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     CHAPTER SIX:  AKITA NUTRITION

"Today, the major cause of death in all dog breeds is cancer. Results from the 2000 Akita Health Study conducted by Purdue University, indicate the major causes of death in today's Akitas are cancer and bloat. Twenty-five years ago, these two diseases were seen infrequently in Akitas. What has changed during the last 25 years?   The answer is an astounding increase of chemicals in our environment, which is compounded by 25 years of inferior dog foods (see “Appendix III: Biocides and Health”).

Diet, environment and lifestyle have a direct influence on genetic expression. Genetic inheritance does play an important role in the health of your Akita, but the genes themselves do not give rise to the disease. In most cases, the disease state results when the diet and/or environment for each individual dog act to alter the expression of genes in a way that results in a disease. The quality of the food and cleanliness of the water provided to your Akita, plus the toxins in its air and environment, combined with the stresses it must endure, are all factors that alter the expression of your Akita's genes and contribute in a major way to its state of health. Scientists are beginning to uncover evidence that diseases previously attributed to bad genes in fact are the result of a diet that does not meet the genetically determined nutritional needs of the individual. A factor called "biochemical individuality" is the unique set of genetic elements that your Akita possesses. These fundamentals control its metabolism, nutritional needs and environmental sensitivities.

                     You have no doubt grown accustomed to thinking of dog food as a sealed-   
                     package purchase probably with your family’s groceries at the supermarket.
                     Pre-packaged dog food (dry or canned) is cheap, convenient, and saves you
                     the trouble of meal planning for your dog. Increasingly, dog owners are
                     beginning to realize that money saved on cheap dog food will soon be paid
                     out to a veterinarian."

CHAPTER SEVEN: HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS

"Depending on your Akita’s familial history and where you live, consider including immune supporting herbs, or additional antioxidants in your dog’s diet. We read daily about the vast changes in our planetary environment--the increased radiation coming through a weakened ozone layer, electromagnetic lines of force radiating from electric power lines; and heavy metals from automobile exhaust and industrial waste abound. Fortunately, nature has provided plant substances that help relieve the adverse effects of stress. These are called “ adaptogens; food for adaptation,” and you should include at least one adaptogen supplement. Older Akitas should receive joint-support and natural anti-inflammatory supplements to keep them active, along with essential fatty acids, antioxidants and digestive enzymes. There are some supplements that are basic and every Akita should receive these throughout their lives.

ANTIOXIDANTS

Even if you use little else from this book, please heed the advice from this section. Antioxidants can shield your Akita from the ravages of living in a toxic environment and consuming foods laced with toxins--hazards that are usually beyond our control. Antioxidants are the neutralizers of free radicals. Free radicals cause iron to rust, turn vegetables brown, and damage the cells of all mammals, which results in disease and aging. Another name for this process is “oxygen toxicity.”  Here is what happens:

A normal atom in the body consists of two electrons paired together. A free radical is an atom with three electrons, the two electrons that are paired together plus an extra electron. The extra electron needs to become part of a pair and steals an electron from a nearby atom in order to complete the pair. This results in the newly paired atom becoming stable; however, the atom now missing an electron has been turned unstable and is classed as a free radical. Free radicals are highly unstable and reactive atoms that attempt to combine with molecules of the cell structure and consequently, they damage the cell. If not controlled, free radicals can chip away at proteins and fats in the cells, damage enzymes, destroy cell membranes, strangle brain cells, and mutate the genetic code in DNA and chromosomes to cause cancer.

Free radical production is a necessary process that occurs during normal metabolic processes. The body controls free radicals by using vitamin and mineral substances to mop up or neutralize free radicals. These substances are known collectively as antioxidants. An antioxidant is a natural biochemical substance that protects living cells against damage from harmful free radicals. When external influences cause the production of too many free radicals--carcinogens, pollution, viruses, radiation, infections, allergies, stress, certain foods, and inflammation--the body needs additional help.

The body has a number of naturally occurring antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and coenzyme Q10, which are considered the first line of defense. Dietary antioxidants are not as powerful as the antioxidant enzymes, but they are important because they donate their own electrons to free radicals. These donated electrons are then restored or recycled back to the antioxidants through reactions with other antioxidants. The antioxidant nutrients consist of vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene, bioflavonoids, the minerals selenium, zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium, iron, and the peptide glutathione. The B vitamins and choline are co-factors necessary for synthesis of antioxidant enzymes by the body. Antioxidants work best together and should be given in combination."

CHAPTER EIGHT: SAFEGUARDING YOUR AKITA'S HEALTH

"How can a vaccine trigger an autoimmune disease? First, let us look at the normal pattern of infection. Once a pathogen enters the body of a susceptible dog, the virus undergoes a period of incubation where it is engaged in a battle with the entire immune system. Starting with the point of entry, which could be the nose or mouth, the pathogen progresses through the immune system. Before the virus enters the bloodstream, it has activated an immune response from the lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen, liver and thymus. By the time symptoms appear in eight to 14 days, circulating antibodies are already detectable in the blood. The process entails immune functions that are still unidentified to scientists.

In contrast, the intent of MLV is to bypass the normal port of entry of a pathogen and induce the production of antibodies. “By tricking the body with attenuated vaccines, we have accomplished what the entire immune system seems to have evolved to prevent; we have placed the virus directly into the blood and given it free and immediate access to the major immune organs and tissues, without any obvious way of getting rid of it,” according to Dr. Richard Moskowitz of Watertown, Massachusetts.

