Hypothyroidism in the dog is a disease that has many facets to it. By definition, it is a decreased level of the hormone, thyroxine, in the blood of the dog. Thyroid hormones serve many purposes in the body and when they are low, can be manifested as several different symptoms or health concerns. Some dogs will exhibit all of the symptoms, while others only a few. The most common clinical signs in most breeds of dogs are weight gain despite dietary caloric control, lethargy, skin issues such as “hot spots”, and poor hair coat. Other signs can include cardiovascular and nervous system changes such as exacerbated dilated cardiomyopathy and seizures. Of interest, in the Akita, often times the first clinical change is aggression in a dog that has no history of such behavior. Of more note, is that this may even be directed towards the family members, which is very unusual for this breed. Most frequently, this behavior change will occur before the Akita is 2-3 years of age.
While Hypothyroidism is not life threatening to most dogs, it can still make the dog very uncomfortable with its consequences. It is generally treated with twice daily thyroxine supplementation, and should be considered genetic until proven otherwise.
Unfortunately, hypothyroidism is, to some extent, common in the Akita breed. It is one of the primary health concerns and it is recommended by the Akita Club of America that all breeding stock be tested for this annually until they are at least 6 years of age. It is one of three OFA health screening tests recommended by the Akita Club of America. The other two are Hip Dysplasia and Eye certification (see other pages for more information). Testing for OFA certification should include fT4, TSH and TGAA and must be done at an OFA approved laboratory.
More information about Hypothyroidism can be found at this OFA link:
https://ofa.org/diseases/thyroid/
If you are considering a puppy from a breeder, they should be able to provide you a copy of the OFA certificate showing the dog was tested, the results and the date.
Also, you can enter a dog’s AKC number or registered name in the OFA database and search for yourself. This is the best way to confirm that proper health testing is being done on the parents of the litter. Here is the link to follow in order to do this: https://ofa.org/advanced-search/
Photos with permission granted by Barbara Bouyet, from her book Akita: Treasure of Japan
