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 Shiba Inu Health Problems |
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Overall, the Shiba Inu breed has few health problems. However the Shiba owner needs to be aware of the following: Cataracts: This is the most common eye defect in Shibas. Cataracts that develop before the age of two have the potential to cause the dog to go blind. There are three main types of cataracts: Congenital Cataracts: This type of cataract is present when the dog is born. They can occur in one eye or both. The cause is usually from illness, infection or toxins while the dog is still developing in the uterus. Developmental Cataracts: This type typically occurs early on in a dog's life. The cause can include illness, infection or trauma. Senile Cataracts: This type of cataract is more commonly found in dogs over 6 years of age. If you would like to know more about cataracts in dogs please follow the links below. Patellar Luxation: This condition occurs when the patella (kneecap) is displaced from its normal position (luxation). This can be the result of genetic heredity or injury. Four grades are used to gauge severity: Grade 1: The patella luxates only when pushed out of the socket manually. Grade 2: The patella luxates when the joint flexes and remains luxated until returned by manual pressure. Grade 3. The patella is permanently dislocated but can be put back into place manually with the leg extended. Grade 4. The patella is permanently dislocated and can't be manually put back into place. The dog that is affected by this grade exhibits lameness and sometimes an inability to walk and needs surgical intervention. Unless you have training as a vet tech or vet please do not attempt to manipulate your dog's kneecap yourself. This could result in hurting your dog and increasing damage to the kneecap. Patellar Luxation needs to be diagnosed by an experienced veterinarian. The majority of Shibas with patellar luxation usually fall into the Grade one category. Clinical signs may be so mild that you and your dog may not notice or be affected by them. Some dogs may have a slight limp in their gait or may stop suddenly and shake the affected leg causing the kneecap to go back into place. If you would like more information on Patella Luxation please check out the following links: Hip Dysplasia: Hip dysplasia is an inherited disease that has been seen in more than 82 different breeds of dogs. It was first diagnosed in 1935 and since then has been seen most often in the larger dog breeds. It is a painful progressive disease, which over time causes a dog's hip to weaken, deteriorate, and become arthritic. Most of the time it tends to occur in both hips but in a small percentage of cases only one hip will be affected. Hip dysplasia can range from mild and slightly disabling to severe and crippling. Symptoms of hip dysplasia include but aren't limited to: Lameness in the hind legs especially after being active Swaying or staggering Abnormal gait Pain and discomfort when trying to stand after lying down Difficulty in climbing stairs A clicking sound when walking Bunny hopping gait when running For more information on Hip Dysplasia please check out the following links. Hip Dysplasia: Diagnosis - Treament - Prevention Hip Dysplasia OFA Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) This problem is no where near as serious as Patellar Luxation, Cataracts or Hip Dysplasia but it can be a nuisance for both you and your dog. Flea allergy is the most common allergy seen in dogs. Unfortunately, once your dog has an allergy he will likely have it the rest of his life. Flea allergy dermatitis usually starts out mildly and gradually gets worse over time. The saliva of the flea contains the allergen. The flea injects saliva into the skin of the dog to stop the blood from clotting while it feeds. This saliva can remain in the dog's body for up to a week. The female flea will lay her eggs after she bites and feeds from the dog. Some of her eggs will stay on the dog and some will fall off into the dog's environment. After the eggs hatch they go through the larval stage and then the the pupal stage. The pupal stage is the last stage before the flea becomes an adult flea. The cycle then begins again. Fleas can only be killed during the larval and adult stages. During the pupal stage, they are encased in a cocoon, which protects them from insecticides. Once the fleas are on the dog and in the environment you must treat both to get rid of the fleas. The best way to find out if your dog has fleas is to use a flea comb. Flea combs not only find the fleas but also find flea dirt. The primary feeding areas for fleas are the head, tummy and tail areas. Treatment consists of stopping the itching so that infection doesn't occur. To accomplish this most veterinarians will use corticosteroids. Antibiotics can also be used at the same time to treat any skin infections. To learn more about Flea Allergy Dermatitis check out these links: |
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Unless otherwise indicated, all text and images were created by Laura Paquette.
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