Did a Shih Tzu just capture your heart with its expressive eyes, and now you are planning to welcome one into your home? If so, we commend your decision. This dog breed boasts a flowing coat and is a genuine charmer, consistently captivating dog parents for centuries. According to Pets Larder, the Shih Tzu is renowned for its companionship and friendly nature, making it an ideal pet for families and individuals alike. You will surely enjoy their delightful company. Additionally, the Shih Tzu is often referred to as the 'Lion Dog.” Why? Because it is associated with Tibetan monasteries and resembles a miniature lion.
However, if you are stepping into the category of a dog parent, then keep in mind that, like every dog breed, Shih Tzu also steps ahead with specific care and health. Don’t worry as this blog is going to provide you with all the necessary details to make things easier for you.
Understand A Shih Tzu
Since you are new to adopting a Shih Tzu, it's important to understand the basics about this breed. Originating from Tibet, Shih Tzus was later gifted to Chinese royalty. As companion dogs, they thrive on social interaction and are happiest when around their owners. In terms of weight, they typically range from nine to sixteen pounds, so even if you live in an apartment, this breed will adapt well. However, daily exercise is essential. Additionally, you need to groom their long, flowing coat to prevent tangles. Besides that, you and your Shih Tzu will enjoy wonderful times together, as they are incredibly affectionate and playful, though they can be stubborn at times as well.
How To Take Care Of A Shih Tzu?
Now let’s tell you how to take care of a Shih Tzu. This area involves feeding, grooming, training, exercise, and especially managing health. Therefore, we will discuss everything individually so you have no issues in handling:
What Should You Feed Your Shih Tzu?
You must provide a proper and well-balanced diet to your small lion to keep their health stable. For that, select the correct food and that too in appropriate portions so they don’t become obese, and grow well without any health issues. Therefore, you must do the following:
Top-Quality Dog Food
Whenever you go to buy groceries, remember to grab some cans or packets of top-quality dog food that are specifically made for such small breeds. Why are we emphasizing formulated foods? The reason is that these foods carry nutrients that are important for smaller dogs, are present in easy-to-eat kibble sizes, and have a higher calorie density. Therefore, carefully read the ingredients of the dog food and pick the one that has meat as the first ingredient.
Control Portion
Yes, this small lion easily gains weight, hence you will have to watch out for controlling their portion. How will you be careful at your end? It is really simple; all you need to do is follow the feeding instructions on the specific dog food can or packet. If you are unsure, then feel free to seek advice from your vet as well as they can guide you regarding the appropriate food portion you will need to give them. Please, avoid filling their food bowl all the time as that can lead them to eat more than their capacity.
Regular Feeding Schedule
Then, try your best to get started with a regular feeding schedule. It is crucial to establish a feeding schedule and follow it with full consistency. This means that you need to provide them with two meals a day that is once in both morning and evening. The system will maintain your small dog’s metabolism and they will not beg you for more food as well.
Be Easy With The Treats
You will train your Shih Tzu and treat them when they perform well, but here also you need to be easy with the treating game. It is highly suggested that you opt for healthy treats so their daily calorie consumption does not go beyond your control and neither they gain more weight.
Fresh Water
Always remember to fill your Shih Tzu’s water bowl with fresh, clean water. This keeps them fully hydrated and on their toes.
Ways To Groom Your Lion Dog
We mentioned above that the Shih Tzu has a long flowy coat that needs your attention to prevent hair knots, mats, and other skin issues. Hence, we will tell you ways to groom your lion dog which are as follows:
Daily Brushing
That long flowy coat has a great tendency to get tangled up, therefore you must get a pin or a slicker brush. Why? These brushes will be really helpful in removing loose hair and give no room for mats. So, you better pay close attention to areas such as behind the ears, under the legs, and around their tail, which could get tangled faster as compared to other areas.
Regular Baths
In the list of grooming ways, comes regular bathing as well. You should assign a bathing day every 3-4 weeks, and clean your dog’s hair with a specific shampoo designed for your breed and a conditioner to prevent drying their skin. Just ensure that while showering your dog, you properly rinse their coat and dry them.
