[Susan C]

Hi Shichon:

I am new to this forum but not new to dogs or shihtzus and their itching problems. I’m not new to dog allergies or food problems. I have a shihtzu/lhasa apso mix who has suffered since I’ve had her (7 years–got her as a rescue). She has terrible flea allergies, so much so that she digs and chews until I can see either bruising or blood where she has been chewing. I’ve fed her commercial foods, prescription foods and finally settled on home cooking using organic ingredients, non-GMO meats, and free-range eggs.

I have found during all this research (and I mean RESEARCH—FOR YEARS) that a lot of itching has to do with what season we are in and where the dog goes outside. I live in a condo and we have hired a landscaping company to cut the grass. They use Round-up or similar pesticides and when I take my dog out to pee, she walks on the grass. The Round-up is made to kill weeds–and some of these weeds are beneficial to keeping away certain insect populations. The problem is that without the weeds, fleas and other insects overgrow and while we have a nice pretty yard, it’s full of fleas and other itch-making insects. Not to mention the exposure to the pesticide that my dog gets with just walking through the grass.

I use a homemade concoction to spray her every day and increase the usage when she starts itching. It’s made of apple cider vinegar and chamomile tea (brew it and let it cool). I keep it in the fridge and spray her paws before and after she goes outside. I also spray her backside as well because that’s the area that gets closest to the grass.

I mentioned the season earlier in my post because right now where I am, it is 70 degrees and in the middle of winter. This unseasonable warmth throws everything out of whack–I have flowers blooming, fruit trees with leaves, etc, all sorts of unnatural things happen when the environment is screwy–including my dog’s ability to fight off allergies and certain illnesses. When nature gets out of balance, it affects everyone, even humans. Even right now, the murder rate is doubled here in Birmingham, Alabama since the first of 2016…everything is crazy. Up until December 26, we had 70+ temps. It is supposed to be in the 40’s during the day in the winter in Alabama.

I feel our little shihtzus are very sensitive to all this, not to mention they are cold weather dogs and we put them in our US climate where it gets hot every summer. Our dogs are from the Himalayas. Not exactly tropical climate there. My suggestion to you is to spend a little time brushing your dog, use the spray I mentioned above, keep the puppy cool, and only bath him once a month, or once every 3 weeks. But brush his coat twice daily. I am a groomer as well, and we bath our dogs entirely too much. It is nice to have a sweet smelling pup but weekly bathing leads to changes in the dog’s natural ability to fight skin rashes and itchiness greatly decreased. Their skin is too dry, it starts itching, they scratch, we bathe, they scratch, they bite, we bathe—get the picture?

Just for what it’s worth–I feel your pain. I can share more info if you want. Just let me know. This is a problem that won’t go away once and for all. It’s ongoing so buckle down and get ready to spend some time with your puppy. Look at it like this, more time for you to enjoy him. Little shihtzus are the most precious.

Sissi

[suztzu]

Hello, I am trying to figure out what to feed my 11yr old Cushings shih tzu 18 lbs hes a big shih tzu lol hes not overweight. I was trying Honest kitchen Force and he was loving it but started throwing up all the small food chunks and I found that even though I was rehydrating per the box instructions I was having to add much more water which made the food even bulkier and I think it was just too much food for his little belly. He was on Natures Variety Prarie dry mixed with canned instinct but I am really look to switch him to high moisture content food. Hes on Trilostan 30 mgs a day has elevated liver counts and his kidneys are deteriorating but not compromised yet hes very stable for now but ravenous for food all the time. So looking for any advice in feeding this type of dog would be very welcome Thanks in advance

[Sarah H]

My 11 week old Shih Tzu puppy is currently getting 3 meals a day. When should I transition to 2? I read somewhere 4 months, but that seems very young. Thanks in advance.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Sarah H.

