[Cara H]

I’ve been feeding TruDog to my 4 Shih Tzu,
My dogs eat it and especially enjoy when I top it with the Boost Me product of the same brand.
Can anyone suggest same quality as a more wallet friendly cost??
I love my dogs, I truly do, but their food is putting me in the poor house!!
Any suggestions??

[shirley j]

Hi my dog is an 8 year old shih tzu and has experienced pancreatitis. I changed her diet to boiled chicken daily. Also give her Purina ProPlan Savor Adult shredded blend chicken & rice formula. They have two like this. I get the Adult without the number of years on the label.
I soften the food by adding warm water and mixing. He loves it and he is a very finicky eater! It seems to work for him. Every now and then he bows down in the prayer position and I rub his tummy. His pain is NOTHING like it was before.

Hope this helps

• This reply was modified 8 years, 1 month ago by shirley j.

[Melissa C]

If your dog is still itchy, try tropiclean oxy med anti itch spray. It was a miracle worker for my shih tzu

[charisse]

FYI I had shared on my thread that I had heard some bad opinions recently on Orijen. (my thread is: Weight issue for Shih tzu Bella switching from Orijen to what?? Help please).

DFA says they don’t change any info on Orijen until FDA says something…here’s the copy below of one the posts I saw:

“I saw a few posts about the Orijen USA production vs Canadian production, and also this one around Feb/March entitled Orijen USA : “…I am disappointed to see that Orijen is still on the Editor’s Pick of this website. I actually subscribed when i got overwhelmed with my search for a kibble to replace Orijen which I have been feeding my Golden for 6 years. Origen has definitely changed their ingredients (to inferior quality), and have admitted as much. The color and smell is different, and our Golden’s stomach has been irritated by it…”
Charisse

[charisse]

Our Vet says Bella needs to loose a couple pounds. She’s a 4 year old rescue and we’ve had her for a year. She’s been on Orijen. Perhaps Orijen has too much fat content? I’ve also heard that Orijen has gone down in quality.

In any case we need help please in deciding what food to switch her to, so that she can loose a couple pounds or so. For the last month we feed her 1/4 cup in a.m and 1/4 cup in p.m. with a few training treats thrown in. Before the vet suggestion we fed her more. She’s about 14 lbs and she should go down to 12 or so.
Thank you so much!

[suztzu]

Hello, does anyone use The Honest kitchen base mix Preference and how does it work for you ? I am thinking of switching my dogs over and adding my own meats anyones experience with this would be welcome thanks. I have a senior shih tzu with cushings and a overweight pom they are eating Fromm chicken ala veg with Weruva canned now Thanks again Susan

[Moe V]

Thank you Michelle S for your post about your shihtzu . Mine is going to be 16 and is having real bad issues with his hips and he got hurt over the weekend and pulled or tore his knee muscle/ tendon. He starts therapy soon but like others the Rimadyl makes him get the runs 🙁 from it. I just gave him his first dose this morning of Galliprant. After finding this site and reading the post am hoping by tomorrow he gets back to moving. I took him off the Rimadyl and didnt start the Galliprant for 24 hrs which you could see him having a hard time. Thank you to all who posted, I am hopeful this starts helping him. Blood test came back decent for his age. So am hoping this works 🙂

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Moe V.

[Moe V]

Michelle S for your post about your shihtzu . Mine is going to be 16 and is having real bad issues with his hips and he got hurt over the weekend and pulled or tore his knee muscle/ tendon. He starts therapy soon but like others the Rimadyl and he gets sick from it. I just gave him his first dose this morning. After finding this site and reading the post am hoping by tomorrow he gets back to moving. I took him off the Rimadyl and didnt stat the Galliprant for 24 hrs which you could see him having a hard time. Thank you to all you posted, I am hopeful this starts helping him. Blood test came back decent for his age. So am hoping this works 🙂

[Alyssa S]

My shih tzu just turned 7 years old. She has always been a picky eater, but since she went on heart meds her appetite is even worse, despite being on a homemade diet. I recently gave her Nupro, which she enjoyed for a bit, but I think she’s gotten tired of the taste. I was wondering if any other dog owners with picky pups had any suggestions on another supplement to give her?

[Donald P]

This has been a great discussion, I’m considering cooking for my dog and give a variety of foods based on my research. There is a strong and growing case for vegan diets for a variety of reasons as discussed in this forum.

There is so much controversy regarding food for humans and animals, Gary Taubes book Good Calories, Bad Calories is an important book for humans to read, regarding the madness of the meat, dairy, butter are bad, as the real culprits sugar and simple carbs were put front and center. For my family controlled carbs, heavy veg, select fruits and light meat consumption is the answer with high quality supplements to fill in some of the blanks.

