Shih Tzu Content Policy

Many people have pets in their homes and apartments. Some prefer small shih tzu dogs. In this article we will talk about the description of the breed, its characteristics and the basic rules for the maintenance of such animals.

Providing all the necessary conditions for keeping Shih Tzu in a home is not so simple. Despite the fact that they are small in size, and they do not need a lot of space in the apartment, these dogs are quite demanding on the conditions of detention.

The pet bed should not be placed near a window or doorway, in drafts, close to a heater or battery. A small house bought in a store or a kennel made by yourself can act as a sleeping place. But you can get by with a simple sunbed.

Take care of small bowls in advance, which should be placed near the sleeping area of ​​the animal. It is better to choose them from stainless materials. And also begin to pre-train your puppy to the toilet. This can be done as early as 2 months. First, you can teach the dog to cope with a special diaper, and then train it to the tray.

Shih Tzu dogs can be fed with either ready-made feed from the store or natural products. Currently, there are a huge number of premium food brands. Consider the main ones.

In the assortment you can find food produced specifically for Shih Tzu dogs, which is called Shih Tzu Adult. The diet is based on rice and poultry meat. The composition also contains fish oil, grape and green tea extracts, soybean oil. Such food can be given to puppies from 10 months.

The product range of this manufacturer has a ration, intended for small breeds - Adult Small Breed. The basis of the menu can be meat of turkey, chicken, flounder fillet. It also includes chicken eggs.

The main ingredients of the diet are: turkey, chicken, chicken eggs, herring or flounder. In almost all feeds of this brand there are no cereal products that can cause allergies in the animal.

Sometimes in the manufacture of food, sublimated chicken or turkey liver is also added to it. These components can enhance the taste and aroma of the finished food.

The assortment has a menu created specifically for miniature dog breeds. The basis is chicken meat. This diet supports the mass of the dog, contributes to the good condition of the skin. And also it does not allow stone to form on the teeth of the animal.

This menu is created on the basis of chicken fillet and rice grains. It includes special vitamin and mineral supplements that provide excellent condition of the skin, coat, joints. This manufacturer produces both ready-made dry rations and canned food in jars.

This manufacturer also produces food designed specifically for small dog breeds. It includes rabbit meat and salmon fillet. In the manufacture of dry granules make small, optimal for small puppies form.

Today, this brand produces feed intended for small breeds of dogs. The main ingredient is poultry meat, which is subjected to pre-gentle processing. And also the composition contains cereal components.

This food contains various vitamin and mineral supplements. They provide a normal metabolism in the body of the animal. And they also help to keep fit and quickly restore energy.

Natural nutrition for this breed must necessarily contain raw meat. The fillet is allowed to boil a little. Most often, pieces of beef, rabbit or chicken are used.

The diet should also include offal, including the liver and lung. Milk cereals are also a great option for the dog. So, for them often cooked hercules, buckwheat or rice.

Sour-milk products will also be perfectly suitable for this breed. Most often they are given kefir or cottage cheese (it is better to use homemade). Pets can be given chicken eggs, but this should be done no more than 1-2 times a week.

Shih Tzu can come fish. It is better to choose marine species. They need to be given no more than 2-3 times a week. Vegetables will be a good option, but it is better to give them in the form of crushed mashed potatoes with the addition of a small amount of fish oil or vegetable oil.

There are foods that should not be given to Shih Tzu dogs.

• Milk. With age, the pet practically ceases to digest lactose, which is found in large quantities in milk. In adults, it can cause an allergic reaction. Such a component can be replaced with dairy products.
• Raw fish. Such fish should not be given to Shih Tzu, as it is often infected with worms.In addition, river species contain a large number of small bones that can injure the animal, so such a product must first be boiled.
• Pork. It belongs to the fatty type of meat, so it will be difficult for the dog to digest it.
• Smoked meats (sausage, sausages). These ingredients can cause significant damage to the dog’s liver. And they are also able to disrupt the processes in the digestive system.
• Salt. It can upset the water-electrolyte balance in your pet’s body, which can lead to seizures or even heart failure.
• Sweets. Chocolate, sugar, and other pastries can disrupt a dog’s digestive processes and damage its teeth.
• Coffee. This product can cause a sharp increase in blood pressure in the animal, heart palpitations, vomiting, and even cramps.
• Grapes In pets, when consumed in large quantities, it can cause kidney failure. And also do not abuse and raisins.
• Garlic and onion. They can cause acute indigestion. If you use them in too large quantities, this can lead to a violation of the structure of the blood cells of the body.
• Semolina. This type of cereal is poorly digested by dogs, so it should also be completely excluded from the diet of Shih Tzu.
• Avocado. This product may cause vomiting or diarrhea in your pet.

remember, that a small puppy should be fed 4 times a day. The daily intake of food should be 5-7% by weight of the pet. Adults can be fed only 2 times a day, while the daily norm should be equal to 2-4% of the weight of the animal.