[Shichon M]

I know this is an old post, but I was wondering if you ever figured out what was causing your ShihTzu to itch. Was it the food or something else? I just got a ShihTzu/Bichon puppy and he has the same itching. I have also checked the ears and fleas/ticks but nothing. Don’t know what to do for him.

[Jane D]

I breed Shih Tzu and have for the past 28 years. For the last fifteen they have been on Solid Gold puppy and dog food till this summer.
I have spoken to the owner Sissy( who I believe is in her eighties or just about there) and she told me she had sold only the manufacturing part of the company. She also stated it was in the contract that No changes were to be made to the recipes or the company reverted back to her. Well this summer all my dogs started throwing up! I mean constantly not just once in a while. I started looking for a new great food for them and one young man took the time to teach me about Acana foods and why they would be so good for my dogs!
I have one allergic to chicken so we started on Acana Grasslands and they love it! The puppies were put on Acana puppy and the loved it as well.
Go check it out at http://www.acana.com or http://www.acanadogfood.com, ask can never remember which it is.
READ how it arrives, how it is cooked and what is in it. It is certified human grade meaning it is fit for human consumption as it is made with the same grade of meats, vegetables, fruit etc that we eat!
It is cooked in its own juices with no added water( means your animals will drink more water of course) no additives, no bad stuff at all!
I am keeping them on it! They are very healthy which is important to me and the cost is about what I was paying for Solid Gold.
I am sold on Acana products!
Check it out for yourself!

[Laura D]

Having quite the week with our pup. She’ll be 4 next week and is a shih tzu. We have 2 problems going on, pancreatitis as well as some back issues. I’ve ended up at our regular vet and then a 24 hour one for the back problems. Between the 2 different vets and my research on foods they’re suggesting I am drowning in thoughts/questions and not sure the directions to go.

She’s been on a bland diet and given her dx’s is feeling pretty good. Pancreatitis was under control pretty quickly, but is the 2nd incidence of it (she had same symptoms but no blood taken, end of November so we’re assuming 2nd incidence.) Bland diet is going well and it’s time to put her on regular food. Main problem – she has a CHICKEN ALLERGY so it’s limiting our options.

ER vet gave me a couple of can samples of Royal Canin gastrointestinal low fat. We feed just kibble and for whatever reason it just never occurred to me to give her canned food. Not sure why.

Regular vet gave me Hills Prescription Diet Digestive Care i/d sensitive dry. This food has 13% fat and I know she needs a “low fat” diet. This concerns my somewhat because she was eating taste of the wild and it has 15% fat which isn’t that different to me. I’ve also read here that going too low fat can compromise the quality.

We aren’t sure what caused the pancreatitis. I was giving her a pill in a small amount of cheese prior to the recent one so i’m not sure that isn’t it?!

Anyway I guess i’m wondering if anyone has any great chicken-free recommendations? And do you feed can or dry? Are there advantages/disadvantages to either? Like I said, I have no idea why I settled on dry. With the 2 dogs feeding them eating together has been an issue, one which if they were fed canned they’d be more likely to eat on a better schedule I think. Any advice on getting things put back together and avoid pancreatitis?

[Sarah H]

Thanks crazy4cats (love the name)! The puppy is a shih tzu. I was worried about the cat eating the dog food as well, especially since one of my son’s friends told me his cat died from eating their dog’s food – but my vet assured me that just a little bit wouldn’t hurt. I did catch her once or twice eating the puppy’s food, but that hasn’t been so much of an issue since the puppy food is usually put up out of reach except at meal time. It is the cat food that is out all the time. We do have one cat box which is behind a cat door in the basement, but unfortunately my cat had a stroke a couple of years ago and has troubles with mobility so we had to put a cat box in the corner of the living room area so she wouldn’t have to go down stairs all the time. It is behind a cabinet, so it is accessible but not right in the middle of everything. All the more reason to keep it clean! The cat is doing amazingly well with the puppy and doesn’t seem fazed at all.