I will feed my Propsa Shih Tzu the same basic template. mostly poultry, occasional beef. There are some solid sources of veg protein as well as other beneficial foods. That being said, I found this study to be interesting on the omnivore dilemma with canines:
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/01/diet-shaped-dog-domestication

[suztzu]

Hello I have two dogs an elderly shih tzu 13yrs with cushings on trylostane and very stable and an 9 yr pom I just adopted a year ago, the senior tzu is ok with weight my pom has gotten a pound and a half overweight. They both have been on Natures Variety raw boost kibble for about a year the small breed variety which was 13 % fat and 33 % protein, but they are now changing the formula and pushing the fat up to 16 % fat same protein content. I would really like to get them off kibble altogether. They both get freeze dried raw a couple times a week ( northwest naturals or primal sometimes stellas ) But usually I give them Weruva canned food with the kibble. I am thinking of going just straight pre made raw maybe freeze dried I think this will help my pom shed some weight with the higher protein levels and moisture low carb. I am hesitant on my shih tzu because of his age and the possibility of pancreatitis. So I am thinking maybe a lower fat raw and good fiber content might be ok since he’s done well on freeze dried raw, which I know is the same as reg raw but it is mixed with kibble so it hasnt been exclusively fed as raw. Should I be worried about pancreatitis with raw diet ? They are not used to such a high level of fat, I have combed through the reviews and cannot find one under 30% fat. SO MANY QUESTIONS UGH !! Which brands should I go with Stella and Chewys or Primal or Natures Variety we sell all those at my work I am a dog groomer. I get a 20% discount so I would like to got with one of those brands, but I did pick up a bag of Northwest Naturals freeze dried which they really like. Thanks in advance for any help it is much appreciated.

[Tammy J]

Hi All,
I think this is a great forum. I’m hoping some folks can help me find the best food for my Sweetie. She is turning 9 in September. She is a shorkie (shih tzu/yorkie) She weighs about 15 pounds. She developed bladder stones about a year ago. The vet treated her with medicine and switched her food to urinary SO. The stones actually dissolved, no surgery needed. However, I was told she would need prescription food for the rest of her life. I was previously feeding her primal freeze dried nuggets. They said raw diets are the worst choice. Sweetie has always had allergies, and she did great on raw. She’s been super itchy and eating her feet since changing food. She’s developed a bladder infection and we are now on Hills urinary c/d. She’s licked her paws raw and developed a yeast infection (didn’t know that was possible on a paw) and is on medication for that. I understand that the prescription food has a reduced amount of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. I’ve read some not great things about Hills food. Sweetie has never been a big drinker, the other thing to prevent the crystals from coming back. She also benefits from glucosamine for her stiff joints. While researching senior foods, they seem so high in the minerals. Any ideas on the best food for keeping Sweetie healthy and happy? I wouldn’t mind making homemade, since we only have one dog. Thanks for your help!

[anonymous]

Not unusual at all, many poodle, terrier, schnauzer, shih tzu breeds are considered “brindle” and change colors, usually go lighter. Black turns to charcoal, brown, red tones, the whole gamut.
Unless the dog is chewing on it’s paws and legs due to allergies, that could cause discoloration also. I doubt the food has anything to do with it 🙂
This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.

[Michelle P]

I have a 13yr old Shih Tzu X, Oscar. Up until 1.5 years ago, he was full of vinegar and acted like he was 2. He is white/biscuit colour and never had dark eye staining or staining on his muzzle. He also started the gulping/swallowing/hacking around the same time. The vets never thought there was anything wrong. I just wasn’t convinced that the staining was natural if he never had it before. I put him on Merrick Limited Ingredient kibble and wet food. It helped the staining a bit but not the gulping.
In January, the vet recommended to put him on RC Hypoallergenic Kibble. No change, I think it made it worse. We put him back on Merrick. Since mid April, his gulping/swallowing/hacking is happening more and more often. May 18, we took him to a vet (ours wasn’t available) and suggested we give him Zantac 10mg 2X daily. By May 21, the diaherra was horrible. It was pure liquid. So, we rush him to the vet on the Sunday (same clinic that suggested to give him Zantac, but different vet) and he gives us Metronidazole 250mg every 12hrs and Hills Prescription ID Chicken Stew. After a couple days he was getting better and the gulping thing was happening less. Oscar was sleeping better throughout the night. May 25, we took him to our vet for a check to make sure all is going well. He told us to stop giving him the meds as his poop had firmed up and told us to feed Oscar RC Gastrointestinal kibble. I have it to him for dinner with the ID wet stew. 2 hours later the gulping/swallowing/hacking returns to how it was prior to the metronidazole. I stopped giving him the kibble. I took Oscar back and told the vet and showed many videos of what he does. He thinks it’s acid reflux and prescribes Nexium 20mg, giving 1/2 pill daily. Last night and during the night was awful. Every 2-2.5hrs he was having the gulping thing. It only happens when he’s laying down or sleeping. He has never vomited, until this morning. It was a foamy, very pale yellow bile.
I called the vet this morning and have to take him back tomorrow afternoon. So, I’m thinking now he may have IBD as the Metronidazole was starting to clear up his symptoms. I read it can take up to 5-7 days for the meds to totally kick in. I keep a journal and was reading back on my notes and thinking he should be back on the Metronidazole. I have been feeding him boiled chicken, rice with 1/4 can of the ID wet stew 2-3X daily. I prepare his food 3X a day but he doesn’t always eat but does 2X daily. He drinks water and has normal bowel movements.
Does anyone have some advice? Could I be on to something? If it is IBD, will the Nexium even help? Is there anything I can give him tonight to help with the gulping/swallowing/hacking?

