You Must Be Barking Mad To Get A Shar-Pei!
Shar-Pei are known for their wrinkly skin, slobbery mouths and spiralled tails; but their adorably, ugly, faces shouldn’t disguise you from their very high health risks.
The Kennel Club have said that the Shar-Pei breed were developed to fight and hunt; their thick wrinkles are able to protect their vital organs when/if being attacked and therefore there facial skin serves as a very important part of protection. However, ironically, this loose skin can also be one of the main reasons for their many trips to the Vets. When their wrinkled skin is cut, the folds can cause infection and slow up the healing process. In addition to this, the baggy skin can fall heavy over their eyes, causing discomfort and damage. This is a major worry within the breed; like Pugs and Bulldogs the skin plays a big part in folding the eyelids into the eyes and, in worse cases, causing the dog to go blind. This is all due to the breeds being over bread and causing parts of the body to become unnatural for their health and well being, as the breeding process isn’t done with precaution, the defects of the dogs are being passed down, and are usually just a financial gain for the breeders rather than the care for the animals.
During my families time as Shar-Pei owners, so far, we have experienced many issues with this troublesome breed. Archie, our dog, has had a lot of trips to the Vet, his eyes being the main source of the problem. Our loveable pooch had grown from puppy to adult and started to become a handsome young dog. However, his eyes became watery and as the weeks went by the retinas started to turn misty and slightly blue; the eyelashes were folding into, and scratching the surface of his eyes. We decided it was time to see the Vet, and the first of many eye operations was organised and Archie’s sight was on the very early stages to recovery. The skin around his eye was cut and removed, bringing the eyelashes out and being able to function properly and protect his eye rather than damage it. He had this operation twice, and the cost was pricey. This was something we had mistakenly overlooked when we saw a cute blob of wrinkles as a puppy, we had become blind to see the realistic nature of owning a breed that was over bread and probably unfair to have ever been born. Luckily we were in a position where we could afford to pay for these treatments, and give a better life for Archie (Pet Insurance does not cover breed related health care). His eye site was remarkably better, he could play with the other dogs and be able to explore on walks without bumping into trees and posts.
Another few months passed and he had his check up- bad luck. Archie’s eyes were still getting damaged by the wrinkly skin and if work was not done in time he was likely to loose his sight for good. We were referred to a specialist Vet and she explained that she will have to perform a ‘face lift’ on the pooch and stitch his folds up to the back of his head and therefore pull the skin out of his eyes once and for all! After weeks of healing and various inflammation and bruising of the raw areas, his sight and skin was noticeably better- he was no longer going blind!
After almost a year has passed since the operation and now he has a much more improved lifestyle, and his skin is no longer causing any damage- WE HOPE!
The skin and eyes are not the only risk in a Shar-Pei life time. There can also be a lot of complication with their limbs. As if their thick, infection prone skin wasn’t enough! Like human babies, and pretty much any living baby, their bones are developing and sometimes the various ligaments grow at different rates. If this happens then the bones can become weaker and therefore cause a bend and limp in the leg. This happened a few weeks after Archie came home, we tried many techniques to reduce the bending; only letting him walk on carpet, carrying him everywhere, tying the leg up and waiting and hoping it would improve. Eventually we took him to the Vets, and they had to make a special splint to keep his leg straight- he did not enjoy walking on that! But his leg soon grew straight and he’s now stronger than ever.
After many trips to the Vets, we finally have a happy, healthy hound. He’s dumb, funny and ugly but we all love him! The only problem we have now is the weekly ear clean and his ridiculous amount of slobber.
I wouldn’t recommend becomeing a Shar-Pei owner for the sake of the dog, your stress level, and the bills! But if you are considering getting a breed like the Shar-Pei, then there are many factors to consider:
- Thick skin
- Wrinkle covered eyes
- Aggressive temperament to other dogs/humans (they’re guard dogs after all)
- Fragile limbs as puppies
- Strength
- Slobber
- PRICE
With these doscomforts and health risks, dedication and planning is key when owning a Shar-Pei dog. You have a dog for life, not just for their puppy days, be sure to prepare and know your dog limits. Put the dogs’ well being first and they are sure to love you and be your loyal companion!