[Cindy T]

Hello! I just adopted our 8 week old Malshi (Maltese/Shih Tzu). The breeder had him on Purina Pro Plan Focus and I knew we were going to change that. After to speaking to vet, she recommended either Royal Canin Puppy or Nature’s Balance. I decided to go with Royal Canin because I had always heard it is a good food and they do a lot of science based research when creating their foods. I also decided not to go with Nature’s Balance because she did she she usually sends allergic dogs that way and since we don’t know of any allergies yet with our little guy, I decided not to do that. After looking at the reviews on this site, I am dismayed to find that the Royal Canin food I chose (shih tzu puppy food since he seems to pull more to the shih tzu side) doesn’t have fabulous ratings here. Only 2.5 stars. Why do vets seems to like the foods that are never highly rated? With our previous dog, a different vet also recommended food that didn’t get great ratings here. I asked this new vet about Blue Buffalo and she said it is a good food but she thinks that it is too rich for lots of dogs and can cause diarrhea. SO whats a person to do? My vet says that having some grain is not bad for them and actually ok to do which seems to be opposite of what the other school of thought is. I just don’t know the right thing to do for my little guy. Please help!

[anonymously]

Every dog is different. My shih-tzu mix vomits 1 hour after eating a little bit of any raw or cooked vegetable, or anything raw for that matter (tried this a few times). My other dogs are fine with them. When trying anything new, just a small amount at first….and don’t be surprised if they chuck it up.

PS: Just this morning I was chopping up carrots to make soup, they were all begging so I gave each one of them a small raw carrot. The shih-tzu mix only had a bite, chucked it up an hour later. No veggies for this girl!

[anonymously]

Newman’s Own Organics canned turkey (95%) is a decent topper, imo.
I use Nutrisca salmon and chickpea dry food as a base, it seems to agree the best for my dog with allergies and a sensitive stomach (she is 1/2 shih-tzu), the others like it too.
I also use Nutrisca canned foods, 4 years now, no problems.
Check out chewy.com for prices and delivery.

Homemade and tips, see general guidelines http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

[anonymously]

I no longer use a lot of supplements. I do add a fish oil capsule once a day to meals, I add water to the food, especially a senior male small breed, as they are vulnerable to developing bladder stones, UTIs, take out frequently to urinate….at least every 4 hours.
Exercise/long walks as tolerated.
If you are feeding a decent diet, they don’t need multi-vits….unless your vet has recommended such. The liver has to detoxify all this stuff.
I’m just sharing what I have learned over the years.
BTW: shih-tzu’s have lousy teeth, if the vet that examines your dog recommends a cleaning and extractions, I would get it done. Then daily brushings (see YouTube for how to videos) may help to prevent any more professional cleanings being needed.
My dogs do well on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea (canned and dry) as a base. I often add a tablespoon of cooked chicken or lean meat or scrambled egg…you get the idea.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=supplements

[Craig K]

I was wondering what is the highest recommended multi-vitamin and probiotic supplement I could give my 7 year old male Shih-Tzu?

Thanks for your help! 🙂

[Craig K]

Hey everyone,

I have a 7yr old male Shih-Tuz.

I’ve had him for almost a year, he was owned by a relative of mine and given to me. He’s been a picky eater most of his life, mostly eating chicken and rice.

The chicken is usually either chicken breast or meat from oven-baked chicken quarters which are de-skinned and de-boned. I also give him white rice.

I had him eating a mix of dog food and chicken, but he got a serious case of tapeworm in September that caused his little tummy to get irritable whenever he ate dog food. The vet suggested rice and chicken – which was his favorite anyways – so that’s what I’ve been doing.

It’s been a few months now, and I’m ready to introduce a better diet to him.

I’m wondering what you guys recommend? He’s a very picky eater, but when I mix something up with chicken, he’ll usually eat it for me.

So I’m hoping to find something nutritious for him that I can mix with chicken to give him a complete nutritional meal.