[Michele S]

Galliprant is a godsend! I have a 16 yo blind female shihtzu that’s 11 1/2 pounds that suffers from arthritis,severe hip dysplasia along with elevated liver enzymes( which are under control with medication ) and early stages of kidney disease. All issues are old age related so with her kidneys and liver needing monitoring we are limited to pain medications that can be used. Metacam is a popular medication comparable to our aleve or Advil but can’t be used due to her liver and kidneys. We tried tramadol which really didn’t work well. She’s been on gabapentin for about 5-6 months which she received every 8 hours and up to a whole pill each dose to keep her comfortable but she never seemed completely content. Couldn’t sleep well would move around a lot in bed to get into a comfortable position for her hind hips. Well my vet called me 2 weeks ago to tell me
About a new med Galliprant that came out and seems to be getting good results and it is safe for her liver and kidneys. We tried it because why not we want to make our Lil angel as pain free as possible. This medication changed her and our lives within days! we haven’t had to give her gabapentin since her first dose a week ago she gets 1/4 of a pill of Galliprant in the morning and she is able to relax all day and night comfortably! Her tail hasn’t wagged this much in a long time she is a totally different dog from a week ago. Her peppy personality from her younger years is back! If you are skeptical about this medication don’t be! TRY this medication! You and your fur baby will be so thankful!

[Nick G]

My Shih Tzu mixed breed has a chicken meat intolerance but he does not react to the chicken egg added to the Blue Buffalo canned beef stew he eats twice daily. Since I’m very anal about label reading, I find that chicken broth, chicken liver, and chicken egg are added to foods that are recommended for dogs with chicken intolerances. Does it have something to do with the meat proteins in muscle meat and nothing to do with the proteins in the egg or organ meats? This has me really scratching my head. Even his vet isn’t sure why this occurs the way it does.

Thanks for all your ideas.

[Joanne B]

Charlie is a 3 year old shih-tzu/ poodle cross that I adopted from a rescue shelter. He has always been a little picky about his food. I thought I found a good mix when I combined Rawz turkey and Smack chicken. Last week, I tried to clip his nails. To my chagrin, he bit me and drew blood in 4 places (this was not the first time I have clipped his nails, so I am also concerned as to why he bit me). The dynamics of our relationship has changed some since then, and I am trying to regain his trust. The problem is, he has also stopped eating his food. I have been feeding him raw elk meat (my husband hunts) to make sure he eats something, but I would like to find a dehydrated food that he will eat. Any suggestions?

[Allie]

Hi all,

I am desperate for some answers. I have a 1 year old shih-poo (shih tzu/poodle) named Teddy. About 2 months ago he started throwing up once everyday..mostly in the morning early hours and sometimes at night. After he threw up 2 days in a row I immediately tried to put him on a bland chicken and rice diet. He was unable to keep that down so I decided it was time to contact the vet. The vet took x-rays to check for blockages, did blood test and gave me some antibiotics as well as special RX food. His x-rays looked good no blockages however his blood test came back with a high white blood cell count and a high liver count (which was what the antibiotics were for because the vet concluded he had some type of infection.) While on the medicine and food Teddy didn’t throw up once..he was on the food for about 2 weeks. Unfortunately after I went back to his normal food the throw up continued. I called the vet and he told me to switch his food to a simple dry food..so we chose to feed him the “Wellness Simple” salmon & potato formula. This has seemed to help, Teddy went almost 2 weeks without throwing up and now more recently almost 1 week without throwing up. We had more blood test done just last week to see if everything was back to normal and the vet just called and informed me that all his blood work is normal however not even 2 minutes after I got off the phone he threw up (first time since last Tuesday, today is Monday.) My fear is that he will slowly go back to throwing up daily. I have read articles about IBD which I know cannot be detected through blood work but through a scope. I’m not sure what else to do or if I should wait it out and see if he doesn’t throw up again since the first time he threw up if was yellowish bile which I believe was because he did not eat the night before. I would just hate to wait and something terribly be wrong. He does not act weird, he is still playful and eats like normal.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

[Fran C]

Hi Michelle, I have a Shepherd mix with skin problems, and 2 other dogs who are not affected with allergies. My dog started having her skin problems at 2-years old. Two weeks ago I didn’t make it on time to Petco before it closed to buy my dogs’ their dry kibble so I was forced to go to Target and pick out what I thought would suffice until the next day. I was not surprised to find that some of the lower rated dry dog foods were actually “catching up” with the highly rated dog food brands with their farm fresh natural ingredients, grain free (not for my dogs though), etc. and Made in the USA! It was a toss up between Purina’s Beyond and Rachel Ray’s Nutrish dog food… I chose Rachel. The ingredients were good and the majority of her dog food has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Target’s website alone. The best part is two of my “picky” dog eaters (Shih Tzu and Beagle) are now willing to eat without wet food mixed into their kibble. I have always fed my dog’s 5-star dog foods and have tried practically every brand throughout the years… hoping Rachel Ray Nutrish is a keeper. You may also want to consider taking your dog to your vet for an exam and if necessary, a skin scrape test and/or a blood test for fungal/bacterial infection. It could be as simple as the flea control you’re using or it could be environmental. There are low cost veterinary clinics that will not up sell you. My shepherd unfortunately suffers from serious skin allergies in the Spring and Fall so we have to pay a visit to the vet twice a year to try and stay on top of her allergies to control her skin from getting worse. The vet prescribed Simplicef (generic brand is Cephalexin) and she has to have frequent baths with medicated shampoo (about $11 from the vet). I hope your dog’s allergies are not as serious as my dog’s and wish you the best of luck.

