The Longest Running Akita-related Forum on the Internet !
Parvo Vaccine
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Hey all!
Hope summer is /has been good for you...
Zen is due for shots again. With his reactions last year, I want to be extremely cautious. I recall advice on the different brands of vaccine, but can't remember which one was the best for akitas. I know Kathy had personal experience with sorting through these for the least reactive as well. Please Help!!! Thanks!
what all was in the shot Zen had the reaction too? Was it a 5 in 1, 7 in 1? Are you giving the shot yourself, or taking him into the vet? If you are taking him in make sure to tell them he had a reaction last year. Kuma had a reaction to the Leptospirosis in the 5 in one, so after that he was given vaccines w/o it. He never had a reaction again. Lepto is the most common ingredient in the 5 or 7 in ones that a dog has a reaction to.
It was specifically the parvo shot that he reacted to. He was at the vet's office and they kept him under close observation for 24 hours each time and then sent him home on massive doses of benadryl for the next week to control the vomiting. I plan on continuing to allow the vets to do his inoculations, and the last series he had was a 5 in 1. Maybe they can break it down to where each shot is given independently and charted for reactivity? Last year sucked because there seemed to be an endless number of parvo shots and then they slammed him with the 5/1 on top of it and it really knocked him down. If parvo wasn't such a killer I'd say the h#** with it and not put him through it again. I will specifically mention the Lepto' vaccine be monitored closely as well. Thanks!
..you don't have to vaccinate him now. I am a firm believer in vaccinating young pups, but not after the initial series. It is well known now that the vaccinations last longer than a year also. Cyndi has some great links regarding vaccinations on her website that you should look at before making a decision.
....http://www.thememaker.com/themes/animals6.html
and you can always use ANY pic of an Akita that you like on the web by right clicking your mouse button on the pic and choosing the set as wallpaper option.
Wow I missed everyone. I've been gone a while and I come back and poof.... No more Denali. What happened?
I hope everyone and there animals are well. I do however have a question I am looking for a dog ramp to buy, I was thinking a nice steel telescoping one, what do you all think?
Hell, I can't even get Rex to go down the basement stairs LOL. Course, that is because the basement is the evil place in his little doggy mind. I've seen them advertised in Dog World, but I've never had an opportunity to see them in use.
Question: I have a chance to adopt an Akita a local breeder rescued from a kill shelter. We deduced the kennel he came from; it's an offshoot of a local breeder with a great line of typey, healthy dogs with wonderful temperaments. The dog is about 18 months old tops. He still acts like a puppy and he's a gorgeous, slobbery huggy-bear. He's also housebroken and doesn't chew things when he's left alone. Those are the pluses. The minuses are that he's 90 pounds if he's an ounce and he's never had a day's training in his life. He's totally rambunctious. He jumps and paws and mouths and a walk is like a rodeo. He even ignores a pinch collar (typical, huh?). I have no problem with training except that I'm not young and I have some trouble with my hands, so I'm not certain I can handle him physically.
don't suggest having a trainer come in and do the training, that it should be done by the owner. In your case however, if the only thing holding you back from getting this big guy is the actual obedience training itself, I suggest having a trainer come to the house (do not ship the dog off for training) and do the initial training for you.
Once he gets the basics down, you should be able to take it from there.
He sounds like a big love, and good luck w/your decision. Keep us posted!!
Do you have someone like a son or daughter that can go with you and handle the physical aspects of the training? You could be right there alongside while it occurs, and handle the nonheavy parts yourself.
Tire him out before you start your training session. I suggest a game of laser chase. I've seen cheap laser keychains sell for as little as $6.
I'd say drop the pinch/choke collar altogether if it isnt doing you any good.
1 off the ways a trainer taught me to hold an Akita back(at least temporarily) is to(dog on left side of human) wrap the (thick and heavy) leash around the small of your back and hold on with your right hand. You can still release if he's too much, but you have a lot more control strength as you have the leverage of your body weight he has to work against. Do NOT do multiple loops around your waist for obvious reasons.
Training an Akita without using ANY physical force is The Way it should be done. Yes, I cheat and use gentle force to quicken a sit or show what it is I want him to do, but it CAN be done solely with praise and other positive reinforcement. It'll take longer, but with a shartp Akita, not too much longer.
Keith is right - the "back" thing with leash works
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My vet taught me that one when Rex had his one year visit for shots and turned into the Tasmanian Devil on the vet when he tried to inject him. Kept the vet from losing a limb (or a chunk of face for that matter)
If Fred chooses to not resurrect his forum at Denali, he should create a link at Denali to another Forum run by someone else.
