Akula is a really large Siberian husky but he doesn't have
the typical husky's soft, push coat. He's got the guard
hairs of an Alaskan Malamute.... I started investigating my
suspicions and when I learned that malamutes depend on a
family and its members to look up to, this became "case
closed" on Akula -- he's half malamute! The actual name for
this combination is
Alusky. I just learned
about this when I went looking for the difference between
the 2:
Alusky.
If I was not attentive enough to him, he would find my
notebooks I use for book writing (yes -- I'm actually
working on writing a semi non-fiction book) or mail to chew
up! I started coming at him with my arms opened wide as I
said "huggy huggy!" That was all he needed -- mommy and me
time!
When we adopted him, he came home with 1 eye oddly enlarged.
He went from the shelter to the vet's office for a once over
and our vet suspected our new buddy had glaucoma -- that the
eye was as enlarged as it was because of excess fluid in his
eyeball "and it will NOT be cheap...."
He was sooo not kidding....
Akula came home from getting adopted and commiting us to
seeing him through the glaucoma "recovery". This was a long
process and it quickly became obvious why he was found as a
stray -- it was cheaper than taking him to a specialist vet.
Akula in his new back yard.
It took only a short time to figure out his new name -- the
dogs need a Russian and or military aircraft name -- both
when all possible. He earned his name when we took the dogs
for a walk to the park when we were accosted by a stray
labrador retriever mixed with chow male dog. He sniffed
Sasin and likewise then the mix snapped at Sasin and drew
blood!
Our new dog then lunged with his huge mouth open and clamped
onto the stray's neck! He shook and shook until the stray
finally could wiggle out and then he ran FAST and FAR before
it was safe to stop and look back. I let Akula walk a few
steps toward the direction of the stray and that was enough
to encourage the stray to continue moving away from us.
Akula
is Russian for shark. It's also Russian for a
military submarine. Score!
Onto the canine ophtalmology we go!
After a year or so of monthly visits, 2 attempts of injections -- the vet paperwork/receipt says "gentocin"
injection. Google wants me to search "gentamicin injection".
So I did. Here's some info on it:
Gentamicin Injection
Glaucoma
When the pricy shots failed to kill the fluid backing up
into the eye and his eye pressure elevated from the 25ish
range to 85ish range, it was time... to remove the eye....
:(
Akula was not happy BUT the pressure was now a non-issue!
NOW he's a happy dog again!
New and improved and all the pain and pressure is gone! He
still needs Timolol in his good eye but there is no pressure
to speak of! He definitely returned to a smiling husky
malamute who learned how to play and fight with the other
hukies -- and not take any grief they give personally.