Money is no object, time is available if needed and I want the very best for him.

Thanks for your help! 🙂

[Joe A]

We bought a bag of this about 3 weeks ago from our local Whole foods we have been feeding our Shih Tzu the food and he has been very sick, I.e. Shaking and throwing up. I just examined the bag closely and the best buy date is oct 8th 2015 this is the end of December so out dated. But not positive that his illness is directly related to the outdated food in all fairness. I called our Whole Foods and most bags had 6 months before expiration but he did find some bags that expire in two weeks on shelf. I feel terrible that I was not more dillagent in looking at the dates but you would think at a store like that you would not have to.

[MAUREEN W]

I just rescued a little 8lb Shih tzu Bichon who is 6 years old. She was having so many problems & I needed to get her help & surgery right away. tests shown she had several bladder stones & some much larger than others so surgery was her only option after meds not helping. She is now a VERY HAPPY fun little girl & loving live after getting the care needed.
However results just came back from the stones being Struvite & vet wants to put her on Royal Canine SO.!! Im not going to do that, Ive seen so many clients dogs on this crap & there is noting good in it. I feed all my dogs good quality food & believe doing that will help her more than anything.
Ive been giving her canned food since I rescued her & some boiled chicken with the broth & even veg & I do add a probiotic powder to her food. What are the best veg for her & what do i stay away from. I also bought a powder called Methionine by Dogzymes where i buy my pet probiotics from along with joint supplements. It says regulates the formation of amonia & creates amonia free urine which reduces bladder irritation. I also add fish oil to dogs diet each day. Should I add a cranberry supplement too & what is best kind. I want to do what is best for the little girl but I know that is not Royal Canine food. Any help would be great. Im also going to order PH strips too. I have water supply in every room for her & even bought her a fountain to help her drink more. I have 2 giant dogs so used to them drinking gallons of water, this tiny girl, I dont know what amount she should drink & what to to to make her drink more. She gets Plenty of potty breaks & I put her potty pads down if i need to be gone so she knows it ok to go on them & not hold it. (she uses them too) 🙂
Any help would be greatful, I dont want this little girl to suffer again the way she was when I took her in to get her surgery & help she needed.
Thanks so much. Mo

[anonymously]

I have owned a shih Tzu or 2, in my experience, puppies will eat till they vomit if you let them (all puppies).

[Sarah H]

Thank you – it was actually not the breeder that recommended we free feed. I read it somewhere on a puppy care site (or maybe in a book I have on puppy care) that they should free feed until 3 months and then do 3-4 meals. It might have been specific to the Shih Tzu puppies because they are so small. Of course I have no idea now where I read it!

[Sarah H]

I am getting an 8 week old Shih Tzu Puppy in a couple weeks. I have been reading a lot of reviews and I am torn between Blue Buffalo and Wellness. Any opinions? They both make Small Breed Puppy food in dry and Puppy food (not size specific) in wet. I realize there are some super premium brands with somewhat higher ratings but if I am going to stick to one brand I prefer to go with something I know I can find at Petsmart. I feed my cat some of these super premium brands which I buy at the smaller stores, in addition to the brands I buy at Petsmart, but I understand that puppies should stick to one brand. The breeders currently feed the puppies Purina Puppy Chow (yuck) and Mighty Dog (double yuck), so I know I will have to introduce the new food gradually. Also, should I stick to a puppy food for the wet food or is a small breed adult wet food OK? Also what size portion of wet/dry food for an 8 week old puppy? I have read that before 3 months old they should free feed the dry food and have wet food at meal times. Thanks in advance!

[Michelle H]

I would like to see a review of this by Dog Food Advisor too!