Fred has a tremendous asset in his 'akita.com' name but a HUGE responsibility comes with that asset to serve the public that is considering adding an Akita to their family. I think a BB serves that need best.
Thru all of the recent events, I think we can all still agree that everyone loves their Akitas tremendously and wants the absolute best for the breed as a whole. And I cant help but wonder how many Akita newbies are making the wrong decisions because they dont have the tremendous knowledge resource base available to them that the Denali Forum was.
All together now,
We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum. We Want a Forum.
I don't think he ever would. There is an Akita forum at about.com (one of the top 20 most visited sites) but no one ever posts there. That might be worth considering.
I don't really know...if we want to attract visitors though, we need a site where we can at least get it indexed with search engines. I've said before I'd be willing to look for a BB script to configure and host on my site. I have a steady flow of visitors and I get quite a few e-mails from people asking for help. Just a suggestion.
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"It is a revenge the devil sometimes takes upon the virtuous, that he entraps them by the force of the very passion they have suppressed and think themselves superior to."
-George Santayana
And you know that's just the first step in getting one of her dogs!
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"It is a revenge the devil sometimes takes upon the virtuous, that he entraps them by the force of the very passion they have suppressed and think themselves superior to."
-George Santayana
But would y'all mind sending my baby some good thoughts?
His vet thinks he might have PSS (portal systemic shunts) which is a liver condition. We'll find out for sure in 30 days when they do another blood test and ultrasound.
This is basically a condition where the portal vein develops branches that allow blood to pass through the liver without being detoxified and causes a variety of symptoms and problems. It's treatable, but requires surgery, which is always risky. Thanks!
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"It is a revenge the devil sometimes takes upon the virtuous, that he entraps them by the force of the very passion they have suppressed and think themselves superior to."
-George Santayana
I think he will be fine too, but I just never expected a problem this young. Naive, I know, because problems can crop up any time. But y'all's support really makes me feel better.
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"It is a revenge the devil sometimes takes upon the virtuous, that he entraps them by the force of the very passion they have suppressed and think themselves superior to."
-George Santayana
Why is it that the best and most loved dogs have the most problems? Not Fair and things WILL be changed when I become Galactic Overlord.
I am SO happy to hear it is fixable IF he has it. I hate this feeling and I want to hear The Minute he doesnt have it. And he looks cute enough to be an Honorary Akita.
Heheheh, will there be an election for that position?
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But thank you! I've been reading up on it all evening just in case. Some of the symptoms don't seem to match, but an unsettling amount do. He loves to eat paper...we thought it was just a carryover from puppyhood. But I guess it's an indication of the condition. It is apparently a genetic condition, so we've got to let his breeder know, just after she lost a pup and has one injured and one very ill with Parvo. This has just been a really sucky day.
I think we're going to go crazy before the 30 days is up. My mom wants to take him in for an ultrasound now, just so we know, one way or the other.
Heheheh, one good thing...Bear doesn't know what to do with all the belly rubs and cuddles he's been getting tonight.
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"It is a revenge the devil sometimes takes upon the virtuous, that he entraps them by the force of the very passion they have suppressed and think themselves superior to."
-George Santayana
I have a 5 yr. old male Akita who we has never really socialized with small children. When around children, he seems to ignore them except for if their jumping around and screaming. If they do this, he runs towards them and kind of air nips, he has never bitten anyone. Anyhow, I am pregnant and am concerned about his behavior around a baby. Does anyone have any suggestions or experience with this? He's my pride and joy and I can't bare the thought of not having him, but safety first. I am hoping that he'll want to protect, but really don't know what to expect.
Get him around the baby, Supervised, as much as possible. If you dont trust him completely, then always supervise them when they are together. Is he obedience trained? How long ago?
even IF you do trust him. It is the child that cannot always be trusted as they get older. Children can be down right mean to animals. Sometimes intentional, sometimes not. But an Akita is a very big animal to be giving a correction to a child for abuse. Can cause horrible damage. NEVER leave a young child alone unsupervised with any dog.
He is obedience trained and has been for about 3 years. He is great with us and very loyal to anyone he is familiar with in our home. I have heard that dogs can sometimes sense the pregnancy and that it is also a good idea to bring a baby blanket home from the hospital that the baby has been wrapped in for the dogs to become familiar with the scent. Do you know if there's any truth in this?
with the baby blaket and even using a real looking or even crying baby doll is also recommended, when you bring that baby blaket home it should be wrapped around the doll, then the following day the baby comes home in it but get the doll ahead of time and start with that.