[Mary W]

My not quite 12 year old Shih Tzu’s health suddenly went down hill after a 2nd oral dose of the flea medicine, Comfortis (She was 10 pounds and was prescribed dosage for dogs 10-20 pounds.) She began to feel bad 6 days after the 2nd monthly dose and began to skip meals and started losing weigh. tI took her to the vet 11 days after the 2nd dose because she wasn’t thriving. The Vet gave her diuretics and antibiotic. It seemed to help for 2-3 days, then she started downhill, but I continued given the meds. I took my fur baby back to the Vet 11 days after, the previous visit and he did X-rays and bloodwork. It took 3 days to tell me she had a high white blood count. The X-ray was showing something but it would take an MRI to know what. Three days after her 2nd Vet visit, I spoke with him on the phone, and he prescribed another, very strong antibiotic and said that I should call the manufacture of Comfortis. I did call them that day, Monday. In the early hours of Wednesday she died suddenly. I was shocked! The vet didn’t expect it. The manufacturer of Comfortis offered to pay for a Necropsy, which I naively thought was a test to see if their drug killed her. It wasn’t. I knew this only after the results came in and she had been cremated. The “necropsy” only showed the failing that she died from peritonitis and had low kidney function. Now I have no recourse to prove their drug killed my once lively dog. My Vet said he believes the Comfortis oral flea medicine was toxic to her.
She had a good three years left. I had her mother and she lived 15 1/2 years.

[Hazel G]

Hi Paula,

We have a ten month old shih tzu called Percy who has suffered numerous episodes of colitis and HGE. Basically lots of vet trips, blood tests, medication, passing blood, not eating etc etc… we’ve now gone almost a month without a trip to the Vets’s since he started his new diet, Royal Canin, gastrointestinal wet dog food. Maybe this could help your little one, good luck!

[Karen C]

Hi all. I’m brand new to the forum part of things. I’ve been following DFA for a couple of years now and decided to join today.

I have read and done tons of research on dog food(s) and know a lot of what to stay away from. One of those brands was Hill Science Diet. Wouldn’t go near it and advised others to not buy it either.

I have a 5 1/2 year old Shihtzu with a bazillion skin issues….and we have been to 3 different vets in 3 different cities. I have tried every premium dog food over the last 4 1/2 years…and even resorted to making it myself using the best organic ingredients. Her skin issues didn’t start until she was a year old. Our current vet had suggested SEVERAL times to try Science Diet Sensitive Skin (and stomach). I kept refusing. The only way to control her skin issues was to be put on steroids with which she has been on for almost 3 years, and yes….I know the dangers of using those too.

Because I was at my wits end and had tried so many other foods from Acana to Orijen and from Blue to Earthborn and EVERYTHING in between, I said wth to the vet and decided to try Science Diet……against my better judgement.

It has been 3 weeks since she was transitioned to a complete SD diet. I cannot believe my eyes. Her skin is 110% healthy…..so beautiful. She is not digging at herself and scratching incessantly. She’s still a licker, which is just habit? But I just can’t believe it. I am in awe, and kicking myself for not trying SD sooner. At this point in Tilly’s and my lives, I don’t CARE what’s in it….because whatever it is can’t be all that bad OR as bad for her as steroids on a daily basis.

I told you up front, I was so against Hills Science Diet and nothing would change my mind. Now, I have to swallow my words and let you know. I (Tilly) may be an exception to the rule, but right now it’s a food that I will keep giving her.

Now for my Boxer pup…….

[Jennifer M]

Could someone do a review of the wet dog food sold at Aldi? I could only find the dry on the featured list. They have 2 kinds of containera: cans and cups. My mom bought some and I think it’s what is making my little dog (Chihuahua/Shih Tzu mix) have the poops! I constantly tell her to look at the ingredients before buying and spending a little extra is worth it if it means my dog isn’t eating something that won’t agree with him!

[Harold U]

Our two shih tzus (8 yrs old) have recently started to like “Dingos” ……sort of like an “evening snack” while we are having ours. Any feedback or suggestions regarding this treat? Yes we are aware they are made in China, and yes that is a concern.

[Peter V]

Hi Everyone,

I apologize if this has already been posted.

I have a 10-month old, 15lb Shih Poo (Half Shitzu/Half Poodle) named Paco. He’s a ton of fun, an has a lot of energy.

It was time for me to switch him from his puppy food to an adult food. The vet perscribed Hills T/D Care, which after doing some research, I found was absolute garbage.

I then discovered this site, and switched him to Acana Small Breed Formula. He loved the food, but the amount of poop that came with it was pretty insane… 4 – 5 poops/day.

I went to the pet store where they convinced my that I should go with CaniSource, Grand Cru Red Meat Formula… it is not grain-free. His poops were dramatically reduced with this food to the point where he was at 2-poops/day, but I got the feeling that he didn’t really like what I was giving him. It would take him almost the entire day to eat 3/4 cup – 1 cup of the food, and often he wouldn’t finish it.

I then switched him to Acana Heritage Grasslands, and again… the multiple poops/day have come back. He’s been on this food for approximately 3-weeks now, and he’s pooping 3-4 times/day.

I’m not trying to transition him onto Fromm 4-Stars Grain-Free Game Bird…

Do you have any suggestions for me as to what I should be giving him? I’m starting to go nuts reading all of the reviews on this site in regards to different foods…

Thanks for all of your help in advance.