If you took a puppy from the kennel, then you need to feed him the same food for a short time that was in the kennel. Otherwise, a sharp change in diet can cause a stressful Shih Tzu reaction. When the puppy is fully comfortable in the new house, the menu can already be adjusted.

Dogs of this breed should be bathed often. This procedure is best done once a week. After all, pure wool is practically not confused in the animal, and no worms are formed.

To bathe a pet, it must be carefully transferred to a basin or bath. Rubber lining must be laid at the bottom. It is placed so that the pet's paws do not slip while swimming.

Bathing water should be 36-38 degrees. It is necessary to bathe Shih Tzu with a special shampoo for animals. During the procedure, thoroughly rinse the spaces between the fingers, stomach and back.

The resulting foam is washed several times. You can use conditioner, this will simplify combing. Before and after swimming, the animal must be combed.

To dry the pet faster, it is better to carefully wrap it in two dense bath towels. The dog can also be dried with a hairdryer.

It is worth combing the pets of this breed every day. Moreover, each procedure has to be allocated at least 30 minutes. If this is not done, the dog will quickly begin to form mats.

To teach Shih Tzu to this procedure should be at the age of 6 weeks. To do this, use a comb with rare hard teeth and a special massage brush.

If you do not want to constantly comb the animal, you can cut it short. Often this is done in autumn and spring, as during these periods, during walks, pets collect a lot of dirt on their wool.

Do not comb your pet over dry hair. Previously, the hairline is well moistened with a special moist conditioner. If a large number of tangles has formed on the body, they are removed with the help of a special tangent cutter.

As the hairline grows, you need to carry out haircuts. As a rule, they are done once a month. This procedure does not have to be done in special salons, they can be done correctly at home with your own hands.

Most often, limbs are cut off, the base of the tail. If your pet will participate in exhibitions, then you should not cut it, as in this case, Shih Tzu should have a long and thick coat.

Care should be taken for the nails. They must be cut periodically. It is recommended to do this after bathing, when the nail plates become soft. Only the upper part needs to be cut.

It is necessary to look after the eyes. You should remove the hair on the head in the tail so that it does not climb into them.

A dog should be raised from a young age. Dogs of this breed have excellent quick wit, so training is easy. In the process of training, they will be able to carry out simple commands (bring slippers, give a paw).

First, the pet is trained by frequent walking on the street. So he will quickly get used to society, and it will be possible to establish contact with the puppy.

Then the animal is accustomed to the toilet. First, for Shih Tzu, you can put a small piece of a special diaper. After the animal gets used to it, it will be possible to show him a tray on the bottom of which an old diaper is laid.

Puppies can start walking at the age of 3.5 or 4 months. Initially, the walk should last no more than 15 minutes. Small individuals are best taken outside five times a day.

As the puppy grows older, the number of walks per day begins to be reduced, while increasing their duration in time. For adults only one hour walk per day will be enough.

After each arrival from the street, it is necessary to carefully examine the limbs, eyes, auricles and hair. It is necessary to immediately remove the dirt that has stuck during a walk. And also make sure that there are no ticks on the dog.

Shih Tzu is considered a breed of dog with good health. In addition, its representatives are long-lived and can live up to 20 years. But at the same time, there are still some diseases to which these animals are most affected. So, you constantly need to monitor the eyes of the pet. Individuals often suffer from cataracts, inversion of the eyelids, and distichiasis.

To bring the pet's eyes back to normal, they need to be washed periodically with clean water or special means. An excellent preventive measure will be the inclusion in the menu of products with a high content of vitamin A and additional multivitamin supplements.

Shih Tzu often suffer from disturbances in the intervertebral discs. In this case, the dog should not be allowed to climb on elevated surfaces. And also you need to ensure that the animal does not jump from beds, tables or chairs.

And also some individuals of this breed with improper care and nutrition can suffer from diseases of the spine, liver, heart or teeth. In order to avoid health problems, Shih Tzu dogs are required to be vaccinated.

Initially, puppies are given two courses of vaccination. The first should occur when the pet is 8 or 9 weeks old. The second is when the puppy is already 10 or 12 weeks old.

As the pet grows older, vaccinations should be given every year. Shih Tzu are vaccinated against various diseases:

• plague;
• parainfluenza;
• Lyme disease
• leptospirosis;
• parvovirus enteritis;
• rabies.

Some Shih Tzu individuals suffer from urolithiasis, which is most often observed in males. It develops due to a sedentary lifestyle or an excess of protein in the puppy's body. It can also be caused by a lack of water in the diet.

When buying a puppy of this breed, make sure that he does not have genetic diseases.After all, some of them can subsequently lead to heart disease or tracheal collapse.

You will learn more about how to cut shih tzu from the next video.