If you’ve ever heard that too many Shar Peis die young due to renal failure (kidney problems), the reason might be the Shar Pei Fever. This disease goes by many names, such as Shar Pei Recurring Fever Syndrome, Familial Shar Pei Fever, Shar-Pei Autoinflammatory Disease (SPAID), or Swollen Hock syndrome. It is a disease that affects 23% of Shar Peis. The symptoms can show up at any age, but it often occurs before a dog is 18 months old.
The Symptoms
The name, Shar Pei Fever, is given to the condition because pyrexia, or high fever, is the most prominent symptom. Fever goes from 103°F to 107°F (39.4°C to 41.6°C). Usually, the first fevers go without any treatment, or in other words, they go on their own after 12 to 36 hours. The other signs are possible too:
- Swelling of the hock joints (ankle joints)
- Swelling of the muzzle
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal discomfort
- Difficulty walking
Not all dogs develop all the symptoms and not all symptoms show up every time. But, the one thing that is certain is the high body temperature. Normal dog body temperature is from 101.0 to 102.5°F (38.3 to 39.2°C).
The main symptom is recurring fever, but other symptoms can show up too, such as swelling of the hock joints or abdominal pain
Why Does It Happen?
The Shar Pei Fever is an inflammatory disease. It is inheritable and it is believed to be connected with the uniqueness of the breed’s skin wrinkles. The reason why Shar Pei dogs have such wrinkly skin is due to a genetic mutation. This genetic mutation causes high hyaluronic acid production in the skin’s upper layers. The hyaluronic acid is what makes the space between the cells bigger, by holding large molecules of water. All of this makes the Shar Pei look like a Shar Pei.
Unfortunately, hyaluronic acid is what causes the auto-inflammatory reaction and leads to symptoms such as high fever, swelling of the joints, etc. The degradation of hyaluronic acid into low molecular weight products causes the body to react as if there is a problem that needs to be solved. This means the autoimmune system is included which leads to inflammation – fever, joint problems, swelling, etc.
The hyaluronic acid that “makes” the skin wrinkly, causes auto-inflammatory reaction as well (fever and other symptoms)
Kidney Damage
If the body is in a constant state of inflammation, such as with Shar Pei Fever, the byproduct of the inflammation is the higher level of the acute-phase proteins. One of these acute-phase proteins is serum amyloid A. This protein needs to be broken down and removed from the body through the kidneys. However, the byproduct that comes out of amyloid A “clogs” the kidneys, because there is too much of it and the kidneys can’t remove all of it.
The common complication of Shar Pei Fever is Renal Amyloidosis (kidney damage)
Because the byproducts (called AA amyloid) can’t be removed from the body, they are deposited in various organs, but the main organ is the kidneys. This deposition leads to progressive and irreversible kidney damage. The condition caused by this deposition is called Renal Amyloidosis.
What To Do?
Shar Pei Fever cannot be cured. The main goal is to prevent the inflammation from occurring too often and if it does happen, help with the symptoms. Depending on when the kidney disease is diagnosed, some dogs live relatively long lives while others die young or have a shorter lifespan.
Shar Pei Fever cannot be cured
If you have a Shar Pei, and he does develop a fever all of a sudden without any apparent reasons, take your dog to a vet. They can do a test, if it needs to be done, to determine whether a dog has Shar Pei Fever or not.
The key treatment is to treat the fever and try to prevent kidney damage in the long run
The first thing your vet will do is help with the fever by administering some anti-inflammatory drugs. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, a vet can also recommend intravenous administration of the fluids and necessary drugs.
As for Renal Amyloidosis, unfortunately, there aren’t any helpful treatments. Some veterinarians use Colchicine (an anti-inflammatory drug) that disrupts the production of the serum amyloid A which can help prevent Renal Amyloidosis. However, this drug is used on humans, and while it can be used on dogs too, there is little proof it actually helps Shar Peis.
If dogs do not react well or do not react at all to Colchicine, a vet can prescribe corticosteroids to treat the fever. However, corticosteroids can have a much wider array of side effects.
Final Thoughts
The Shar Pei Fever (SPF) is a lifelong condition. It cannot be cured, but only treat the symptoms to alleviate the discomfort. It’s up to a vet to decide what the treatment will be. The key is to keep the kidneys from damaging as long as possible. Testing can be done to determine the probability that the dog will develop SPF onset during its lifetime. Testing can be used to determine whether a dog can be used in breeding or to find the health status of an individual dog. It can help us prepare ourselves for what might come. The testing of all Shar Peis included in breeding programs helps maintain a healthier breed.
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Cover Photo by Anna Shvets