[Jenny C]

I’ve been Googling this and can’t find any research, but wondering if anyone here has any information on histamine intolerance in dogs? Not food allergies, but histamine intolerance. I, myself, have histamine intolerance and have to be very, very careful about the meat I eat. It has to be as fresh as possible, and quickly thawed (either in microwave or water), cooked and eaten immediately. No leftovers- the reason for which is that bacteria release histamine (and other amines) as the flesh decomposes. So the longer it’s been since meat was butchered, the higher the histamine content.

My 2 yr old shih tzu has been having very bad itching this entire summer. I’ve tried adding ACV to his food, fish oil, quercitin/bromelain, and switching to “cool” foods via TCM/Yin-Yang theories. So far, no success. I read somewhere that histamines in dogs are released mainly into their skin (whereas in humans, it can affect SO many different parts of the body). I’m wondering if he has seasonal allergies due to pollens, trees, grasses, etc and it’s been exacerbated by the raw food I feed him. I get my food from a local raw food processor, it’s mostly ground meat/bone/organ- and just the act of being ground at the butcher and sitting out in their deli case or freezer means that it’s not as fresh as a cut of meat would be, therefore the histamine content is already higher. Then I take it home, thaw it, portion it out, refreeze, then thaw again the day of feeding, adding more to the histamine content. So even though it’s fresh, local meat- it’s not actually “fresh” in the sense that it’s probably been at least a few weeks since it’s been butchered, and probably has higher histamine content by the time I feed it.

If you’re not familiar with histamine intolerance, they often talk about a “histamine bucket” whereby every little bit of histamine put into the body (food, stress, pollen, etc) builds, until it spills over into a reaction. So that is why I’m wondering if summer pollen plus the “not the most fresh” raw food I’m feeding could possibly be causing his severe itching. Start googling “histamine intolerance”- it’s really interesting and it was the answer to a lot of my own chronic illness issues.

Has anyone here experimented with feeding their dogs the absolutely freshest meat possible with the lowest histamine content and had any success with cutting down on allergy symptoms?

I’m wondering if there’s really a good way to feed raw and extremely fresh at the same time- I’m not really into the idea of buying huge parts of animals from local farmers and butchering them myself! I might try feeding my dog the fresh/cooked meat that I eat for a few days and see if I notice any difference in his itching.

In this sense, there’s probably no kibble or prepared raw food out there that would be considered “low histamine” then, right?

[Laura G]

My experience:
“Susan”‘s advice is spot on if your pup is eating poo from a neighbor’s pet (whom you have no control over), plus teaching your pup “Leave it” is critical
And
“For-Bid” powder has worked wonders for us. I care for a Shih Tzu who likes to eat her own poo, so I sprinkle this on her food for several days and she no longer shows interest. (I put the powder in a WELL-LABELED salt shaker for ease of application.) sometimes, a month or two later I will have to apply a repeat dose.

[Jennifer M]

Hi, I feed my two Shih tzu ‘s the Orijen Tundra and the both love it. Which says a lot as our one is four years old and extremely picky, she is also very small at 5lbs so it’s very important to me that what little food she does eat is high in protein and nutritional value. Our other pup is more than willing to eat anything given to her, so we have to monitor that she she only eating from her own bowl. Lol I do find the Tundra to be a bit more expensive than the other Orijen varieties but since our girls are small we don’t go through it that fast, plus it’s grain free and chicken free ( chicken always ends up making the one pup’s eyes tear & stain). I am a big fan of both Orijen and Acana products and have always stayed with choosing a variety from their lines.

[Christina B]

Hello,

I’ll be moving within the next 12 months and my dog’s canned food will not be accessible to me (it’s not produced by a national brand).

I have a shihtzu who is extremely particular not just about his food in general (only dog I’ve ever owned who turns his nose up to people food) but also, the texture of his food. I’ve made a few purchases and he absolutely will not go near any wet food that is ‘too wet’. No broths, gravies, or soupy foods. This is costing me a small fortune out of my already tight budget in trying to find him a suitable replacement; It’s hard to tell what the food looks like on the inside of these cans based on the labels.

If you all could be so kind as to share with me the brands of canned dog food you’ve used or have come across that is more of a solid, potted meat, kind of texture – I would be so very appreciative of your help!

• This topic was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Christina B.

[Shawna]

Hi Elyce M,

You are right to question this. There has been LOTS of science over the last 20 years that proves protein is not only not damaging to kidneys but the science has shown that protein does not further damage the kidneys of dogs that HAVE kidney disease. Protein does increase BUN in the blood and if BUN gets too high it makes puppy not feel well but it has no ill effects on the kidneys whatsoever. My favorite source of scientific information on this is “Mythology of Protein Restriction for Dogs with Reduced Renal Function” by Dr. Kenneth Bovee http://www.championpetfoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Myths_of_High_Protein.pdf

Something as simple as dehydration can cause elevated BUN but if creatinine is high on the blood work than that is an indicator of kidney disease. Elevated BUN AND creatinine won’t show up on blood work until the kidneys are about 75% damaged so an elevation of both should be looked at more closely by doing more testing – urine specific gravity as an example.

If your pup really is in the beginning stages of kidney failure than lowering protein isn’t necessary but feeding “high quality” protein can be very beneficial. It is also advised to feed a wet food over a kibble. It is also beneficial to look at foods that are lower in phosphorus than your average diet as phosphorus can begin to build up in the blood and once it does it CAN damage the kidneys further.

For what it’s worth, my puppy had kidney disease from birth and ate a HIGH protein raw diet (between 45 and 54% protein) her entire life. She lived to almost nine years of age and passed from complications not related to normal progression of kidney disease.

