KISHU KEN HEALTH
The Kishu Ken is a generally healthy breed that does not currently appear to be severely affected by many of the more common issues in some purebred dogs - especially in regard to structural soundness. However, there are some observable health concerns, and one that is quite pervasive among all Kishu Ken.
A selection of Akiyama no Roushya Kishu Ken tested on Embark Veterinary
Health Testing at Akiyama no Roushya
Our primary interest, due to current health data available to the community, is the total genetic diversity, autoimmune illness, and allergies that occur in the breed. Most of our attention at Akiyama no Roushya goes into investigating and diminishing the rate of allergies and autoimmune illness in the breed. Any and all health tests on our dogs will be made publicly available at any opportunity and we are happy to have open discussion about what steps we are taking toward breeding healthy Kishu.
Since all Kishu Ken are inbred (in relation to dogs overall, and even compared to other purebred dogs) and allergies are strongly correlated (if not directly related) to poor immune function or decreased diversity (which inbreeding can cause), Akiyama no Roushya evaluates all breeding dogs by genotype and pedigree analysis. With how common allergies are in the breed, dogs are not necessarily excluded from breeding due to allergy status, but paired intelligently with other dogs by pedigree analysis and genetic report.
Currently, all dogs are evaluated by Embark Veterinary. This gives a baseline of where each dog stands on a genetic inbreeding level, and how related they are to one another. Any physical evidence of health testing and a dog's Embark and Optimal Selection links can be found in links in their profiles on the "dogs" page. As of 2020, with the discovery of Autoimmune Thyroiditis, all breeding dogs at Akiyama no Roushya will appear in the OFA with thyroid results and dentition at bare minimum. Akiyama no Roushya is currently the only breeder with breeding dogs recorded in the OFA.
Akiyama no Roushya is a member of the National Kishu Club and follows the NAKC's code of ethics.
Our primary interest, due to current health data available to the community, is the total genetic diversity, autoimmune illness, and allergies that occur in the breed. Most of our attention at Akiyama no Roushya goes into investigating and diminishing the rate of allergies and autoimmune illness in the breed. Any and all health tests on our dogs will be made publicly available at any opportunity and we are happy to have open discussion about what steps we are taking toward breeding healthy Kishu.
Since all Kishu Ken are inbred (in relation to dogs overall, and even compared to other purebred dogs) and allergies are strongly correlated (if not directly related) to poor immune function or decreased diversity (which inbreeding can cause), Akiyama no Roushya evaluates all breeding dogs by genotype and pedigree analysis. With how common allergies are in the breed, dogs are not necessarily excluded from breeding due to allergy status, but paired intelligently with other dogs by pedigree analysis and genetic report.
Currently, all dogs are evaluated by Embark Veterinary. This gives a baseline of where each dog stands on a genetic inbreeding level, and how related they are to one another. Any physical evidence of health testing and a dog's Embark and Optimal Selection links can be found in links in their profiles on the "dogs" page. As of 2020, with the discovery of Autoimmune Thyroiditis, all breeding dogs at Akiyama no Roushya will appear in the OFA with thyroid results and dentition at bare minimum. Akiyama no Roushya is currently the only breeder with breeding dogs recorded in the OFA.
Akiyama no Roushya is a member of the National Kishu Club and follows the NAKC's code of ethics.
Health Testing in Kishu Ken
The majority of health concerns in Kishu Ken are without direct test. These include, but are not limited to, the autoimmune diseases seen in the breed (Addison's, Lupus), and mild to severe allergies. There are still some ways that breeders may assess their breeding stock before they produce a litter.
The majority of health concerns in Kishu Ken are without direct test. These include, but are not limited to, the autoimmune diseases seen in the breed (Addison's, Lupus), and mild to severe allergies. There are still some ways that breeders may assess their breeding stock before they produce a litter.
- Embark Vet Genotype: a total genotype that informs owners and breeders on the traits their dog has inherited and a large generalized panel of diseases. In Kishu Ken, the Embark test is pertinent because it tells breeders and owners how homozygous their dog is (Embark calls this their "inbreeding coefficient") and breeders may email to run manual relationship coefficient checks between a number of dogs, to tell them how related their breeding stock is (as paper pedigrees are not currently an efficient way to be informed on the relatedness between dogs.)
- OFA Thyroid Evaluation: A thyroid evaluation (complete panel, OFA) will return not only your dog's T4 levels, but also their TgAA, which is how heritable thyroid illnesses can be caught early. A dog may appear to have normal levels of T4 while having abnormal TgAA, so a T4 test is not always appropriate when evaluating dogs in breeds known to have thyroid illness. 2 years and over is the recommended age of testing.
- OFA/Eye Evaluation: An eye exam by an ophthalmologist will help diagnose physiological deformities like entropion or persistent pupillary membranes. Dogs with PPM may still be bred from depending on breeder preference, but dogs with entropion should not be. Any dog with eyes may be tested, including puppies. To note: entropion may be seen by a skilled veterinarian during the course of a regular examination, but PPM may only be diagnosed via eye evaluation.
- OFA Heart Evaluation: A heart evaluation can be done to rule out uncommon Kishu Ken illnesses such as murmurs or ventricular septal defect.
- Optimal Selection Genotype: This test is similar to Embark, but brands the diversity and breeding matches a little bit differently. Unlike Embark, Optimal Selection does not allow you to own your dog's raw data for use elsewhere, but Optimal Selection does the breeding calculator (matching dogs) automatically rather than manually.
- OFA Joint Evaluation (Hips, Elbows, Knees): Kishu Ken do not currently have any known dogs who have failed a hip evaluation, and very few dogs with abnormal elbow results. Joints may not be a large concern in the breed, but OFA does official evaluations on joint health.
- OFA Dentition: Full dentition is required as ideal by standard. An OFA dentition check proves that a Kishu has the full, required dentition. Dentition appears to be an observed, but relatively minor issue in Kishu Ken at this time (missing teeth and minor malocclusion observed.)
It is worth noting that currently, there are no Kishu Ken breeders internationally that perform all of these health tests on all of their breeding stock. However, if a breeder tells you that there are no health tests to be done in Kishu Ken, it is untrue. You always have the right to ask about the health of your dog's parents and any proof of that health as a prospective puppy buyer.