My 13 year old Shih Tzu has allergies to a whole slew of things (chicken, turkey, sweet potato, potato, venison, beef, alfalfa, dust, ragweed pollen, grass, possibly lamb….ugh). This has made feeding her particularly challenging. We had resorted to buying ground raw quail or rabbit from a local “pet food deli”. But it is a 45 minute drive each way; which results in us choosing to buy a LOT of food and freezer storage for it. It also results in us adding supplements and “safe” veggies without knowing if we’re getting the ratios right, etc.

SO….I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Cocolicious Wild Caught Salmon & Pork by Party Animal. I bought a case from Chewy and she has been eating for about 2 weeks. She likes it (but she generally likes most food) and so far I don’t see any allergy reactions. (Hooray!)

How does one request a review from the editor?

[Ptcbass]

I have a 9 year old shih tzu that is a little overweight and would like to find a good high quality food. She doesn’t need to lose too much but just trim down. I have been looking for food with a lower fat content but then noticed that sometimes the fat content is higher but the calories per cup number is lower. What number is more important?
She is currently on Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Venison but has a hard time getting it out of the bowl so I am putting Fromm White Fish and Potato kibble in with it.

The other problem I am struggling with is I just lost a dog this week. She had allergies and was put on prednisone and then developed small bladder stones. Then the doctor put her on Royal Canin SO (with me protesting but caved in). One week later she was in intensive care and in tons of pain with pancreatitis. She lasted a week (and over $4000 dollars later) she died. She was only 6 and I know that food caused it since she was healthy before and I didn’t feed treats or anything else during that week. Now I am looking for a food that won’t cause stones or pancreatic, is grain free and lower calorie, no Chinese ingredients and preferably organic. Well that is about impossible to find! I have read that sweet potatoes are bad to promote stones. Most grain free food contains sweet potatoes and then also low glycemic index food without grains seems to be hard to find. I know I am trying to find the “perfect” food but the pain my family and dog just went through was just horrible. I really want to do all I can not to ever repeat that again. Any suggestions would be appreciated! I am trying to take a step back and just go with a good food but then I get caught up in the details again. Right now I am looking at Natures Logic (but it is higher fat, acceptable calories), Acana Light and Fit (not grain free), Pinnalce, Stella and Chewy Duck (seems expensive), Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance (higher fat), and Fromm (grain free are higher fat). Help Please!

[thomas h]

I have 6 dogs ranging in size from a 82 lb. shepherd mix to a shih Tzu and Chihuahua. Looking to see if anyone has any suggestions for a high quality budget food. I have the 14.5 year old shih Tzu on Nutro and am putting the Chihuahua on that also. Currently have 3 dogs (82 lb. shepherd mix, 59 lb. huskie/timber wolf mix and a 56 lb. hound mix) that I am transitting to Authority dog food but not the grain free. I am on fixed income and retired and had them on rachael ray nutrish but looking for better quality. Anyone have any recommendations? Oh, the 6th dog is an applehead Chihuahua mix that someone had thrown out at a dumpster and my granddaughter brought it home. currently have it on Authority wet puppy chow (chicken formula)

[Jeffrey Andrew A]

I have 2 Shih tzuz, the female one is a fast eater and the male one is slow eater. I heard that for small dogs, Chicken legs/thigh are bad them because of the big bones on them. The female eat the meat first then the naked bone on the chicken.

Other than Chicken legs/thigh, what are good RMB for shih tzus/small dogs?

[Paula W]

Hi everyone…. I have a six-year-old Shih Tzu boy (ChewieBahka) who has been having tummy troubles for about a month now. I’ve taken him to the vet twice in the past few weeks and the vet feels he may have colitis. I was given Forti Flora to add to his meal, Metronidazole (antibiotic), and Cerenia for his diarrhea. I fed a bland diet of chicken with rice. By day two of the meds he was feeling noticeably better, and didn’t need the anti-diarrheal.

He had previously been eating Hill’s Rx Science Diet D/D Egg and Rice kibble. I do not like this food at all. My other dog, my girl Lhasa Apso mix, Coco Latte’, (who I will post about later) was put on this food. I was told it was ok for Chewie to eat it also. (Really mad at myself for not researching into that further.)

