Two varieties, one set of delicate features
The Chinese Crested comes as the mostly hairless variety, with skin exposed and teeth often affected, and the Powderpuff, fully coated but sharing much of the same underlying health picture. Across both, the breed is linked with dental problems, skin irritation and sun damage in hairless dogs, luxating patella, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease affecting a hip joint in young dogs, progressive retinal atrophy and primary lens luxation, an eye emergency where the lens slips from its normal position.
A Crested is a small, fine-boned companion, and many of its problems are manageable when they are caught as patterns rather than discovered late. The daily hands-on habits this breed already needs — skin care, mouth checks, grooming — double as health screening if you know what you are feeling and seeing.
The hairless mouth is missing more than hair
In hairless Cresteds, the same genetics behind the coat affect the teeth, so missing, crowded or poorly rooted teeth are common, and retained baby teeth can sit alongside adult teeth and trap food. Bad breath, reluctance to crunch, pawing at the mouth or dropping food are signs the mouth needs a vet's look rather than another dental chew.
Check the mouth weekly while your dog is relaxed, lifting the lip on each side, and keep a note of loose or missing teeth so change is visible over time. Dental disease in a small dog is not cosmetic; sore gums change how a dog eats, plays and sleeps, and small breeds feel the effects of tooth loss quickly.
Skin that needs the care other dogs' coats provide
Hairless skin can develop blocked pores and spots, dryness, and sunburn on pale areas during ordinary summer walks, not just beach days. Wash and moisturise only with products your vet is happy with for this dog, rinse thoroughly, and treat a patch that becomes raised, crusted, bleeding or fast-growing as something to show a vet rather than something to keep creaming. Shade, timing walks away from the fiercest midday sun, and protective clothing for a fair-skinned dog are practical care, not fussiness.
Powderpuffs skip most skin exposure but their full coat mats close to the skin, and a mat can hide a sore or lump for weeks unless you brush down to the skin and run your hands over the body regularly.
Small knees, a young hip problem and eyes that cannot wait
A slipping kneecap in a Crested shows as a brief skip or a hind leg carried for a few steps. Legg-Calve-Perthes is different: it usually affects a young dog, causing progressive hind-leg lameness and pain around one hip as the top of the thigh bone loses its blood supply. Persistent limping in a young Crested is never something to simply grow out of, and it should be examined and recorded early.
For the eyes, learn one rule firmly: a suddenly painful, red, cloudy or enlarged eye in a Chinese Crested is a same-day emergency, because a luxated lens can damage the eye quickly. Slower vision change, such as bumping into things in dim rooms, points more toward retinal disease and still deserves prompt assessment and a note of when you first noticed it.
KinsLe's Pet Passport keeps a Crested's dental chart notes, eye examination results, kneecap checks and skin treatment details together in one portable packet, so this delicate breed's scattered small records become one clear history.