I just got a Shih Tzu and have several questions?

Question

Hi eveyone,

I just got a Shih Tzu (born on August 17, 2007) and I'm new at this; therefore, I have several questions I want to ask. I know that a good vet can answer most, if not all, of my questions but I felt I had to ask the community first, since I don't have a vet yet. Anyhow, here are the questions:

1. Feeding:
a) What is the best pet food for this breed?
b) How often do I feed it in a day?
c) What kind of treats should I give it?

2. Grooming
a) How often do I give it a bath/shower?
b) It scratches on occasions, but I search its body and found no ticks or fleas, is this normal?

3. After feeding it, I give it a 5-10 minute break -- or sometimes no time -- to digest and then I take it for a walk, is this okay?

4. Any good sites you can refer me to that specializes on Shih Tzu?


Thanks for all the answers in advance.

Answer 1

1. I suggest Innova Evo, it's all natural, high-protein, low carb, zero grains, and naturally low allergy. Shih Tzus are highly prone to allergies and skin problems, so this is a very good food for them. Feed 2-3 small meals per day, use the food bag for guidelines. Keep treats all natural, I prefer pieces of boiled chicken, but you can use things like freeze dried liver or other natural treats as well. DO NOT feed any grocery store or petstore foods or treats, ie. Milkbones. They are FULL of corn, wheat, and other allergy-causing ingredients. Keep treats to a minimum anyway, because Shihs are EXTREMELY prone to obesity!!

2. Bath every 1-2 weeks, full brushing/combing every single day. Use a natural oatmeal shampoo and conditioner. When you bathe, make sure you have time to blow dry the entire coat while brushing it out with a wire slicker brush. This keeps the hair soft and free of mats; allowing the coat to air dry is a surefire way to knot it up terribly and it may need to be shaved. You should see a professional groomer every 4-6 weeks, starting NOW. They need to get used to it right away. Even if you don't want a haircut for it, you still need to let the groomer trim his toenails, pluck his ear hair and wash his ears, empty his anal glands, and clear the hair from around his genitals and eyes for cleanliness. Scratching is normal, it generally just means the dog has dry skin or itchy ears. The oatmeal shampoo will help.

3. Yes, walks after a short break are just fine, and will help in potty training since most dogs eliminate shortly after eating.

4. http://www.shihtzu-by-burnwood.com/

http://www.shihtzu.org/

Answer 2

For feeding I would recomend you go to petsmart or a pet store and read the labels on the packages. I feed my dog Iams. As far as how much....I do wrk in a pet store and we feed ours 1/4 cup 3 times a day. Some small dogs can be picky eaters, so you can crush the food and moisten it with warm water or butter milk. Puppies MUST eat at EVERY meal. DO NOT FEEL MILK!

If you want to groom your dog that is fine or you can bring it to a groomer as well. If you live in a dry climate only bath it once a month, other wise its skin will dry out and become flacky and ichy. But if you live in a more humid climate you can bath it weekly. I would recomend using a puppy shampoo, but since it seems to have a slight skin problem now, I would use an oatmeal shampoo for it. Some shih tzus have really bad skin problems and need a medicated shampoo from a vet. The walk after feeding is just fine. It will help it learn to potty outside as well.

I would go to www.akc.org and look up shih tzus, you could also call a vet or groomer and ask them questions. They also make books about all the breeds including shih tzus. You can ususally find them at a book store or petsmart. if you have any other question, feel free to email me..... [e-mail]

Answer 3

Housebreaking is simply teaching the dog not to potty in the house. The differences between a male and a female could make a long list. I would recommend a female because she won't hike her leg to mark her spot all of the time. Getting a male fixed while he is young will prevent this, though. Not all Shih Tzus stay small. I"ve seen 20 lb Shih Tzus A Shih Tzu will look like the picture you left a link for I have a Shih Tzu male. I love him sooo much and he is a wonderful pet!! But, sometimes he gets an attitude. They get their feelings hurt and will pout for a few days, while other dog breeds are less likely to behave that way.

Answer 4

Feeding - I would suggest using a small breed puppy food, as small breeds have different nutritional requiriments, there are several options like Iams, Purina Pro Plan (I use the large breed puppy formula, my vet recommended it), and Eukinuba just to name a few. Smaller breeds need to be fed more often. When my Tibetan Spanial (10 lbs) was a puppy we fed him 4-5 times a day. Just seperate out the recomended amount of food into 4 or 5 equal portions of food (like if they eat 4 times a day and only need 1 cup of food, give it 1/4 cup at eah meal) After a while you and your dog will fall into a routine and you will see what works for the both of you. As far a treats, I'm having an issue with that myself!

