UK study of 1,913 Shar Pei: entropion found in 17.88% of dogs in 2013 clinical records

Researchers analysed anonymised primary-care veterinary clinical records from the UK for 2013 and reported the results in Canine Medicine and Genetics. The study population was 455,557 dogs, of which 1,913 (0.42%) were Shar Pei. The mean adult bodyweight of the breed was 22.26 kg. biomedcentral.comCanine Medicine and Geneticsbiomedcentral.comOpen source ↗

The Shar Pei has a distinctive appearance caused by hyaluronosis, which has been linked with several health conditions. The study set out to describe the demography, common disorders and mortality of the breed. In the cohort, 1,268 dogs (66.28%) had at least one disorder recorded during the year.

Most common disorders

At the fine level of diagnostic precision, entropion was the most prevalent disorder at 17.88% (95% CI: 16.16-19.59). It was followed by otitis externa at 16.36% (14.70-18.02), ear disorders at 6.69% (5.57-7.81), aggression at 5.23% (4.23-6.22) and pyoderma at 4.29% (3.38-5.19).

Among grouped categories, ophthalmologic disorders were the most prevalent at 22.27% (20.40-24.13). Dermatological disorders followed at 21.01% (19.19-22.84), aural disorders at 18.66% (16.92-20.41), traumatic injury at 7.53% (6.35-8.71) and behavioural disorders at 7.21% (6.05-8.37). biomedcentral.comCanine Medicine and Geneticsbiomedcentral.comOpen source ↗

The authors note that entropion is linked strongly with the extreme conformation of thickened and folded skin and bristly hair that characterises the breed. They add that several other common disorders are also linked to hyaluronosis.

Longevity and causes of death

A total of 190 Shar Pei died during the study period. Their median longevity was 7.28 years (IQR 5.04-10.05, range 0.04-15.04).

A method of death was recorded for 184 animals. Of these, 157 (85.33%) deaths involved euthanasia and 27 (14.67%) were unassisted. biomedcentral.comCanine Medicine and Geneticsbiomedcentral.comOpen source ↗

A biomedical cause of death was recorded for 136 animals (71.58%). At group level, the most common causes were neoplasia (15.44%, 95% CI: 9.37-21.51), renal disorders (13.24%, 7.54-18.93) and behavioural disorders (11.03%, 5.76-16.29).

The authors conclude that almost one fifth of Shar Pei receive veterinary care each year for entropion. They write that current UK legislation can help support efforts to avoid breeding or acquiring animals with extreme conformations, and to promote adequate veterinary care for already-owned animals with such conformations.