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Sharpei Fevers And Reactivity In A Dog

by CorinneC - January 30, 2026 View Case Report

Mack is a 4yo MN Sharpei who suffers from Sharpei fever, primarily episodes occur Mar-April and Aug-Sept every year. He recovers quickly with 1-2 days of Galliprant. He has toned but slippery-ish pulses (although I will admit he is extremely wiggly and growling at me the whole time). Tongue is fairly large and swollen, purple-black, moist. He also has cutaneous mucinosis on his chest, never really becomes an issue but ever-present on his chest and the sides of his head.

Lately he has become very odd in his behaviour (even more so than the regular Sharpei weirdness...) in that he will become reactive, run and jump on Os when they move off the couch. He reacts, barks, lunges, and paces to stirring a bowl in the kitchen. He has had a few nights where he paces, jumps on side of Os bed, let outside where he continues to pace, very restless. Behaviour seems to be getting worse, not better. He also seems affected by shadows, constantly ducking when he sees them as if something will drop on him/looks like he's about to be hit (which he never has had, very spoiled!!). My only other addition is that they had used an ECollar on him, he only needed one correction but I wonder is this created more anxiety? I also wonder about the many fevers creating brain inflammation and a canine version of autism? They are feeding Fromms fish and potato with kefir and fish oils. I have tried multiple times to get them onto homecooked but the owners just will not budge. He has a voracious appetite, sheds at odd times of the year like now, and can be very reactive with people and dogs.

My question is...this seems like Damp Heat, but also after watching your Cognitive dysfunction webinar, it looks like Minor Bupleurum in CHJLGMLT is really effective at reducing amyloid plaque buildup in the brain, does that include the kidneys? I would usually move towards Si Miao San or better yet, Huang Lian, but should I pair with CHJLGMLT? This may help with reactivity too, but I am extremely wary with this boy as he has so many issues!!

Thanks in advance oh grand master,
Corinne

by naturevet

February 4, 2026

Corinne, I think you're correct that this is a Damp Heat issue, not only because of the presentation, but because it is the 'innate' immune system that drives inflammation in Shar-Pei fever. An overactive innate immune system is equivalent to Damp Heat in Chinese medicine.

I suspect two weeks on a real food diet would produce a radical improvement, enough for the owners to then be convinced it is worth trying to figure out how to do it long term. It might not even take two weeks! If they agreed to just do it for a week, that might be enough to see the edge being taken off.

I like your idea of Si Miao San. I would also add Long Dan Xie Gan Tang as a way of taking the edge off a dog with extreme Damp Heat. Not to say that CHJLGMLT might not help, but I would think LDXGT is a better fit. I would use both SMS and LDXGT to be more sure of an effect and to bring in the slight Blood moving effects of SMS that the response to Galliprant says is needed.

Hopefully, they will listen to reason and do a short diet trial. Let us know how this goes. If they go along with your recommendations, the improvements could be dramatic and permanent (by ripping the rug out from under the excess innate immune response so that the Shar Pei fever does not occur at all).

Hopefully, that is what happens and what you see!

Steve

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