Vaccines focus on antibody production, which is a single aspect of the immune process. We have selected one measurable characteristic of the immune system without fully understanding the entire molecular mechanism. For example, little is known about the role of dendritic cells, a type of immune system cell with many branches. We know dendritic cells are found in the skin and mucosal membranes and are the first cells to arrive at sites of injury or infection; they bind to invaders and transport them to the lymph nodes where the cell-mediated immune response is initiated. Dendritic cells are the first cells to alert lymph nodes when a foreign substance enters the body. They carry the foreign material to the closest lymph node, processing foreign particles on the way, virtually preparing a biological mug shot to help other immune cells recognize the enemy more easily. At the lymph node, they are transformed from messengers to leaders, stimulating and regulating an immune response. Dendritic cells play a pivotal role in the immune system. An experimental dendritic cell vaccine aimed at strengthening immune defenses to fight metastatic melanoma in humans induced complete and partial responses in many patients. Dendritic cells may one day be used to produce a topical vaccine that utilizes all aspects of the immune response."


 

      
CHAPTER NINE: THE AGING AKITA

ANNUAL CHECK UP

"As you can see, dogs begin aging around seven, though they are by no means "old." By paying attention to the prevention of geriatric diseases that affect older dogs, you can keep your companion for many years. An annual routine health check-up, including laboratory health profiling, is an important tool to identify problems early and institute corrective or treatment measures. For example, during one of your dog's annual laboratory profiles, your veterinarian may notice the onset of loss of kidney function. He/she can begin your Akita on a dietary and/or treatment regime aimed at lessening the destruction of the kidneys. With many diseases, early diagnosis can be one of the most important factors in the success of any treatment.

Blood Tests

Blood is a fluid tissue that performs many vital functions as it travels through veins and arteries. It consists of proteins, salts, other substances, and the formed elements-red and white blood cells and platelets, suspended in a yellow-tinted fluid called plasma. Red blood cells (erythrocytes) are microscopic containers for the pigment and protein hemoglobin. Hemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs to tissues where it is exchanged for waste products. White blood cells (leukocytes) protect the body from invasive organisms and function as an important part of the immune system. A mechanism in blood halts bleeding through coagulation (clotting), which seals damaged blood vessels. The clot actually protects the injury and repairs the damage. Regulation of body temperature, maintenance of acid-base and fluid balances in the body, movement of nutrients and hormones throughout the body and disposal of waste through the kidneys, lungs and skin occur through the blood.

                      An unusual feature of the blood that is seen in some Akitas is 
                      microcytosis, the presence of abnormally small red blood cells and
                      a high potassium level..."

       CHAPTER TEN: DISEASES IN THE AKITA
 

“Unlike cat lymphoma, canine lymphoma does not appear to be caused by a virus. A case-control study to determine a link between environmental pollutants and an increased risk for canine lymphoma found two variables positively and independently associated with the disease, namely residency in industrial areas and the use of chemicals by the dog owners. In epidemiologic studies, lymphoma has been associated with exposure to chemicals such as phenoxyacetic acids; chlorophenols; dioxins; organic solvents including benzene, polychlorinated biphenyls, chlordanes; and immunosuppressive drugs. Experimental evidence and clinical observations indicate that these chemicals may impair the immune system.

A National Cancer Institute study suggests that contamination of drinking water with nitrate, a chemical found in fertilizers, has been linked to an increased risk of lymphomas, particularly in agricultural areas. In the human population, cancers of the lymphatic system have increased by 75% since 1973...”

“...Environmental Triggers of Autoimmune Disorders

Autoimmune diseases are some of the most common yet least understood disorders in human and veterinary medicine today. Some estimates place the number of human sufferers of such diseases as high as 20% of the U.S. population. Because the origins and mechanisms of autoimmune diseases are largely a mystery, scientists are now looking at what role, if any, environmental factors play in these diseases. With the glut of chemicals now used in agriculture, by homeowners, and in veterinary medicine, the possibilities are far-reaching. “The problem that I have with transient acute effects, is that people are not exposed once to a chemical, but rather exposed repeatedly. Even pesticides with very low acute toxicities can be so highly reactive with body proteins that crude pilot tests show 100% bonding with proteins within 24 hours. There are probably quite a few chemicals out there that will modify proteins that the body will then recognize as foreign,” said Dr.George Casale, research assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Eppley Research Institute.

How chemical cocktails react in the body remains mostly unknown. “The replacement of a single amino acid could be enough to destabilize native proteins and trigger the aggregation of amyloid fibers that characterizes a range of lethal neurodegenerative disease,” said Nobel laureate Max Perutz, speaking at the Fourth International Conference on Molecular Structural Biology in September 2001.

Studies in humans and laboratory animals indicate that immune development may be altered following preinatal exposure to immunotoxic compounds. For example, prenatal exposure to chlordane appears to predispose animals to postnatal autoimmune disease. Following known exposures to chlorpyrifos, individuals were studied for one to five years to determine changes in the peripheral immune system. The subjects were found to have a high rate of autoantibodies directed toward smooth muscle cells, parietal cells, brush border cells, the thyroid gland, and the myelin cells..."

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Web Site, Graphics, Artwork, Book, and Theme is: 
© Copyright 2002, Barbara Bouyet
All Rights Reserved.  Not Available for Reproduction.
 Do Not Copy without Written Permission