Professional Grooming
Well, many Shih Tzu parents even book an appointment with a professional groomer. The individual shares expertise in trimming your dog’s coat, cleaning its ears, cutting its nails, and making the remaining maintenance much easier at home.
Eye Care
Due to their flat faces, dogs are even more vulnerable to tear staining. When there is too much tear production or the ducts responsible get blocked, a reddish-brown pigment collects around the inner corners of their eyes. Therefore, always keep this area dry and clean so there is no room for staining. If it goes way beyond your control, such as their eyes becoming very painful and swollen, immediately contact your vet.
Additionally, their long coat can disturb their eyes. Therefore, as a concerned dog owner, you should trim the excess hair or secure it with a hair clip to prevent any irritation in their vision. Otherwise, their eyes may become swollen if hair rubs against them. Use a damp cloth or a special eye wipe to clean their eyes, and if you notice any unusual discharge or tearing, contact your vet immediately
Cleaning Ears
The issue is that Shih Tzus can easily develop ear infections. Why? This happens because the hair growing inside their ear canals traps moisture, leading to inflammation. Additionally, this creates an environment conducive to infections from both bacteria and fungus.
Hence, to avoid this from happening in the first place it is essential to clean your dog’s ears on a regular basis. Make sure you get a cotton ball or dog ear cleaner, that your vet approves of to decrease ear infection chances. However, if you still notice that there is a lot of hair inside your dog’s ear canals, then contact your groomer or vet as they can suggest better ways of tackling the situation.
Nail Trimming
Your Shih Tzu’s nails can be quite harmful to you and cause discomfort as well. Therefore, we recommend you trim their nails every two to three days using a nail clipper or a grinder. If you feel scared that you might not cut them right, then let your groomer or vet fulfil the purpose. Their trimmed nails will reduce the chances of yours getting hurt and getting chipped as well.
Regular Exercises With Your Shih Tzu
Shih Tzu is not extra enthusiastic, but they still need to have their share of regular exercise to maintain their physical and mental health. Hence, you must do the following for them to remain active:
Walking Daily
Walking daily is vital for your small lion’s health. You don't need to take them to a proper dog park for their daily walks; you can achieve the same around your neighborhood. These walks provide valuable physical exercise and help keep them mentally alert.
Playtime
Like any dog breed, your Shih Tzu loves to play. So, visit your local store and pick up interactive toys like softballs, puzzles, and squeaky toys. You both will enjoy playing together, making it a part of your daily routine.
Indoor Activities
If you have limited access to the outdoors, you can play with your Shih Tzu indoors, too. To do this, you must provide them with a safe and playful environment full of toys and interactive activities. This will ensure that they do not get bored indoors.
Don’t Overdo Exercises
Another thing, you must keep in mind as a new Shih Tzu owner is that they are short-nosed. This facial feature makes them quickly overheat and struggle to catch their breath. Therefore, don’t overdo exercises with them, especially when it's hot and even pay close attention to their breathing.
Training Your Shih Tzu
At the start of the blog we mentioned that as much as this dog breed is playful, they are stubborn as well. However, if you display extreme patience and practice positive reinforcement, then you can train them quite easily. How? In the following ways:
Socialize Them
You need to socialize with them as soon as they step into your life. Early socialization can help them get familiar with new surroundings, different people, other animals, and environments. So, if you are not around them, your dog will not miss your absence and continue to enjoy with your other friends and family as well.
Positive Reinforcement
Like humans, dogs also need appreciation after doing tasks successfully. Hence, as a dog parent, you also must make the most out of a variety of positive reinforcement approaches. These can be in the form of treats, toys, and clapping to reward them for behaving so nicely in public. However, even if they end up doing something wrong, still don’t punish them, as that might discourage them from being productive the rest of the day as well.
Be Consistent
Once you start training your Shih Tzu, don’t leave it in between. Try to be consistent while setting clear rules and boundaries so your dog knows the difference between right and wrong.
