I remember even earlier SA-signs now!

2013, Jan, 12 | MANUEL - SA & more | 0 comments

Start a health-diary early!

We have ever since Manuel was a pup been writing notes about his physical and mental status.

Why?

It is good to have an over all picture of your dog – especially when everything is “normal” – so you have something to compare too.

  • When is he shedding, how does it look?
  • What is the normal body temperature?
  • What is the normal look of his  mucuous membrane and teeth?
  • How does how does a normal stool look like?

Reviewing Manuel’s health diary

When looking back, with the knowledge I have today I must say that  there have been NO signs of  SA in early years .

However, he has always been a “picky” Akita when it comes to his skin.  Always pointing out to us: “Look a bug, look a mosquito bite, look I am wet, look I am dry after the bath”.

This year, I actually was so his coat condition that I planned to enter him to a dog show – “My Dog”,  wanting to show how great a 6-year (nearly 7) old can look. Just shortly after I had paid the fee it all started…

  • The winter 2011/2012 was perfect – great skin, great coat, no problems.
  • The summer 2012 he had a perfect summer-coat – no dryness “no nothing”.
  • The past years he has also been a much more confident guy and handles situation where fear is involved much better (forgets faster).

So – to us – 2012 was a very strange year for SA to debut. 

 

Now when I look back, I can see there could have been even earlier triggers and signs.

  • Just too many ticks this summer/autumn – ticks I did not find until they were big (this we have avoided all previous years). No suspicion of tick borne diseases though.
  • Catarrh of the foreskin, hard to get rid of – thinking it was “just” because of so many bitches in heat in the city for such a long period of time  this year (hormones).
  • Spring 2012 – ONE runny eye (no injury, nothing strange at vet’s examination) – so “just” dry mucuous membranes (currently not runny).
  • Late summer 2012 – A bit flaky and less fur at one spot of the tail. I cleaned it up and thought it was “just” an inflamed pre-caudal gland (hormones). THIS I should have monitored more carefully and for sure been suspicious more early if in 100% of control of the tail-status during that early autumn.

These are just thoughts,  and speculations but still…there are many ways of stressing the immune defence and many early signs of SA that I am sure of that human fail to notice.

 

 

His coat still functions very well in relation to snow – protecting 95% of his skin. 

His paws and legs has not (yet) shown any visual signs of SA

Charlotte Steneloo

Charlotte Steneloo

Akita owner from Sweden working for openness regarding health issues. One of the founders of Akita-Unleashed. I consider "experience" to be good, that is - if you have opened your mind for change and actually have learnt something, otherwise claiming you are "experienced" means nothing to me... I dare you.

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