Because we believe in education, National Purebred Dog Day® feels that it’s not particularly helpful if we only show you what’s acceptable in the world of breed standards, and never what’s not acceptable. Sometimes there’s a really good reason why a trait is forbidden in a breed often having to do with soundness. Sometimes, the reason is more cosmetic. We leave it to breed experts to make those calls. We just want you to know what certain terms mean, and one of them is the “flowered” Shar-Pei.
Simply put, the “flowered” Shar-Pei refers to a distinctive coat pattern that appears as a stark white coat with splashes of spots and ticking. The Flowered Coat Pattern is disallowed in the AKC, the CKC, and the FCI. It’s believed that the MITF gene causes the “flowered” or white spotted phenotype in Shar-Pei which appears to be inherited as an autosomal recessive trait with no hint of white markings on heterozygous dogs. Put another way: The flowered gene is recessive, so both the sire and dam must have the gene to pass it on.
In other breeds, this pattern is sometimes called “piebald.”
This “Flowered” Shar-Pei is “Mr. Bubbles,” owned and photographed by William Grant, bred by Joan Rochford
Is this coat pattern linked to a health problem?
We couldn’t find evidence of the pattern linked to a health anomaly, Carol, but breed experts would know this better than we do. Shar-Pei folks, how about it?
No there are no health problems associated with the flowered chinese shar-pei. They are simply “mismarked” or more accurately put not to standard.
Melissa
Good information to have here, Melissa, thank you!
There are no health issues tied to the flowered coat pattern
Thanks, Donna, this is good to know!
No there is no known health issues attributed to the flowered shar pei just because he is flowered. I have raised some myself and they are just as hearty as any healthy shar pei. Just as intelligent and compassionate also. It is the shar pei club of America who sets the standards. They do not consider the flowered pei as being correct . I myself think it is a real shame as some of the original shar pei WERE in fact flowered. They are not inferior in any way.
No health issues associated with it at all! Just a mismark, sometimes it comes with a lack of pigment which is why it was voted to not be in standard. 🙂
With it being a Sharpei…..it has the same problems that ALL Sharpei have.
Flowered
Bear coat
Horse coat
Brush coat
All the same ?
Not ALL shar pei have health problems! Some do due to wrong breeding like a lot of breeds.I have 3 none of whom have ANY health problems.I also have a lot of friends with shar pei who also do not have ANY problems.Do not assume please!
We make no such assumptions, Frances! We’re lucky to have known many Shar-Pei, and each has been a delight and picture of health.
But all SharPei, especially the heavily wrinkled, meat mouth or Western Style, are at risk for S.P.A.I.D. (Shar Pei Auto Inflammatory Disease) See:
Dr Jefferey Vidt’s website: http://drjwv.com/wp/2014/03/20/spaid-shar-pei-autoinflammatory-disorder/
Dr Linda Tintle’s website: https://wvc.vetstreet.com/hyaluronosis-familial-shar-pei-fever-and-amyloidosis
Breeders can now test to see how many copies of the gene their dogs carry so that they do not breed dogs with a high chance of carrying the disease. https://www2.vet.cornell.edu/news/20160722/new-test-shar-pei-breed-cornells-ahdc-first-nation-provide-diagnostic
The heavier the wrinkles & fatter the muzzle the higher chance our dogs have of having Familial Shar Pei Fever. Doesn’t matter what color they are. The best way to save our breed & the illness plaguing them is to introduce the healthier traditional type dogs from excellent lines into the gene pool.
People who own SharPei should join a SharPei specific health group such as SharPei Health Central on FaceBook.
Feeding a species appropriate diet (raw with no potato or carbs) and using good supplements like HyVitality you can keep your SharPei healthier and breeders should be doing the CNV test as soon as it’s available (very, very soon) and breeding away from the sick lines.
Entirely too many breeders would like you to believe it is not an issue & that the fevers & swollen hocks are from something else but no, they are S.P.A.I.D. And dogs with these fevers should be on Colchicine to prevent Amyloid Placque from depositing on their organs. We are seeing entirely too many dogs dying of Chronic Renal Failure and lately of STSS-like infections or Vasculitis that previously was extremely rare in the breed.
Puppy buyers need to realize that they do not want the heavily wrinkled dogs with big fat muzzles (over expression of hyaluronan) just because they are cute. They are the dogs that require entropian surgery & can have the skin issues & other health issues the breed are prone to. If buyers want more moderate dogs the breeders will be more likely to breed the moderate healthier dogs. It is up to us to help our breed move into the future with less health issues. The “tweeners” not meat mouth but also not bone mouth and the “bone mouth” SharPei have big beautiful eyes & do not require tacking, large nostrils so that they can breathe better, large ear canals so that they have less ear issues and less wrinkles.
Photo attached: Damery’s Bodhi @ Pei Garden owned by Andrea Davis and bred by Andrea Damery.
We don’t presume to know everything about every breed, but it seems a grand statement to say that “all” of any breed are at risk for a syndrome or disease. That said, we could’t agree with you more that it is up to us, the stewards of our respective breeds, to help them move into the future as sound, solid dogs. Happily, science is providing us with newer and better tools every day to find markers and test for conditions. Great comment, Andrea, than you.
There are no known health risks tied to the flowered coat pattern
The flowered puppy in this picture is my two year old Mister Bubbles. People are always amazed at Bubbles colours. He is from breeder Joan Rochford.
You need this guideline…………
http://www.dogstuff.info/sharpei_flowered_standard.html
Thanks, Nancy, we’re happy to have the information posted here where everyone can access it in the future!
Thank you for adding the photo credits. Bubbles says thank you for making him a superstar. ?
It’s our absolute pleasure, William!
There are better health groups for Sharpei on facebook I think. Shar Pei Health Nutrition and Behavior is the BEST Sharpei health site on the internet and Andrea does appear on this site and comments and pasted things from there to her smaller health site. This site also has files for health issues which many find very value as I do. And…. Dr Linda Tintle comments on this page and has helped many.
I put it too any body my blue flower shar pei would beat any other shar pei in any show the fact they dont recognise the colour is disgusting!