Seven years of age is not old for a Shih Tzu but they also now know that senior dogs require a diet higher in protein than their adult counterparts due to a decreased ability to digest. This is taken from Purina’s website
“Protein for senior dogs. Healthy senior dogs require increased dietary protein in order to maintain lean body mass. We formulate our senior dog foods to contain more dietary protein (compared to adult maintenance formulas) in order to ensure that your dog gets the appropriate levels of nutritious protein he needs.” https://www.purina.com/dogs/understanding-dog-food/is-a-high-protein-diet-best-for-my-dog

Most better quality diets already exceed the minimum suggested for seniors of 25% (minimum not suggested amount) but this is a science based paper discussing the increased needs of protein in senior dogs. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18656844

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Shawna.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Shawna.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Shawna.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Shawna.

[Elyce M]

Took my Shih Tzu age 7 for physical and his blood test showed little high on protein for his kidneys. The Vet wants me to change his diet to a lower protein diet. He has done so well on the protein diet I hate to change him but don’t want to hurt him either. I have read many articles that state not to change them that there is not enough evidence to show that it damages the kidneys unless they have a kidney disease.
Has anyone experienced this situation and what did you do? Elyce B

[Shawna]

If your Shih Tzu is truly allergic to chicken then the prescription diet could be problematic and based on what Dr. Ken Tudor wrote in this PetMD article the diet is not necessary either.

“The solution to pollution is dilution” is the phrase we veterinarians now use to explain how to prevent urinary crystal and stone formation. Time, observation, and studies have shown us that there are no magical diets for solving this problem and that water consumption is key.

The take home for those of you with cats and dogs that are urine crystal formers is to increase the amount of water in the diet.” http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/ken-tudor/2015/november/water-solution-urinary-crystals-pets-33270

[Coops]

Hello, my 9 yr. old shih tzu was diagnosed with struvite stones when I took him to the vet for a check-up when he peed with blood. He was prescribed the Hills Prescription Diet s/d. My dog is allergic to chicken and the s/d dog food contains chicken. Would this be an issue? Thanks everyone.

[Anita J]

My little Yorkie/shih tzu mix was a mess when I first got her from the animal shelter…sores everywhere and literally biting herself silly…finally I found the right shampoo and food and thankfully she is doing great now. She eats Canidae Life Stages Chicken & Rice Formula. She has a swallowing problem so has to eat the wet food with water added to it. She also has allergies to all kinds of stuff but does GREAT on this food.
I get it direct from petfooddirect.com on auto ship and no shipping with purchase of either 40 or 45 dollars..can’t remember exactly. Mine comes in at $1.88 per 14 oz can.

[Pam M]

I just started BCR today. My 14 week old shih-tzu, Brody, has been having a terrible time. I had him on Petcurean, no soy, no grain, no eggs and no chicken. This was my third food as I started out with what the breeder was using, but he’s been chewing his paws and having a terrible time. I had my last dog on raw food, and like most owners, it was out of necessity. I’m hoping this will settle things down. If I have a positive outcome I’ll be sure to post with the results.

[Mallary P]

My 9 year old Shih Tzu has always been a gem. Even as a puppy, she was never one to be destructive or chew on anything. She has recently gone to the vet and was given a clean bill of health. I feed her Fromm Surf & Turf and Acana Grasslands (switch off). Occasionally, she gets Weruva canned food. I’ve been feeding her this way for 2 months and it’s been great. But this week, she has started destroying the blinds. I have a sliding glass door and so far, half of them are shredded/torn off the track. There have been no changes in her routine and the only other thing she is doing is pulling the towel down off of my oven (does not shred it though). When I come in and survey the damage, she is my same happy, content girl. My boyfriend is moving but we don’t live together and he has not begun packing yet. I’ve been trying to think about what could be setting her off. Storms stress her out but we havent had any. I do have a new neighbor, but he seems to be pretty quiet. I’ll need to replace the blinds in my apartment, but I’m curious why there is a sudden change in her behavior. What could be wrong with my baby? Any ideas?

[Jenna R]

Hello!

My 7yr old dog Nelly (she is a rescue but we think she is a Bichon/Shih Tzu/Havaenese) has had a few bladder infections and most recently had to have crystals (or stones) removed from her bladder in late 2015. Nelly was on Royal Canin food for medium dogs her whole life until about 2015 when my mom thought she may have a wheat/dairy allergy so she switched her food (not sure the brand). The bladder infections were treated with antibiotics and she seemed to recover just fine. After her surgery, our vet recommended going back to Royal Canin SO and we added in giving her a bit of canned Royal Canin as well however recently Nelly has been having “hot spots” and licking places she has never licked before so we are beginning to think it is a wheat allergy or SOMETHING along those lines!

Now that Nelly is better my mom is terrified to have her go through that experience again (it was AWFUL!!!) so we are looking for the best option to keep Nelly free from bladder issues all together.

I read a lot about a raw diet and cranberry pills. We are open to absolutely anything so that Nelly can have the best quality of life 🙂

*I also read about them getting enough water, i dont think this is Nelly’s issue as we do leave water out and she drinks it all the time*

Can anyone recommend the next steps that we should take?