One of my puppy buyers had a baby a few months ago, and they did that with the blanket. Their Akita who is a 3 year old female now LOVES the baby, and they have had no problems. Proper introductions, and including your Akita as a family member will be very important so there is no jealousy over the baby.
Thank you. My 2 dogs are outside during the day and sleep on their beds in our room at night and are in the house from the time we get home unless were going for walks or by the pool, etc. Do you think it would be best to continue having them sleep in their beds in our room when the baby comes so that I am not disrupting the pattern their used too? I definitely don't want them to be jealous by any means, trust me they are family, they've been my kids for 5 years now.
don't change any of their routines when the baby comes. Will the baby be in his/her own room, or a basinette in the bedroom? I would be real careful at first if the baby is in a small/low basinette until you know the dogs are ok with the new changes.
Our plan was to have the baby in a basinette in our bedroom at first and then move him/her to their own bedroom, I guess we'll have to think about that one.
Hi, I am glad I found you all in the down time of Denali's . Lucky I guess. Anyway, I have 2 questions, for now anyway.
1) My girl Christie is now 22 weeks old and her tail isnt always curled up over her back. if we go on walks, it hangs out behind her with just the tip curling up towards the sky. Is this normal? WHen is the tail supposed to curl tight and stay put?
2)My Vet told me NOT to use any drops for flea and ticks until i see one on her (found a big tick in her ear today and finally she let me remove it). My dliema is he also said that many Akitas react strongly to some drops and he was unsure which ones to recomend- and that for a girl her size, drops could make her sick as she is only a pup. Please advise. Thanks in advance!
If there isnt any sign of injury, I wouldnt worry about the tail. Akitas are individuals and will carry their tails differently, even given similiar 'moods'.
I dont use the drops/spots flea and tick stuff. I fear it. I dont have any evidence against them in Akitas, tho I'd sure trust a vet that warned me off. I dont like using a large dose of poison anyway, ie one that will kill over a long period of time. Use the lowest dose you can on anything, dog/garden/house/babies/etc.
Hey, help me out guys, but I thought that the newer spot-type treatments were hormonal based and not toxic. Is this true, Can anyone name names?
...has it ever had a tighter curl? It is very common for pups during the teething ages to have a looser tail than normal.
Never had problems w/fleas/ticks on a young dog. If your vet feels your pup is too you for drops, I recommend a good flea/tick shampoo and perhaps a flea dip (again, check for age requirements), or a powder.
it sounds like you actually have a good one. A vet who is aware that Akitas can be sensitive to chemicals is a godsend, don't loose that Vet. Sorry Kathy but Seth please don't use flea shampoo's, powders, and especially dips. Those chemicals are so harmful to our furbies. If you go to the Akita Health Center on the sensitivity page you'll see a list of items Akita's are sensitive too. http://www.geocities.com/akitahealthcenter/AHC/indexx.html
Try some natural products, one site I know of is http://www.aromaleigh.com
Making garlic a daily addition to her food is also a good for keeping the parasites away. There is a recipe for a treatment you can make at home, I'll find it and post it for you.
Need some ideas for curing an aggravating behavior
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You guys know Rex pretty well, so you know he was unsocialized during a fear period and so has some strong reactions to some things. He's been petrified of thunder ever since my genius neighbor shot arial bombs the 4th of July (Rex was 10 mo.)from the boulevard in front of my house, of such magnitude that I thought my picture window would shatter. I always make sure he is in when there is a thunderstorm, no matter how slight. I ran errands Sun. (sunny day) and a freak storm blew up and the guys were outdoors. I of course, wasn't home yet. It was a big one - horrible thunder, pouring rain. Got home as fast as I could, but too late. He now will NOT go outside without my having to stand outside the back door, grab a handful of ruff/loose skin/collar on each side and physically force him out the door. It is about 6-8' to the gate too, so I have to almost drag him there. He'll back out of his collar unless I have my handsfull of hair, skin and collar. Doesn't matter how bad he has too pee, he'll cross his legs forever if necessary! This is wearing on my nerves, and I feel like a big meanie for dragging him out. Any ideas?
You gotta decondition him, both to the yard and to the boomers. The yard will be easier.
Coax him NEAR the ddor first. Reward and praise lavishly. Then closer. R&P. Then near the open door. R&P. Then on the threshold. R&P...Well, you get the idea.
