone to diseases that accompany fast and abnormal growth.

Great Danes have problems in various systems:

• Skin: Acne, Lick Dermatitis, Color Mutant Alopecia, Histiocytoma, Pododermatitis
• Hormonal: Addison's Disease, Hypothyroidism, Lymphocytic Thyroiditis
• Digestive: Bloat
• Heart/Blood: Cardiomyopathy, Mitral Valve Defects, Persistent Right Aortic Arch, Von Willebrand's Disease
• Eyes: Cataract (rare), Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Retinal Dysplasia
• Brain: Cerebellar Hypoplasia
• Musculoskeletal: Cervical Disc Disease, Elbow Dysplasia, Hip Dysplasia, Cervical Vertebral Malformation, ACL tears, Hygroma, Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy, Metabolic Bone Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Necrotising Myelopathy, Osteocondritis Dissecans, Osteosarcoma, Wobbler's Syndrome, Stockard's Paralysis
• Ears: Deafness (common occurrence among white cats and dogs)

Heart-Breakers
Essentially, there are two main weaknesses among Danes. First, their musculoskeletal system as you can see above with the longest list. Second, gastrointestinal or digestive disorders.

The vast majority of the musculoskeletal disorders are chronic and need ongoing supportive therapy. The italicized conditions above have surgical treatments available running into hundreds if not thousands of dollars. The others can be maintained through drugs which are also expensive primarily because of the higher amounts required for the Dane's large size. Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) is invariably lethal.

Based on my experience, Osteochondritis and Hip Dysplasia are the most common musculoskeletal problems for Great Danes. Osteochondritis develops due to the fast growth of the long bones and causes pain and often time lameness. People often think that providing extra calcium in the growing puppies diet will prevent this, but this actually contributes to the disease. Feeding puppies adult food starting at about 5 months of age seems to retard the development of Osteochondritis leaving the adult dog a little smaller in stature but with healthier bones and less pain.

Hip Dysplasia is where the hip joint is loose leading to a lot of pain, lameness, and eventual arthritis. Just like in the above condition switching to adult food at an early age is helpful. Long term treatment includes partial or full hip replacements -which can be very costly and could still have side effects such as infection and arthritis.

Bloat is a very serious and common problem among Danes and other large breeds in which the stomach becomes twisted and fills with gas. the gas is unable to escape due to the constriction of the esophagus and the upper small intestines. Without surgical correction, which runs upwards of $6,000, this condition is lethal. Bloat is preventable to a great extent by tacking the stomach to the chest wall. This procedure can be done at the time of spaying or neutering. Unless you are independently wealthy, I recommend buying pet insurance at an early age!

Things to Consider

• Great Danes require a lot of space to run and play! For proper development, a Dane needs a large yard or a nearby dog park to get plenty of exercise.
• Great Danes are big dogs, so they eat A LOT. Make sure you are able to provide high quality food (in mass quantities).
• The average lifespan for a Great Dane is 7-10 years.
• Great Danes mature slowly. They are pretty klutzy until about two years old.
• These very social dogs need a home where they have almost constant companionship. If you are very busy, a Great Dane might not be the best choice for your lifestyle.

I hope that this blog can become a place where we can learn from each other and share our experiences about the dogs in our lives. Please, share your stories both good and bad about the Great Dane in your life.

Check back next Sunday to learn about the Akita!