His symptoms are as follows:

* Diarrhea – (Not watery, but not well-formed….almost like a cow patty.)
* Trembling (which I believe is due to the cramping he feels in his tummy)
* Periodic lack of appetite (He’s a foodie, so this is unusual!)
* Lethargy

His fecal sample was tested and the lab results saw nothing bad with it.
Temperature is normal. No dehydration. No vomiting. Chewie is about 1/2 a pound overweight, and has a very good appetite 95% of the time. He’s an active, happy, curious litte boy, but when his tummy is bothering him, lethargy sets in.

I was afraid that he may have eaten something in the back yard, and spent two days pulling every single thing I wasn’t sure about out of the ground. (Believe it or not, Chewie enjoys “gardening”. He watched me pulling weeds one day, and he mimics what he sees. He does eat them sometimes.)

I also think that stress contributes to whatever the problem is. My husband “threw me away last December”, and it was very unexpected. As you can imagine, depression/stress for me are very high. I know it transfers over onto my dogs. Coco handles stress pretty well, but Chewie is more of a gentle soul and it’s harder on him. Also, having nowhere else to go, I became a full-time caregiver to my mother who has dementia (a lot more stress.)

The meds helped, but his symptoms returned today (about two weeks later). The vet advised that if this happened we should look into doing blood work and changing his diet. He also suggested pumpkin and a high fiber dog food. I was wondering if anyone has had similar troubles with their dog, (or a diagnosis of colitis) and what you found helpful. I just want my little boy to feel better, and I’m open to all suggestions you might have for us.

I want to feed him the best possible food I can. What’s the best possible commercially prepared food I can offer him? Is canned food better? Dry? Raw or freeze dried? Should I home cook? I have a million +1 questions and would value your insights.
Thanks in advance.

[Hans B]

what’s the best dog food for my 2 month old shih tzu. he’s a little picky eater

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Hans B.

[RebeccaRose]

Hello,

My 2.5 yr old Shih Tzu has a history of vomiting & occasional diarrhea. She has no IBD dx yet but vet is treating it as such. She has been on various meds. Right now she takes a 1/2 Pepcid at night. Here is a list of dog foods she’s been on, time on & her reactions:

Wellness Core Puppy, 8 months, bouts of diarrhea
Wellness Complete Health Small Breed, 1 yr 3 mo, occasional bile vomiting early morning hrs
4Health Small Bites, 2 months, HGE like illness
Wellness Complete Health Healthy Weight, 2 months, occasional vomiting
Hills Science Diet Sensitive Skin & Stomach, 2 weeks, poops small pellet like
California Natural Lamb & Rice, 3 weeks, 3 days at 100%, poops less firm, glossy exterior.

My question is… She just completed the transition 100% to the California Natural Lamb & Rice this past Saturday, her poops are not as firm as they used to be before going 100% but my biggest concern is they started having a glossy wet look to the outside. She has NEVER had this problem before. Unless it was flat out liquid diarrhea she has never had wet looking stools.

What ingredient in the Lamb & Rice could be causing this? This is the first time she’s ever had Lamb obviously but has had rice before.

[Karen K]

I have a 9-year old female shih-tzu with recurring yeast infections in her ears and irritated paws that she continuously licks. She has always eaten chicken mixed with Blue Buffalo Wilderness and am now hearing horrible things about BB and that chicken can worsen allergies. I’m considering starting her on a raw diet, but need advice as to what brands are best and how to go about making the switch. Anyone had success with raw helping yeasty ears?

[Karen K]

My shih-tzu constantly licks her paws and she has frequently recurring yeast infections in her ears. I was so excited to try Dinovite, but after three months of daily use, as well as using the omega oil supplement Lick-o-Chops, she is still licking and still getting the infections. It is absolutely not worth the money in my opinion. They have done a great job at marketing, but it has made no difference whatsoever. Save you money.

