With experience and the right guidance, we find the majority of Shar-pei health problems are manageable, but sometimes may require expensive surgery or treatment to resolve, as well as the regular maintenance of monthly heartworm preventative and annual vaccinations. Average examples: one can expect to pay at least $50 for each general office visit (for vaccinations, heartworm testing, ear infections, etc), from $200 to $700 for entropion surgery (if needed), and over $1000 a year for recurring potential problems like: skin allergies, slipped joints, or inflammatory bowel disease. Unless you are ready to commit the time to learn to properly manage your Shar-pei's health and/or have necessary finances for all the necessary professional health services, a Chinese Shar-pei may not be the right dog for you or your family.

Having Shar-pei for over 17 years, I consider my dogs relatively healthy, and having not personally dealt with many of the issues that come up in Shar-pei, I often refer to expert advice from the CSPCA National Health advisor, IL veterinarian Dr. Jeff Vidt, or NY veterinarian Dr. Linda Tintle. Many general pet health questions may be answered at peteducation.com.