The texture of the coat is heavy, straight, hard, neither woolly nor silky, and dense. They come in a wide variety of colors including black, white, red, and gold with various shadings. Dogs born within the Preservation Program continue to be registered with UKC. In August 2011, seventeen dogs from the Gompa Lhasa Apso Preservation Program entered the American Kennel Club (AKC) studbook. Responsible breeders have their breeding dogs checked yearly by a canine ophthalmologist to check that they are not developing the disease, which is heritable in offspring. Lhasa Apsos are also prone to eye diseases, such as cherry eye and keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS or dry eye syndrome). A 2004 Kennel Club survey puts the median lifespan of the breed at 14 years 4 months.