[jamie f]

Thank you SO much pitlove, L M, Bobby Dog and Naturella! I’m grateful and will explore these recommendations.

If I may, I have a follow up question: I have always bought grain free food. Only because my dogs tend to lick their paws and my shih tzu used to get gunky ears. I don’t even know if there’s a correlation but I just assumed grain free was best. Is there any reason to branch out an introduce grain or could that add a whole new slew of problems?

[jamie f]

Hi, I’m new here and would love some advice! I have an adult shih tzu
who only ate kibble the first 6 or 7 years of his life, and last year we
rescued a second dog who needed to gain weight. I added wet food to the
kibble for both dogs (didn’t want to show favoritism!) and now I can’t
get them off of it. Why try, you ask? Most importantly, I notice they
throw up once in a while (too rich?) and have bad gas, but it’s also not
as convenient (I’m a mom of two small children, one with special needs
so my life is pretty stressful)… I figured my shih tzu would eat if
he’s hungry enough but no luck so far – I’m caving in and throwing in
some nitrate free deli meat or boiled chicken here and there… but I
really want to get back to just kibble! I wonder if I find a tastier
kibble? (currently using Orijen grain free)
Thank you for your help!!

[Tiffany K]

What are thoughts on proportionate sized frozen raw chicken legs and thighs? Just plain and given frozen?

I have done this with success after doing a lot of research. I feed them in the fenced in back yard so they are not smearing chicken bacteria all over the house (they would head straight to my bed) and monitor everyone (4 dogs). I check their stool, no problems and it really knocks off any tarter and plaque. Most importantly, they love them. It is a HIGH value treat to them.

Am I playing with fire? They are so many conflicting accounts of feeding raw that I can’t find the thread of truth.

Another treat I am using more and more are human grade low sugar peanut butter granola bars. Again, broken in half for the little guys. But I am skeptical about all dog “treats” at this point. I am going to real food every time.

My Shih Tzu has been “tricked” to believe that a carrot is the height of dining, as I have given him lots of fruit and veg since he was a puppy. I am skeptical about all dog “treats” at this point. I am going to give them whole, human grade food every chance I get.

[Lisa Z]

I was wondering what people thought about this product and whether it would be appropriate to use for both a 2 month old shih tzu and 2-year old maltese and yorkie mix. The Eagle Pack Chicken Meal and Pork Meal product was listed as appropriate for small and medium breed puppies, but this particular product was not listed on the Editor’s Choice best puppy food list.

[Rachel A]

well, this has definitely given me some things to think about. I did not know that there are dermatologist for dogs. (these are my first dogs, and although I try to research everything, I am still learning).
She has almost all of the symptoms listed above by LM. Head shaking, rubbing face (and stomach) on carpet, constant licking her belly area to the point were it is always red, scratching ears, and recently they have both developed yeast infections in the ears.
When attempting to eliminating all possible environmental causes over the years, we now have a fenced area that receives no chemicals of any kind. Grass is always cut super low. I’ve tried having her belly shaved (as I thought maybe the licking was a result of tiny little knots in her belly fur), not shaving, just clipping the tangles, all to no avail. She’s had her bedding changed to different materials, and no bedding at all. Again nothing. Finally, the vet decided that it was a food allergy. So, we first eliminated grains. Then we started trying different proteins. (By the way, the Coton was fine on the Wellness for small breeds, but has begun to suffer since changing to the allergy formulas) I am now wondering if my Coton can not tolerate the potatoes. I am still at a loss for the Shih-tzu, but she has been suffering since being a pup. In fact, she has a terrible attitude and has a tendency to be a bit of a ‘B”. At first I did not even realize that her belly was irritated and causing her behavior, so we thought it was all a behavioral issue. It wasn’t until her first cut that we discovered the problem. She has always looked very healthy and she has shiny fur, and they have never had fleas. (In my ignorance, I just assumed that she was just grooming like a cat). Now, she is very comfortable and pleasant with me since I know not to touch her stomach.
I just feel so awful that I haven’t been able to solve this problem. I am about to look up the different dog foods and see if I can find a common ingredient other than potatoes. Also, I will be checking out those books that were mentioned above and reading up on similar topics from this site. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Rachel A]

