SHIKOKU KEN HEALTH

The Shikoku Ken is a generally hardy and functional dog, but the breed does have some health concerns which may have mild to severe impacts on the Shikoku Ken's quality of life and longevity. It is of the utmost importance for breeders to have the knowledge of their dogs' lineage and health test when available, but also for owners to be prepared. ​Bolded conditions are those which may need immediate treatment, complicated diagnostics, or have a more serious impact on a dog's longevity and quality of life. I encourage owners familiarize themselves with these illnesses ONLY to know the signs and symptoms should their dog need medical intervention.

Known Health Conditions

  • Cancer
    • Lung, brain, and skin cancer have been found in the Shikoku Ken. Most of the time, cancers occur in dogs who are aging or are already at advanced age. Late age cancer does not appear to be uncommon in the breed at this time. There is no test for cancer in breeding dogs, but knowledge of family lines may be able to inform and prepare owners for the risk. 
  • Hip Dysplasia
    • Evaluation of both OFA and PennHip shows the breed averages to moderate to increased risk of developing hip dysplasia in their lifetime. Fortunately, many Shikoku Ken who have hip/joint deformity are not adversely affected and some are even entirely asymptomatic likely due to their relatively moderate size and athleticism. Still, puppy owners should know the risk of joint deformity and find breeders who have their dogs' hip results listed with the OFA database. While good parent scores does not ensure a puppy produced will have good hips, it does provide important trends and family history which is invaluable.
  • Idiopathic Epilepsy
    • ​Neurological issues are a concern in the Shikoku Ken. Epilepsy in particular pops up in the breed and can severely negatively affect the health and longevity of a dog. Idiopathic epilepsy is believed to be genetic and in the Shikoku Ken, this illness tends to appear within particular family lines. Many seizures may be controlled on medication and strict medical guidance from a veterinarian. Some serious cases of epilepsy may not be as easily controlled and must be closely monitored.
  • Panosteitis
    • Panosteitis, sometimes called "growing pains" (though this is sometimes a misnomer in the Shikoku Ken) is a painful inflammation of the bones and joints as the dog is growing. Many affected dogs will have symptoms until maturity, at which time the condition will entirely resolve. This is usually around 2 years of age, but as the Shikoku Ken is a slow maturing breed it may be 3 or 4 years at which time symptoms may resolve. There are some dogs which have lifelong episodes of panosteitis and other dogs which may have the more serious autoimmune condition, immune mediated polyarthritis.

Uncommon and rare Health Conditions

  • Cystinuria Type III
  • Distichiasis
  • Elbow Dysplasia
  • Entropion
  • Immune Mediated Polyarthritis
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Luxating Patella
  • Lysosomal Storage Disease (Gangliosidosis)
  • Missing Dentition
  • Persistent Pupillary Membranes