For thunder, stay near him the whole storm, making him comfortable and having a good time. A few treats wont hurt either. The real trick is to watch for lightning flashes. You, but not Rex will know a boom is about to occur, so when you see the flash, PRAISE THE SHIT OUTTA HIM and pet him like youre gettin paid to do it. After a Long period of time, this Should decondition him. My female exhibited signs of loud noise(thunder) fear at an early age. For several years, she would just hang near Dad when it was thundering. I ALWAYS used the above method and now, she'll stay on another floor thru all but the worst storms if thats where she happens to be.
This may not work, but it'll help him.
Time and Patience. Rewards and Praise. You can get about anything out of an Akita with this formula.
He'd sell me down the river for a cheap weenie.....
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so I am going to break out the .99 ones that I wouldn't eat if I had a gun to my head, and try that. I'm not being stingy, he prefers the el-cheapo brands over all others. Must be all those unspeakable animal parts they have in them LOL
I'm a new owner of a 7 1/2 yr. old akita/husky mix. But, he looks all akita. He is a super dog; came from a shelter who had rescued him from a family of 12. I've hd. big dogs all my life, so the size & personality aren't the problem. He has integrated well into my hm. The only problem is: I hv. 3 cats & he seems to feel that they are live in squirrels. He's not vicious to them, but he is BIG & STRONG, & goes after them; not to hurt but (I think) to play. So they hv. moved to the basement & are scared. He has an attitude; if he chooses to come, he will & if he sees a cat; it's over! He's good in every other way; is becoming more loveable now that he is beginning to realize that this is his home& he gets love & affection here. the only problem is the cats. Any suggestions from anyone who is more familiar w/ the breed wld. be greatly appreciated. My experience lies w/ Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. Thanks!!
...so if he is going after the cats, and they are most likely running from him, that in itself escalates the situation. I wouldn't be so certain that his only intent is to play. My first Akita killed a few cats, and they were cats he was raised with. In the house he was fine with them, but one got out of the house through a hole in a screen, into the backyard to chase birds, and he killed her. The other he got in the house while we were out in the front yard, and the back door had not been shut securely, and he got another one. In our presence he was fine, but left on his own, was another story.
Many Akitas are fine w/cats when raised w/cats. You haven't had him since a puppy, therefore you don't know his history w/cats. He very well could be trusted, but I would not automatically assume that he can. Take the intro's slowly, don't allow him w/the cats when you are not present, don't allow him to chase the cats under any circumstances and don't allow him to play roughly w/them. Good luck!
we got a kitten when Basho was 20 months old. of course he did not have a "history" with cats. he immediately ran up and into the play position with a big WOOF! which of course sent the kitten running. Basho is a very sweet and tolerant dog so I am quite certain he would not hurt her but the kitten was quite terrified. After separating them we allowed him back in the house. We made him sit and gave him many treats in the cats presence as long as he remained quiet and did not charge her. We also made sure the cat had a safe place. It took one short afternoon to modify his behavior around Gracie. Six months later they can be seen sitting side by side on the picnic table. When the cat comes in she runs and greets the dog first. We think she thinks Basho is in charge. It is extremely heart warming to see them together. He can turn her over and preen her and she does no move.
This forum was set up by mutual agreement of Kathy and Fred purely for discussion of the troll(s) at Denali's. I've been doing some digging and we're going to lay the cards on the table for everybody to see...
I can't believe that was your big revalation. I thought you were going to tell us something, all you have done is the same thing we've all done and speculate. You think people being on line at the same time or when the troll was is proof? Since a couple of us are on line a lot does that mean we are prime suspects? This is one of the most idiotic things I've seen. I cannot believe that a man with your intellegence has acted so like a big ole dumb numb nut.
hahaha OMG I can't stop laughing, everytime I think about it I LMAO. This worthless tidbit of information was worth you betraying a friend? someone who looked up to you and respected you, not to mention all the others you betrayed. How are you sleeping these days?
I have been really busy and have not made it back to akita.com for a very long time. Why is it now off the internet? I am studing for my finals and thought I would stop in and see how everone was doing? My akita is doin great. She is full of energy. She is always ready to go for a walk. She is liking the cool weather here in Ohio. Lots of rain and no sun. Shesakura has also found the new idea of a lake. We went fishing and she just stood with her paws in the water watching the ducks. Well, I have to go lots of studing to do for Monday. I have a plant bio and accounting final. Chat at you all when I can make it back, shesakura
...glad to hear everything is good w/you and your Keeter. Fred had some problems with trolling on his forum, and it will be back up as soon as his new software arrives.
but I was born in Alliance and grew up in West Virginia. I am an Ohio State student. well I have to go. I have a history final wednesday and I failed my accounting final today. I may have to take the class over. I hope not. Chat at you later.
