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( V.K.H. ) Volt-Koyanagi-Harada's Disease ( V.K.H. )
PROVEN FACT:
!!! V.K.H. like syndrome “CAN” AFFECT THE CHOW CHOW !!!
Disclaimer: WE ARE NOT SPEAKING FOR THE CHOW CHOW BREED
V.K.H. LIKE SYNDROME (Uveodermatological Syndrome)
Please be a responsible steward for our canine companions, once positively identified, please communicate with others to keep track of disease and share information.
What it is and how it starts - the disease and the symptoms.
Volt-Koyanagi-Harada's Disease, better known as V.K.H.-Like Syndrome (V.K.H.) is an autoimmune disease, named after Drs. Vogt, Koyanagi and Harada.
In dogs it is known as UveoDermatological Syndrome (UDS) but because it's so like the human form it is referred to more often by the human equivalent V.K.H.
V.K.H is commonly found in many of the Northern breeds but particularly in young Chow Chows, Japanese Akitas, Golden Retrievers, Samoyeds, Siberian Huskies and Shetland Sheepdogs.
It is autoimmune related, with hereditary implications. Research undertaken throughout the world have heavy leanings towards this being AUTOSOMAL RECESSIVE in nature.
Symptoms are depigmentation and hardening of the skin, depigmentation of the gums and jowls, hair loss, and blindness.
Sometimes there are no warnings, sometimes there are, like the depigmentation and conjunctivitis (whites of the eye, and rim go red). Conjunctivitis will often be followed by a detached retina, which shows as a milky blue surface on the eye ball.
This IS a medical emergency. Without treatment, blindness will follow. The dog suffers great pain.
It has also been reported that dogs have been known to lose their nails.
The disease affects mucous membrane areas such as the eyelids, mouth, anus, vulva and sometime the pads of the dog's feet.
There is a definite visible loss of pigmentation in these areas, often started by crustiness or blisters. ~
The severity of the symptoms vary from dog to dog.
An interesting point to note is that many dogs, NOT ALL, are often stricken at 18 to 20 months and with varying symptoms, some hair loss, combined with depigmentation of the skin and mouth, but most commonly the eyes.
There is no cure, and there are no methods to test breeding stock for V.K.H. here in the U.K.
CLICK THE TEXTS BELOW TO BE TAKEN TO OWNERS DIARY EVENTS. CURRENT AS OF 4th AUGUST 2008.
V.K.H. SUFFERERS DIARY - PHOEBE
V.K.H SUFFERERS STORY - MAI
V.K.H. “APPEARS” TO BE Autosomal recessive: A genetic condition that appears only in individuals who have received two copies of an autosomal gene, one copy from each parent. The gene is on an autosome, a nonsex chromosome. The parents are carriers who have only one copy of the gene and do not exhibit the trait because the gene is recessive to its normal counterpart gene.
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