Jenna

[Shirley F]

Hi, I´m new here and would like some feedback about nutrition facts and lack of nutrients in the raw food I feed my 2 dogs? My older is 4 years old and has recently been diagnosed with crystals in his urine. My vet recommended a dry food that contains an SO index, but he would rather eat carton than that kibble…I am using vitamin C and a cranberry dosage in his food, but my vet said that would not clear up the crystals, but am I wrong in assuming that the SO index is just magnesium? I´m feeding them Nordic, a food blended here in Iceland, but the same ingredients the Swedish company uses except for the meat, it´s local. They also get raw turkey necks once a day. Anyone here with thoughts on extra nutrients in their diet? Thanks!

[Sarah H]

I had the same question recently as my puppy seemed bored of her canned food. I switched to Fresh Pet, which is for all life stages. She LOVES it! I buy the Fresh Pet Vital at Petsmart and also the Petsmart Select at the supermarket. It comes in a loaf. There is a grain free and regular variety and different flavors. I buy the smaller loaves and rotate flavors during the week. Rotating the flavors seems to keep her interest. She wasn’t so crazy about the fishy one, but she likes the beef and chicken varieties. She is a five month old Shih Tzu by the way.

[Marty R]

I have four shih tzu age 9. I switched to Royal Canin last October and as of three weeks ago all four have developed pancriatitis. The medical costs have been painful for me and I can only attribute it to their food. They initially were more energetic and seemed to be doing well on the shih tzu over 8 formula but I would not recommend it because that is the only change in their lives and has to be the cause. I am switching to Fromm and seeing how they do on that one.

[Cris S]

This is the first result when I googled about my dog having soft stool, so a couple of years after the end of the thread, I’m adding to it. I have a rescue Shih Tzu and she intermittently had soft stools from the time I got her a year and a half ago. It then became the norm back in October last year. I read up on it and decided to try the Diatomaceous earth and since I started putting it in her food every day, she has NOT ONCE had soft stools. It was extremely effective for me and I highly recommend trying it.

[Mallary P]

Hi all:

My beloved (spayed) Shih Tzu will be 9 years old this year and I’ve recently [this month] switched her to the Fromm Surf and Turf Grain Free food, which she seems to enjoy. My dog has LOTS of food allergies and we spent about two years plus lots of trial/error to find her a good food. In the beginning the vet had her on Science Diet and steroids for about a week, but that was not a long term solution. She gets whelps (almost like acne) all over her and it’s very itchy. Poor baby. For a long time, she was on Nature’s Recipe limited Ingredient Chicken and Sweet Potato Food. She did well on it [no breakouts], but it wasn’t as great when I read the report on her. Given that she is moving into her senior years, I want to make sure she has the best quality everything because I love her and I want her around for a long time. She gets a decent amount of exercise for a Shih Tzu and is a good weight–according to the vet.

I see some of the forums on here suggesting that they given their dogs different high quality foods in rotation. She’s really enjoying Fromm, but I would like to give her another high quality food to give her some variety. Any recommendations? Acana, Orijen, etc?

She generally does better with Chicken, Salmon, and duck. Beef, Pork, and too much diary has proven to be no-nos in our house. She loves raw carrots as a treat and antler bones to chew. Sometimes I give her high quality canned food, so if I could get both kibble/ canned food recommendations that would be great!

[Paula C]

I recently adopted a 10 1/2 year old senior shih-tzu and after 3 weeks she stopped eating. She lost 2 of her 14#.
She became severely dehydrated, requiring hospitalization. Her liver panel numbers were more than doubled — except ALT (not to be over 240) came in at 4300. Medication for her liver helped slightly but not too well for her appetite. She’s had 5 additional blood panels run and her 4300 went down to 3700, then 2400, then 2000, then 800, and now at 329. We are headed in the right direction — WITH the EXCEPTION of her eating. I have tried premium dog foods, dry and wet — home cook a recipe the vet gave me — none of these have any appeal for her. I finally gave her Cesar tubs which she will occasionally eat. I found Shep tubs (turkey) at Aldi’s and she LOVES it — I found Shep dry food rating online which was extremely poor — but I can’t find any nutritional information online for the wet dog food. Can you help me? I’ve had her for 2 months and my vet bills are out of sight. This little sweetheart needs any helpful information you can provide. I should also mention that between her 3rd to 5 week, she would go into “trances” and was totally out of touch. She would stand stock still and stare at the wall for 10-15 minutes at a time, not responding to me at all. Thankfully, that has subsided.

[Sarah H]

My 4 month old shih-tzu puppy has been eating Wellness Puppy (wet and dry) but I think she is getting tired of it. Instead of switching to another canned food, I was thinking of trying Fresh Pet. It seems to have good reviews. I see they make a Fresh Pet Select Puppy food that is sold in supermarkets (have to check to make sure they actually have it in mine) but that Petsmart where we usually buy our food only has one called Vital which says it is an adult dog food (although the instructions say you can give to puppies too). Any feedback on these?

[Laura D]

Wish I had answers for you! Any improvements? Our shih tzu all of the sudden experienced the same issues on Jan 1. Thankfully she never needed hospitalization and is now doing well, but it was rough. We got fluids, Cerenia injection. Sent home with Cerenia tabs and tramadol for pain and she turned around fairly quickly.

Low fat diet is apparently the key and we’re working on that… Unfortunately we knew she was allergic to chicken and now we are adding pork to the list! She is allowed her food only, i’m very strict after all she went through.

Wishing you the best of luck.

