Why isn't my shih tzu eating?

Question

My 6 month old Shih Tzu isn't eating very well since the day that I got him, his previous breeder didn't fed him very well, at first I used Natural Choice as recommended by Petco, soon after 2 days my dog didn't want to eat it at all, then I changed it to IAMs puppy as recommended by the vet, He was doing okay (still thin) until recently about 1 month and half ago, he started to rub his face on the carpet, bitting his paw, licking the hind of the legs, i did some research online and it says it is due to allergies? Should I stop feeding my dog Iams puppy and start to feed him food that does not contain soy, wheat or grain? I really have no idea I'm very new when it comes to dogs. Also, my dogs have red eye it comes and it goes, it shows when he is sleepy. Now, I'm feeding him rice and chicken boiled, because he isn't eating the dry dog food anymore, should I just continue feeding him what I cook or should i find a new brand food which is better for my dog? PLEASE HELP!!

Answer 1

You ask a lot of valid questions and I'm sorry both Petco and your vet have steered you in the wrong direction in the food department.

Our trainer recommends only Wellness, Innova or Artemis foods - http://www.artemiscompany.com

I know that Artemis makes a small breed puppy formula which is wholistic and does not include wheat, corn or soy. If you follow that link it'll give you an option to find a store near you that sells this food. My girls (a Chi and a JRT) love this food!

I would not continue feeding people food. If you are going to feed chicken at all, it should be given RAW - but I'm still very leery of the RAW or BARF diets - I don't think I could do it.

Find a quality food - like those I've listed and stick with it. Offer it to your pup at least 3x a day. Leave the bowl down for 15-20 minutes, then pick it up. Your dog(s) will learn to eat when the food is available if you keep them on a schedule.

Understand when you switch your dog's food your dog may have a period of adjustment (bad gas, loose stool) due to the change. It should pass within a week. If you were still feeding the regular kibble I would say to gradually add more of the new food to the existing food each week until you've replaced the old food with the new food 100%. I don't know how to make that change when you're feeding table food.

Lastly, STICK WITH THE NEW FOOD! Changing your dog's food too frequently will make them a picky eater (you've already changed 3x in 6 months, that's a lot). Your dog may object to the new food and hold out for your chicken/rice formula, but your dog won't starve. YOUR DOG WON'T STARVE ITSELF! If it passes on a few meals, that's okay. It will eat when it's hungry. Just be sure to keep water available at all times. My dog did a hunger strike for 3 days before she gave into eating kibble and she's never missed a meal since.

ALSO - don't feed wet food. That's another hard habit to break. Just pick a quality kibble and stick with it. Your pup should get better in no time.

Answer 2

1. First of all, have a constant timetable on when to feed your dog. After a while, dog will feel hungry when the mealtime comes.

Dogs are walking timetables. I think you heard alot of stories about dogs walking to the train stations to wait for owners at certain hours.

2. Leave the bowl for 15 mins, if your dog doesn't finished within that 15 mins, keep the bowl. Do Not feed the pup anything until the next meal. This is to train your dog that if it doesn't finished within that 15 mins, he will be hungry until the next meal.

Then one mistake that alot of my customers made is that whenever the dog is not eating, they will add meat, canned food, snacks, etc into the bowl. The puppy will manipulate you with its big sad eyes. hehe. They will learn that if they don't eat, more tasty stuff will be added. So please follow number 2 firmly.

Alot of shih tzu that I know are very fussy eaters. Why? because of the fact that they look super cute and owners are more likely to spoil them. ^_^

My dog (4 year old border collie) is currently eating timberwolf kibbles which has 5 flavours. I would change the flavours whenever my dog is tired of the same flavour.

But if you really have time to cook for him, feel free to try barf diet. This need alot of research and read ups.

Do email me if you want to know more about cooked food.

About the scratching, I do think he is allegric to the some of the ingredients in the iams. Soy, wheat and corn are allergens. Pls avoid if you can.

Some of the shihtzus are allergic to chicken, has the itchiness lessen after you feed cooked food?

Answer 3

We feed our shih tzu a special food called Royal Canine, it is breed specific. But you really need to see your vet. The eye problem sounds like it needs to be checked. Just to be sure there isn't something irrating the eye, sometimes the breed gets some scratching from inverted eyelashes, which can become serious.
I would also speak with your vet about the dogs diet. Just to be sure. You don't want to keep switching dog foods on a regular basis. And now that it's had boiled chicken and rice you are going to have a hard time getting him to eat dog food again.

My Mother's Westie eats only boiled chicken, rice and carrots. (loves carrots) When my Mom passed away this summer my Grandmother had to continue doing this, she just would not switch. If it doesn't bother you to do it then that is fine as long as he is thriving. But I would still get the eyes checked.

What my Grandmother does is by chicken on sale, boils large amounts of it and freezes it in portion sizes. Make it easier when you are in a hurry on a day to day basis. She buys the inexpensive thighs and those kind of peices. Which is fine, just don't give the dog the chicken bones.

There is NOTHING wrong with cooking the chicken. As long as it's boiled and your not adding onions. Even the pet food companies cook the chicken and lamb in the dog food. Raw chicken could cause a problem with salmonella even in your pet. NEVER give a dog or any animal or person for that matter raw chicken. Raw beef is okay but not the same as raw chicken.

Iams and Eukenuba are normally pretty good dog foods, it's just that yours has an allergy. Which isn't uncommon in the shih tzu breed.

Our shih tzu also has allergies, not to food, but she gets allergies in the spring. But it's controlled well with benadryll per our vet, but food allergies really need to be addressed by finding something the dog can tollerate rather than medications.

Congratulations on your shih tzu, they are a great breed. You sound like a very caring pet parent. My husband Aunt got one of her shih tzu's from a questionable breeder, in a similar situation, he is a great dog and just as wonderful as her other shih tzu.

Answer 4

you need to consult your vet. changing foods as often as you have can be very bad for a dog's intestinal tract and can cause stomach upset. contact your vet and let them know that the iams didn't last long and the symptoms your dog was having. or you could take your dog in have them check his eye as shih tzu's are known for eye problems, and ask about the food and his weight then. good luck.

Answer 5

changing your dogs food on a regular basis does cause a picky puppy along with digestive upset. If you want to purchase a great food that your pup will actually enjoy you may want to try the Merrick Pet Food Products, they make one called Puppy Plate, it comes in both kibble and canned food.

Always remember, when changing your pets food do it gradually over a 3 week period so that you do not cause your pup any digestive upset. How I did it for my dog was the first 7 days I gave him 2/3 of the food he was currently eating to 1/3 of the new brand, on the 8th day I began to give him 1/2 of current with 1/2 of new brand, on 14th day I gave him 1/3 current to 2/3 new brand for the remaining 7 days, it worked well for me.

Good Luck

Answer 6

He will probably be okay, by Shih-tzu ate 12 chocolate chip cookies and he was fine. But if you want to be sure take him to the vet!!!

Answer 7

I also own a shih tzu, a puppy, he always rubs his face on the carpet, grass, anywhere, it seems normal. He also scratches and chews on his legs and feet. I have heard that food containing yeast can make dogs itchy. Soy check the ingreadients. My vet suggested staying away from soy, yeast and high grainy food.