Keep Training Sessions Short
Shih Tzu’s attention might deviate from your training session, therefore keep them short so they don’t get bored. And look forward to being part of the training.
What Health Issues Do Shih Tzu’s Have?
Small breeds like a Shih Tzu have an average lifespan, ranging between ten to eighteen years. However, they come ahead with a few health issues, that you should be aware of. They are as follows:
Brachycephalic Syndrome
Yes, your Shih Tzu has Brachycephalic syndrome. What is this? It shares upper airway abnormalities such as a long, soft palate, small nostrils, extra tissue at the back of the throat, and a collapsing trachea.
These features result in difficulty breathing, making your small furry fellow more exposed to overheating. In case, the situation goes out of your hands, then get in touch with your vet. They will be able to guide you better on whether surgery is needed to correct some of these problematic areas to improve their breathing.
Overweight
Because Shih Tzu’s are not that energetic, this leaves enough room for them to become overweight. The extra fat can lead to other issues like heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and problems with breathing. Therefore, as a Shih Tzu parent, it is also your responsibility to give them limited treats, meaning the portion should be less than 10% of a dog’s usual calorie intake. Plus, make it a point that your furry companion does not miss out on half an hour of exercise regularly.
Luxating Patellas
Next in line is the luxating patellas. It is a condition present in small dog breeds. What happens here? The kneecap tends to slip from its usual placement, resulting in extreme limping, discomfort, and arthritis. You will often see a Shih Tzu skip or hold up their leg while walking. The patella itself does return to the correct position, but at times, depending on the severity, the surgery becomes important.
Periodontal Disease
A Shih Tzu has periodontal or dental disease because their teeth can easily overcrowd their small mouths. This usually leads to tartar and the development of plaque. Hence, you must clean their teeth regularly or take them for professional dental cleanings for better cleaning. Plus, you can even go for surgical removal if there are any problematic teeth, so your dog will be at ease.
Hip Dysplasia
In the list of health issues, hip dysplasia is also included. What does this condition involve? It occurs when the hip joints do not develop properly and fail to fit together. The dysplasia makes it difficult for your dog to walk normally, often leading to arthritis and pain while moving.
Are you wondering how this is diagnosed? The vet does so through X-rays, treats the condition with oral medications, or gives supplements to support joint health. These remedies help to reduce pain and swelling. However, keep in mind that if the condition becomes severe, your vet may recommend surgery.
Eye Problems
Your Shih Tzu has the tendency to inherit many eye conditions. These eye issues include chronic dry eye, glaucoma, and cataracts. And, yes they can be very painful and show you the signs in the shape of red, bulging eyes, discharge from the eyes, rubbing the eyes, cloudy eyes, squinting, and blindness. If you notice anything odd about your Shih Tzu’s eyes, then don’t delay to consult a vet.
Liver Shunt
Do you know that your Shih Tzu is also vulnerable to liver shunt? It is a liver disease that allows the toxins in the bloodstream to bypass the liver, which is responsible for pushing these harmful things out of your dog’s body. These toxins keep building up, resulting in severe gastrointestinal issues, neurological signs, seizures, and stunted growth.
A liver shunt is often diagnosed via blood testing and imaging of your dog’s abdomen. Then, surgery might be needed if the shunt needs to be repaired. And if your dog shows milder signs, move ahead with changing their regular food and oral medicines.
Ear Infection
You will notice that your small breed’s ears are floppy and these characteristics raise issues such as not allowing airflow into their ear canals and letting fur grow inside. These problems trap moisture in the ears, resulting in red, itchy, or painful ears. Hence, if you find something serious with their ears, then kindly rush to your vet as they can run the necessary tests and tell you the correct treatment: topical or oral medicines.
Conclusion
We hope that after reading this blog, you’ve gained helpful insights on caring for a Shih Tzu, including their common health issues. If you’re ready to take on this delightful breed, that’s fantastic! If you feel it might be a bit challenging, don’t worry—there are plenty of other breeds to explore that might be a better fit for you!