[Edward C]

Nature’s Recipe Grain Free Chicken & Venison
I just now joined ….so my choice is this one because:
I was giving a little shih Tzu I found in the woods on my farm with; heart worms, cow ticks, dry eye, tape worms (and a few more minor problems beside being starved). I started her on Caesar’s (that was the best the country store had), but after many $$
getting her back to health the vet gave me until 12/2016 to get 3 pounds off her.
She would eat nothing but Caesar’s. I tried several others (wet and dry) with no luck.
They won’t give samples so I had to buy a whole can just to try it. Finally a sales clerk at
PetSmart suggested I try Natures Recipe…..Halleluiah !! She ate it and loves it. I researched Nature’s Recipe Grain Free and discovered they are reputable. Your site gives it a 5 star and the venison is a 4.5 star. My expensive AKC Sheltie loves it also 🙂
BTW…..Your site, Chewy, sells it at $32.23 for 24 tubs(avg $1.34 per tub) PetSmart sells it at 1.29 per can….Chewy’s is not a bargain after all.

[Pitlove]

Fromm offers breeder bags (40lbs). We get them at work for a Shih Tzu breeder. Purina also offers the Pro Club for breeders/showers/dog enthusists with more than 5 dogs per household. I know they send checks for a $ amount off your food but I don’t know if they sell breeder bags like Fromm.

[Laura D]

We have a shih tzu who is sensitive to chicken and we’ve learned pork. We had a terrible time a few years ago with her itching. Vet thought environmental, but the winter didn’t bring any relief. Read up and at the time sensicare precise was said to be a good choice for allergy prone dogs. Put her on it and noticed that we weren’t at the vet all the time for itching!! I then tried to give her a little of what I thought a better quality food and the minute I added it in, she was itching. So the culprit in my opinion was chicken.

About the same time we were adding a shih tzu/bichon to the family and the breeder warned us that sometimes her dogs have chicken allergies. She was feeding venison a the time. So we found that both could eat lamb and venison with no issues. I don’t thing 2nd pup has ever had chicken to know if he has any issues with it.

Recently the shih tzu had pancreatitis so we’re experimenting with vet prescribed foods and she’s back to itching – pork this time. Hoping the newest that we are weaning her onto will do the trick – it’s fish based.

My recommendation is limited ingredient foods. If one doesn’t work compare ingredients and you may be able to figure out the sensitivities.

[Joyce B]

So happy that the Shih Tzu is better! I had similar problems with my Pom. While she never vomited immediately after eating, she would have episodes of not eating (even her favorite foods), wanting only grass, and vomiting bile overnight. I tried many top foods including grain-free to no avail. One of our foods was Wellness which was great for my other dogs but not this one and the ingredient list was a mile long so very difficult to pinpoint any triggers. I tried Pepcid which seemed to help a little but not entirely. I tried many supplements which didn’t help. Neither did pumpkin, if I could get her to eat at all. At one point when she didn’t eat for a second day I took her to the vet. Blood work was normal and I was sent home with various anti-nauseas. She was better after a couple of days on meds but about a month later the symptoms returned. We didn’t go to the vet this time and she was better in a couple of days without meds. I was told by the folks at Ask Ariel to eliminate poultry but I knew chicken was OK because we would have several good weeks on foods with chicken. But turkey was in alot of the foods I tried. And when no turkey there was egg. Since eliminating these two things – turkey and egg – we have been symptom-free for almost a year!

[RebeccaRose]

Hello all. E W, thank you for that point of view. I will definitely keep that in mind. How is it diagnosed? Good luck to you hope your pup gets better.

Well my Shih Tzu is doing much better. She has not had biopsy but the vet thinks IBD is a strong possibility. The Wellness never did work for us. After repeated episodes like in my original post, although not as severe, we moved completely away from chicken &/or turkey foods and she improved. It wasn’t easy… we went through 3 or 4 more foods before finally finding one that she loves & her poops are great & she has very minimal vomiting.

She now receives a 1/2 a 10 mg Pepcid every night very late, about midnight. Her meals are still spaced out with the last being at 10 pm. The food she is currently on is higher in fat that any of the other foods she’s been on but it has helped the most of any food she’s ever tried. We have been on it for 7 months. It is Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach Salmon.

I hesitate to even put that in my post because I know the hatred this community has for Purina… but I have learned the hard way that you feed what works. And this works for us. I am including the name so that it might help others from what I’ve been through. You can spend all the money you have on premium bags of dog food & still have sick dogs, I can speak from experience as I have tried some of the best, most expensive foods & she still was sick.

I keep a list of foods that I am going to try should we start having problems again. Maybe this list will help others if they are looking for a food that is either low in fat, good for a predominantly vomiting dog, sensitive stomachs, upper intestinal IBD, wanting/needing to stay away from chicken, or wanting a LID diet, or wanting to start a novel protein…

*Natural Balance: Potato & Rabbit, or Sweet Potato & Bison, or Potato & Duck, or Legume & Duck, or Sweet Potato & Venison. All these NB choices are around 10/11% fat & 4% fiber.

*Acana Singles (might have to order online) 15% fat 6.5% fiber.

*Zigniture Brand.

*Rayne Dog Food: Rabbit & Sweet Potato Dry (have to order online).

*First Mate.

*Fromm Gold Coast Weight Management Ocean Fish, 10% fat 7% fiber.

*Annamaet 24% Option Formula Salmon & Venison, 13% fat 4% fiber.

*Wellness Simple LID Healthy Weight Salmon & Peas, 8% fat & 6% fiber.