Shar Pei fever is not fatal for your pet if detected early. Knowing that it is a hereditary disease and that therefore your dog could suffer from it from birth, we want to tell you what is Shar Pei fever, how to detect if your dog suffers and what is the most appropriate treatment to deal with it.
What is Shar Pei Fever?
Shar Pei fever, also called familial fever, is a disease that is transmitted from generation to generation and of which, Despite the numerous studies carried out, it is still not known with total certainty which is the organism that causes it.
Among these studies, some have come to affirm that one of the causes of this disease is an excess of hyaluronic acid, which is the component of the skin that makes the Shar Pei dog have those characteristic wrinkles in your body. However, this extreme has not yet been confirmed. What we do know is that like all fevers that affect dogs, the fever that affects Shar Pei is a defense mechanism that is activated when your dog is attacked by some kind of pathogenic agent.
What are the symptoms?
The main symptoms of Shar Pei familial fever are:
- The own fever (between 39ºC and 42ºC)
- Inflammation of one or more joints
- Inflammation of the muzzle
- Abdominal discomfort.
As this is a hereditary disease, dogs that suffer from it begin to feel its symptoms before 18 months of age, although cases in which symptoms begin at 3 or 4 years are not uncommon.
The joint most affected by this disease is the so-called hock, which is the joint located in the lower part of the leg and upper of the cane and where the flexion and extension movements of the hind limbs are concentrated. On many occasions, what is inflamed is not the joint itself, but the entire area around it. As for the inflammation of the snout, it must be said that it causes a lot of pain in the dog and if it is not treated quickly it can also affect the lips. Finally, the abdominal discomforts cause in this animal a lack of appetite, reluctance to move and even vomiting and diarrhoea.
Shar Pei fever treatment
Before talking about the treatment for this fever, it is worth remembering that if you detect any type of alteration in your dog, take it immediately to the veterinary, since it is this professional who should examine your dog.
If the doctor determines that your Shar Pei dog suffers from temperatures above 39ºC, he will treat him with antipyretics, which are those drugs that cause decrease fever. If the fever persists, which is exceptional, since it usually disappears after 24 to 36 hours, antibiotics can also be administered. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories are used to relieve pain and inflammation of the snout and joints.
This treatment, however, must be carefully controlled because it can cause side effects. There is no cure for Shar Pei fever but these treatments are aimed at preventing the symptoms from advancing and leading to a more serious and life-threatening disease called amyloidosis.
Possible complications
Amyloidosis is the main complication that Shar Pei fever can have.
Amyloidosis are a group of diseases caused by the deposit of a protein called amyloid, which in the case of the Shar Pei attacks kidney cells. In the case of amyloidosis, it not only affects the Shar Pei but it is a disease that can also attack Beagles, the English Fox Hound and various breeds of cats.
Although there is treatment, it is very aggressive, and can cause death of the animal due to kidney failure or even cardiac arrest in a maximum term of 2 years. That is why we recommend that if you have a Shar Pei that has suffered from familial fever or even amyloidosis and has offspring, that you notify the veterinarian to at least be prevented and give these precious dogs the best quality of life.
