Akita nutrition for a large, moderately active dog

Feeding an Akita is mostly about three things: portion control for a very large dog that is not especially active, meal routines that lower the risk of bloat, and a clear head about what diet can and cannot do for the breed's immune-mediated diseases. The American Kennel Club breed profile gives adult males as 100 to 130 pounds (about 45 to 59 kg) and females as 70 to 100 pounds (32 to 45 kg), with a life expectancy of 10 to 14 years. The AKC describes the breed as needing only moderate exercise: a brisk walk or jog once a day covers most dogs.

Calories for a large, moderately active dog

The Merck Veterinary Manual gives the standard starting point. Resting energy requirement (RER) is 70 times body weight in kilograms raised to the power 0.75. An intact adult needs about 1.8 times RER a day, a neutered adult 1.6 times, and an adult that gains weight easily 1.4 times. Merck is explicit that the result is only a starting point, to be adjusted by how the dog responds.

Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 kcal. Work from the dog's lean weight, not its current weight, if it is already carrying extra. Many Akitas are unhurried or selective eaters, but the AKC still notes that some become overweight, and a thick coat hides it well. With flat hands on the chest, the ribs should be easy to feel under a thin layer; from above there should be a visible waist behind the ribs.

Puppies need more per kilogram. Merck gives 3 times RER for young puppies and 2 times RER from four months. For a breed this size, feed a food labelled for large-breed growth, measure every meal, and aim for steady growth rather than a big puppy. Rapid growth puts strain on developing hips and elbows, and the AKC lists hip dysplasia among the conditions breeders should screen for.

Bloat and how to feed around it

Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is a stomach that fills with gas and twists, cutting off its own blood supply and the return of blood to the heart. It needs emergency surgery. The AKC singles out Akitas as particularly susceptible. The Akita was one of eleven breeds followed in a US cohort of 1,637 large and giant dogs, in which risk rose with age, with a first-degree relative that had bloated, with fast eating and with a raised food bowl. The raised bowl finding reversed older advice, and the authors attributed about 20% of cases in the large breeds to it.

Two diet analyses in high-risk breeds add practical points. Dogs fed a larger volume of food per meal were at higher risk, and the highest risk was a large volume fed once a day. Separately, dry foods that listed an oil or fat among the first four label ingredients were linked to a 2.4-fold higher risk.

• Split the daily ration into at least two meals.
• Feed from a bowl on the floor, not a raised stand.
• Slow a fast eater with a slow-feed bowl or by scattering kibble on a mat.
• Read the first four ingredients of a dry food; prefer one without added oil or fat in that group.
• Rest the dog for an hour or so either side of a meal. This is widely advised, though the evidence for it is weaker than for the points above.

Know the signs: a swollen or tight belly, retching that brings nothing up, drooling, restlessness, pale gums, and collapse. A dog showing them needs a vet immediately, day or night. For a breed at this level of risk, ask about prophylactic gastropexy, a procedure that fixes the stomach to the body wall so it cannot twist. It is often done at the same time as neutering. It does not stop the stomach filling with gas, so the signs above still mean an emergency visit.

Immune-mediated disease and what diet can do

Akitas carry an unusual load of immune-mediated disease. A genetics paper on the American Akita lists thyroiditis, sebaceous adenitis, pemphigus foliaceus, uveitis, polyarthritis, myasthenia gravis and uveodermatologic syndrome, and found low diversity in the immune-system genes of the breed. No diet has been shown to prevent any of these. Food matters for keeping a dog on long-term treatment in good condition, not as a treatment in itself.

Sebaceous adenitis

In sebaceous adenitis, inflammation destroys the oil glands of the skin. In a study of 97 Akitas examined for the disease, the first lesions usually appeared along the top of the back and on the ears, and hair loss mainly affected the undercoat; the authors thought a recessive pattern of inheritance possible. Scaling, a dull, thinning coat and repeated skin infections are the signs to take to a vet, who can confirm it with a skin biopsy. Management is long-term skin treatment. Fish oil is sometimes part of the regimen, but that decision and the dose belong with the vet treating the dog.

Uveodermatologic (VKH-like) syndrome

This disease attacks pigment-producing cells in the eye and skin. It causes uveitis, which can blind a dog quickly, and loss of pigment on the nose, lips and eyelids. In American Akitas it is associated with a particular immune-gene variant, DQA1*00201. Red, cloudy or painful eyes, squinting, or sudden whitening of the nose need a same-day vet visit, because prompt immunosuppressive treatment gives the best chance of saving vision. Diet has no proven role here.

Suspected food allergy

Evidence that Akitas are more prone to food allergy than other breeds is limited. When itching, recurring ear infections or chronic digestive upset do point to food, the vet will usually suggest a strict elimination trial with a hydrolyzed diet or a protein the dog has not eaten before, fed with nothing else for several weeks. A review of the evidence found that the foods most often responsible in dogs were beef, dairy products, chicken and wheat. When the signs have settled, the old foods are reintroduced one at a time, which is the only way to confirm the culprit.

Skin disease in an Akita is not automatically allergy. Sebaceous adenitis, thyroid disease and pemphigus can all look like it, so a coat problem that does not clear on an elimination diet needs further tests rather than a third food change.

Feeding routines that suit the breed

The AKC warns that some Akitas are possessive about food. Feed the dog in its own space, away from other pets and out of reach of children, and do not hand out high-value chews where another dog can approach. That also gives a selective eater a quiet place to finish its meal.

• Set meal times: put the measured meal down for about 20 minutes, then lift it. Leaving food out makes it impossible to know what the dog ate and works against the meal-size advice above.
• Stable diet: repeated food switches to tempt a picky dog tend to teach it to wait for something better. Change foods gradually over about a week when a change is needed.
• Toppers: warm water or a spoonful of wet food on the kibble can improve interest. Count them in the daily calories.
• Supplements: glucosamine, chondroitin and zinc are not needed for a healthy Akita on a complete diet. Discuss any supplement with the vet first, especially for a dog on immunosuppressive drugs.

Keep the dog lean throughout life. For a heavy breed prone to hip dysplasia, body weight is the joint factor an owner controls most directly.

Sources

1. Akita dog breed information. American Kennel Club.
2. Nutritional requirements of small animals. Merck Veterinary Manual.
3. Non-dietary risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in large and giant breed dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2000.
4. Diet-related risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in dogs of high-risk breeds. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 2004.
5. The effect of ingredients in dry dog foods on the risk of gastric dilatation-volvulus in dogs. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 2006.
6. Uveodermatologic (VKH-like) syndrome in American Akita dogs is associated with an increased frequency of DQA1*00201. Tissue Antigens, 2005.
7. Sebaceous adenitis in the Akita: clinical observations, histopathology and heredity. Veterinary Dermatology, 2001.
8. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats. BMC Veterinary Research, 2016.