The writing below are just from my experiences with shar-pei.
For a expert opinion on shar-pei go onto
Looking after your shar-pei is a easy thing. If you feed them right and wash them right and treat them right.
Coats
Shar-pei are different to other dogs with them having a single coat. Meaning they have one layer of hair.
So they can be more sensitive to irritation than other dogs. Most other dogs have two/three layers of hair.
So when they molt, they do look different, because you can see, where the coat has shed - come out.
Normally in small round circles, or just look thin in coat. Some Vets that never see Shar-pei, think it is something really bad, like mange, when it is not, they are just molting, like normal dogs do. If the skin is not smelly or red I would just leave the dog as this is just normal.
Vets tend to do all sorts of tests & biopsy's.
They also give them antibiotics which is not Necessary. If The Skin is red YES Antibiotics will help the skin/coat, recover faster. Also vets give Malaseb which is a shampoo, it is used for cases of Yeast infections and is very affective.
But I have found White Vinger (A Normal herbal medicine very good). You use around 50ml of white vinger to 300ml of luck warm water. You do not wash the dog but rather dip a cloth in the liquid and rib it all over the dog. This can not harm the coat or it's skin, it is a herbal treatment, that a lot of Shar-pei people use.
The other herbal treatment you can use is Quistel. The quistel web site is www.quistel.co.UK, you find more details about quistel on there.
A Normal molt would last around 2-3 weeks, for if no improvement is made with the treatments above
then it is advisable for your Vet to take a scraping of your dogs skin for Demodex and other skin infections. Demodex is easy treated with shampoo or you can get, Advocate which treats demodex, kills ear mite and is also a treatment for flee's and worms.
It is now easy to get hold of as most vets stock it, it is new on the market,but it is brilliant and I have seen it work.It also treats lung worm.
If it turns out there is nothing, then I would, put my dog on omega 3 food supplement, and change the dogs diet, quistel also sell this, and the dog will get better naturally.
I tend now a days not to wash my dog but if I do I wash them in tea tree shampoo, or quistel shampoo, but I tend to just Vinger them.
Also sometimes shar-pei get sores under there legs, or on there body, which can be caused by a number of things. Make sure you rinse the dogs blankets well as, this can be one of the main reasons for sores.
If not seek a shar pei vets opinion.
Quistel also do a Omega 3 food supplement, which I find brilliant. Which I strongly advice people to use if they have a pregnant shar-pei or shar-pei with problems.
Food
All dogs need a balanced diet it is essential.
In the shar-pei it is more so. As if they have, a poor diet with artificial ingredients, yeast etc, it comes out in there coat.
I recommend James wellbeloved (fish & rice) I think is the best. Arden grange dog food is also brilliant. I now use Dr John's Silver for my adults, which I found really good and is light to the pocket.
I always recommend that dry food is wet, in luck warm water before giving to your dog. As this stops the kidneys drying out and other problems like bloat. It also stop the dog drulling, and drinking like there's no tomorrow.
I also recommend Nature diet, but I advice only to use this, till the puppy is about 4-5 months then, totally stop nature diet and feed just James wellbeloved or Arden grange. You can give tripe-chicken- Beef raw, if you like giving them a treat now and again.
I do give my pregnant female nature diet until they stop feeding there babies. Then it is stopped, slowly and the James wellbeloved or Arden Grange increased.
Some shar-pei do get skin problems if the above isn't done.
Some shar-pei though get skin problems passed down as it can be hereditary. I always advice people to see the parents and if they have skin problems, then not to buy. If your dog is suffering then please seek the advice of a shar-pei vet.
Temperaments
I always recommend people to try to meet both parents and see there condition and temperaments. As temperaments are passed down. I would never breed from a dog with a bad temperament but others do. To me temperament is something that comes first, as you always need to be able, to trust your dog.
Shar-pei are very intelligent they need to be talked to in dog language, they understand it so well. The dog whisper Caesar Malian is the best person to learn from watch him on TV and learn what he does. He will teach you how to be with your dogs.
Insurance
I would also recommend you insure your dog. If you don't have the means, always available for vet bills. If you do then set a saving bank account and put £20 pounds a month away. So you know you have money and if you ever need it. Give it to a animal rescue, if the money is never needed, as they always need help and money.
EYE'S
Another common problem with shar-pei is Ethiopian were the eye lash irritants the eye and causes ulcers on the eye.
I have my puppy eye lids tacked, if they need them doing around 2-3 weeks of age, or later if they turn later.
