Momo

Momo came to us on the 16^th of April, 2019. She is from the first Hokkaido Ken litter in the UK. She was our foundation bitch, but most importantly a much-loved pet and family member. Momo has a very independent personality and is extremely confident. She settled in almost immediately upon her return home, and instantly tried to challenge Wellington! Having come from a home with 3 large northern Inuit dogs’, Momo is no stranger to challenging and playing with an animal much larger than herself.

Momo means ‘peach’ in Japanese. We called her this because when she was born she was fuzzy like a peach, and has peachy tipped ears, which have really become orange as she has grown! She has really come out of her shell, and is not daunted by new or unfamiliar situations.

During Momo’s first week with us we worked hard on noise and sight desensitisation. She went for a walk (in my arms) at a big estate local to us, where she fell asleep in my arms! She went to 3 different vet practices and met lots of veterinary staff, including my friends whom I work with. She also went to the pub with me, and, not surprisingly, fell asleep on the table! We also ventured to the beach, a local busy market, and she has already played with lots of dogs of all shapes and sizes and interacted with lots of people.

Momo is a fearless, beautiful little girl who is not afraid to throw her attitude and confidence around. She is a lovely addition to our family and a great breed ambassador. We regularly travel throughout the UK to showcase the breed and get the name out there. She loves meeting the crowds and really takes every dog show in her stride. She absolutely laps up the attention!

Unfortunately, at 1 year old, Momo started to show signs of weight loss and diarrhoea. We sought veterinary advice and after extensive testing, she was diagnosed with Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI). Whilst this is not a notable disease in the Hokkaido, we wanted to make sure her breeder and other Hokkaido owners were aware. We made the difficult decision in 2021 to remove her from the UK Hokkaido breeding programme. EPI is a very complex disease, and there is no genetic test for it currently. It is suspected that it can have a genetic factor (it is commonly seen in German Shepherds), however, isolated cases within a line are often suspected to be immune-mediated (the own body attacking itself). Her mother, father, and siblings have not been affected by this disease, and there is no history of this illness within her lineage.

It took us a while to get her illness under control, however, it is a disease that can be managed well with medications and pancreatic supplements. Momo now lives a healthy life with her EPI well-managed and controlled, and it will not affect her quality or longevity of life. She is a much-loved member of the family who always manages to make us smile.

For more information on EPI, please click here.