Grooming, I wouldn't bath the dog more than once a week, and even that can be a bit much. When you wash the dog you strip the oil from the skin and coat, some breeds have oiler coats than others (usually water dogs) and should be bathed less often to keep the oil where it belongs. I would check out some websites on dog grooming, or even call a local groomer, tell them the kind of breed you have and ask how often it should be brought in for bathing (even if you have no intention of bringing it in for bathing, this will get you the info from a professional) As for scratching, try giving it an oatmeal bath, that can help releive itchy skin. Also this is the time of year for skin to dry out. I've heard that different diets can affect the skin, cause or eliminate some skin problems, so I would bring it up to the vet because it might be a change in food. Also, puppies over eight weeks can start using flea meds like Frontline or Revolution (which is what I use because it protects againt heartworm and other parisites too).

I normally take my dogs out for some time to play in the back yard (at least 10 minutes) have them come in and eat and drink, then take them back out 5-10 minutes later and they do their business. You just have to be careful of exersizing a dog too close to eating, it is more of a problem in large breed adult dogs, but there is a thing called bloat where if the dog has just had a big meal and the goes at exersizes right away it can cause the stomach to twist, requiring surgery to fix it. If you don't have a back yard, then I would wait about 15 minutes for so, after the dog eats, unless it shows signs of needing to use the bathroom, then you get it outside ASAP! lol Hope this helps, and sorry about the run-on sentences, I'm kinda addicted to commas!

Answer 5

feeding- there are a lot of good foods out there. stay away from anything sold at a grocery store, or walmart. the first five ingrediants should be mostly meat. one of the best dog foods is Innova Evo. i would duggest small bites food. if the dog is a puppy, i would imagine it should be fed 3 times a day, about a half cup each time. treats are a big no no. give the dog carrot sticks as a treat.

i highly suggest findijng a grokmer for this dog, as it is going to need much more than at home grooming. your dog is almost 4 mont5hs, and needs to get in as soon as possible so thaty the dog doesnt learn bad manners at the groomers. the dog should be groomed ever 4-6 weeks, depenmdiong on how long you keep the hair. you should also be brushing every day with a slicker brush and as comb to check for mastting. make sure you part the hair so that you are actually brushing the bottom layer of the coat.

too much activity after eating can cause your dog to throw up. after the dog eats, take the dog outside until they potty. plan your walks somke other time

Answer 6

Please find a vet soon, and rely on their advice! Please don't rely on Yahoo advice. People mean well, but they're not vets. Some people don't even mean well.

1)
a) You'll get a LOT of different answers for this one. I recommend Hills Science Plan, which has a lousy reputation on Yahoo. There are breed specific foods available but really, any is fine as long as it's high quality puppy food.
2) It doesn't matter how many times you feed it in a day so long as you're giving it the recommended daily amount for the size you want it to grow to - check the feeding guide on the pack. A good indicator that you have a high quality food is that is will have a very specific feeding guide on it, not just 'small' 'medium' and 'large' breed guides, but an actual list of intended weights with daily amounts in oz. Three times a day is usual for a 3 month old, but as I say, it's the total daily amount that's important. Really, you can let a puppy this young eat as much puppy food as it likes, it's growing! So long as it's only having puppy food, no human food! It's once it gets near a year old you have to ensure it's getting the right daily amount for its ideal weight.
c) Treats specifically for dogs only, NOTHING from your own table, don't get in to bad habits! Any dog treat will give a maximum amount on it, but really treats aren't a necessity, they're just that - treats.

2)
a) You only need to bath it when it's actually dirty - shouldn't need to be more than once a month, unless it's actually been rolling in something!
b) Have you checked for flea dirts (poos)? These are little black specks, more commonly seen than actual fleas. Usually dogs need treating regularly. Please do NOT use ANY flea treatments from a store - they are so useless! Use veterinary treatments only.

3. The whole waiting after feeding before a walk thing is not so relevant to small/toy breeds - it's aimed at helping digestion to avoid the potentially fatal condition GDV, but this only really occurs in large/giant breeds of dog. It's not impossible in a small dog, but I would not be too concerned myself. Wait 30mins if you're concerned.

4. I won't refer you to any websites, because I really do not trust the internet, much as I love it! The whole reason I'm signed up to Yahoo is to try to encourage people towards vets with their questions on pet care. Please find a vet asap that's friendly and you're comfortable enough to direct all your future questions at!

Chalice

Answer 7

Just want to say that you made a great choice. My "Gracie" is 2 years old now and is the joy of my life.
I feed her Science Diet and do not give her any table scraps. I fed her 3 times a day as a puppy, but now just morning and evening feedings.
I bathe her every 2 weeks or so and take her to the groomers every 6 to 8 weeks. I started that early so she would get used to it.
Gracie gets allergies so I have to get her a shot to ease the scratching from time to time.
After feeding her/him take the puppy out to "go potty". If you use that term only he/she will learn what you mean and go on command.
I know you will totally love your puppy!!!