If you go to see puppies where there eye's have not been tacked and they can not see, and you can see ulcers on the eye. I would advice people not to buy from breeders like this. As the puppy might already have damage to his/her eye's, from ulcers on there eye's. Plus we need to stamp out breeders like this.
Sadly though no one can give a guarantee on eye's and Ethiopian as the puppies heads are always developing, some shar pei's with no wrinkles on there heads still may need Ethiopian surgery.
Ethiopian is an hereditary problem and something every shar-pei breeder, should be trying to get ride off, but it will take time. The English bulldog had the same problem years ago and it took them 10 years to get ride of Entriopian.
You can tack puppies eye's up to 8months of age, after that time they will need corrective surgery. But please use a shar-pei friendly vet to do entropian surgery, because if done wrong then the eye lid can twist the other way. The best place to find recommended shar-pei vets is on www.kavishi.freeserve.com. I would only ever use Chris Mann in Chesterfield, if I had the problem, it is well worth traveling to know you are in good hands.
Ears
Shar pei's sadly have the smallest ear canals in all breeds. I as a breeder are trying to improve on the size of the Canal, and are getting there.
Shar-pei need there ears cleaning from time to time. Your dog will normally tell you when, he/she needs, his/her ears cleaning by shaking there heads from side to side, or scratching there ears with there paw, or winging a ear.
The best way to clean there ears in to pour a small amount of ear cleaner, into there ear canal. Then let the dog run around (outside) of 10min's then. Clean the ears out, first with cotton wool. Then with ear buds, but be careful not to go to far inside the ear. If your shar-pei, keeps on producing a lot of ear wax. Then ask your vet, or try your local pet shop for, some ear mite killer. As most ear cleaners do not kill ear mites, and it is the ear mite that might be causing all the wax. Once the ear mite has been killed within days the wax build up has gone, and the ears go back to normal. If not then you will need a ear wash, but seek your vets advice.
I would not recommend not to clean there dogs ears every day, as this can cause, just as much irritation to the ear, dog do need a certain amount of ear wax. The ear cleaners I would Advice to use are Virbac epi-otic ear cleaner
and Surolan but place the bottle in warm water for 4-5mins to warm and put a few drops in if the ear canal is smelly.
Bites
Shar-pei bite should be a scissor bite, where the canines interlock. Bites in shar-pei are a funny thing, it is still hard to get, dog/males with correct bites, even with parents that bites are on. You can buy a puppy who's bite is perfect and two months later it is over shot or undershot. No one can give a guarantee on bites, but good breeders would not breed with off bites. Normally by 6-8 months there adult teeth, have come in. So if the bite is on at this age it should stay on. Make sure when going for stud you use a male with a good bite.
House training your shar-pei puppy
Shar pei are renowned to be very clean dogs/puppies, and normally only take around two weeks training, to get the hang of it fully. I advice people to crate train there shar-pei, as they hate to mess where they are. Also by training them this way you know, where they are, so they are safe, if you need to go out somewhere. I don't however advice people to leave there puppy for very long, times in a crate. As they would get used to going to the toilet in it, and that is what you don't want. Train your puppy straight away outside.
You want your puppy to learn, that as soon as he/she is let out, he/she goes straight outside for the toilet and once he/she has done her business. He/she is aloud back in. I would then re-let out around 30 min's after, if he/she did not do his/her business. Try to let your puppy out as much as you can for at least two- three days, then slowly, slow it down. But try to watch if they go to the door they might want to go out again. So is best to let them out, they don't always moan if they need the toilet, but they will circle and smell the floor before they do anything. If you don't want to keep them in a crate when there older, normally by 12-16 weeks they have learnt fully what to do and have learnt not to chew, so if you start leaving the crate door open they will get used to it slowly. I have found if the crate is fully taken away, they feel insecure, as they do feel safe in the crate. And they tend to start chewing, so doing it slowly is much better for the puppy.
Rescuing a shar- pei
If you ever decide to rescue a shar-pei and you have children. I would advice you to be careful. Try to find as much information about the dog, as you can before committing. I do sometimes have dogs, I rescue- rehome, but I do re-train them in my home and if they are funny. I would never re- home with children. I would hate for a child to ever get hurt. They normally do take a few days to fully settle in, but they will soon learn to trust and love you and be loyal to you.
The shar-pei can be the most loyal and affectionate dog, but treated wrong can be a aggressive dog. So please treat Your shar-pei with love, never hurt them or miss treating them. And if you do, God will be there to judge you, for it one day.
Thanks for reading to the end
I will try and add more bits, so keep a eye out for something new
Lots of love
Shar-pei lovers
Annette Smith
