Seems 2010 is the year that ARWNY will be inundated with sick Akitas!! From ARWNY trying to help a puppy in CA that was born with no eyes (Thank you TikiHut for ultimately taking on this pup!) to Polaris from the midwest that we took in due to his neurological/malnutrition issues, to little Piper with the hole in her heart, to our little Sparkle who came to us with a tummy full of gravel (as noted in the X-ray above!!), seizures & pneumonia, it seems our role in 2010 is going to be medical saviors more than any other year recently!! This is of course, in addition to the heartworm cases we have (4), severe Lyme issue cases (2), also Kina who was frozen to the ground for days, chipped out of the ice & requiring extensive medical care for her frozen feet & skin, Big Luna's severe skin issues from neglect, Pixie who is still with us who came in with gunshot wounds, stab wounds & horrible skin issues, and the condition our Rice/Kenja was in from his adopter's lack of care when he was returned to us. Then there are the somewhat healthy rest of the bunch with what now seems like "normal" hypothyroid issues....too many to mention!
There are so many ways today to help dogs -- so many organizations out there willing to give care & treatment, help with medicines, especially here on the East Coast -- that I just don't understand why someone would allow animals to get into the conditions we are seeing in today's modern world.
I find it horrible to think that a puppy would come to us from a VETERINARIAN'S office thru a foster home, with pneumonia, gravel in her tummy & already at 12 weeks put on phenobarbital. Luckily our ARWNY vets are going to be watching her progress very carefully to see if she even needs this very harsh medicine at her very young age, to treat her pneumonia & empty her tummy of gravel. Carla is fostering Sparkle in Phila right now for ARWNY, thank heavens, so we know she is in good hands!
I find it horrible that owners living in PRIME Lyme & heartworm areas, would not give their pets proper medicines to prevent these illnesses nor get them tested yearly. Lyme can cause so many issues in a dog if left untreated -- we are currently seeing those results in two of our long-term Lyme dogs due to their owner/breeder never testing them nor treating them. As for heartworm, we all know if its left untreated, it will kill a dog -- yet recently we have taken in 4 Akitas that were HW positive & their owners/breeders never bothered to vet them at all for this condition. Its so well-known in our area -- yet people still ignore it & don't prevent it.
I find it horrible that a breeder would dump a puppy she bred after labeling him deaf & blind, when in fact, the puppy was so malnourished he was showing signs of neurological damage, not deaf & blind. When ARWNY stepped in with the help of our wonderful new friend DJ Rotter(http://www.chevyshope.org/) out in Minnesota, we didn't know what to expect but we just KNEW we could not leave this puppy if we could help it somehow. Polaris has been adopted by a wonderful former adopter of ours after being fostered by Carla -- but his fate could have been much worse had he not gotten the proper nutrition at the time he did -- why breed puppies if you aren't going to properly care for them in your home? Its a mystery why this breeder dumped this puppy labeling him deaf & blind without even realizing he was starving right in front of her eyes!
I find it horrible that a petstore will sell a puppy with a very significant heart issue to an unsuspecting buyer then refuse to help with the medical treatment. Actually, I still don't understand why anyone would even BUY a puppy from a petstore but that's a whole 'nother story. Piper's condition is very serious and whoever the vets were that initially passed her as "sound" to be transported across the country to be sold in a petstore should lose their licenses. This puppy should never have been ok'd for transport or sale to the public. Luckily for Piper, she ended up with ARWNY so we found her a wonderful home with former adopters who will care for her & give her whatever is medically needed.
There are resources out there today to help -- shelters do low-cost spay/neuter today, most towns hold Rabies Clinics yearly & many towns now also hold VACCINE clinics for other needed shots -- all low cost. Many vets will work with you to give discounts if you need them financially -- just ask. Many shelters have vet clinics associated with them that give low-cost vet care also. There's no excuse today for any Akita to NOT be properly taken care of, medically.
This is prime LYME & Heartworm season, with summer being here so please use monthly heartworm & all-natural flea/tick products to keep your pet from getting Lyme. There is no excuse in today's world for any dog to suffer from heartworms. None. And Lyme can be easily treated if contracted; and prevented safely with all-natural products to keep the fleas & ticks away.
Instead of allowing your Akita to suffer with any diseases or not to give them proper medical care for any reason, check out http://www.petassistancenetwork.com and see if you can find help in your state. You may have to drive a bit -- but isn't your Akita worth it? Or reach out to us in rescue -- we will help you find resources that will allow your Akita to live its life healthy.