Hello, I am new here and would really love some help. I have two small breed dog (a cotton de tulear, and a Shih tzu) The shih tzu has had allergies from day 1, more than 4 years now. Unfortunately, I did not realize there was a problem with her food until a few years had passed. We first though it was an allergy to pesticide, or lawn treatment. From there we have tried pretty much everything before being told to switch her food. They were both originally on Wellness small breed, which always worked great for my coton. (The shihtzu came later and had a constant raw stomach). So I switched to the allergy formula (salmon and potato). That did not work, so 6 months later, I switched to the turkey potato version. When that didn’t work I tried switching brands. (Blue Buffalo allergy formula). Now, not only have I not seen a change for the shih tzu, but my coton is licking her paws constantly and she is suffering from ear infections all of a sudden. I have no idea what to try now,(homemade, raw, another brand) but I certainly wish that I had never started on the BB. I am hoping that someone can shed some light on what might be the allergy causing ingredient that is common in these foods. I am open to any and all suggestions. I can cook for them if I need to. Just if someone can point me in the right direction. My girls are very uncomfortable. 🙁

[AJ A]

I personally don’t think it is diabetes or anything wrong with the dog. The excessive urination since it is clear and not dark yellow and concentration is always a good sign. I still think their is excessive salt in the meats, we really don’t know where the meat we buy comes from and what they do to keep it tender and juicy. If I eat salty I pee like crazy.
Mine is a puppy and a 14yrs old Shih Tzu. My pups still pees more, but its getting less often, also I did not change diet. My Shih Tzu pees bigger but not more often, he is on the same diet.
I am not concerned since I see my dogs energetic and active, no abnormal behavior . I don’t run to the Vet unless emergency situation, I try to make common sense. Most Vets are only into your money and getting you into their dietary kibbles where they earn commission on selling it.
Haven’t found yet a Vet promoting raw feeding.

[AJ A]

Thanks for all your opinions and experiences, I am glad I received replies.
I won’t ever go back to kibble EVER.
And I don’t run to the Vet all the time. I am organic myself since 15 yrs and haven’t seen a doctor since. Not even once!
I use common sense and needed to see if my case was only happening to my pup. As I can see it is definitely the water in the meat. Thats why they dont need to drink as much water as they do with kibble. Today I controlled a little the water intake and he pees less often, but still bigger spots than before and specially after feeding the chicken. He is doing just fine and has top energy, his coat started shining and it is growing faster than it was 1 month ago.
Before I switched to raw I did a deep education to be prepared, asking raw feeding breeders all over from Australia to Germany, checked everything online and started to understand that raw diet should not contain veggies neither grains like the BARF diet.. Wolves dont get a complete balanced diet everyday, neither do we and certainly they wont be searching for carrots, spinach and grains in their habitat. They receive the fermented enzymes from the digested food of their prey’s tripe, thats the good stuff, thats what they will eat first, thats where lots of balanced nutrients are.
When starting a raw diet with puppies (especially small breed) you best start with chicken, because low fat and easier digested than ground beef. Because I tried both, beef (grass fed 95%lean) and chicken. He regurgitated the whole ground beef everytime he ate it. He never did with the chicken. The wing helps cleaning his teeth and he gets supplements from the core of the bone and calcium.1 egg a week for breakfast. I give bone meal since he does not yet get enough bones in his food yet. Once he is used to the chicken and wings/necks I will start to join some liver and heart and green tripe little by little to not upset his digestion. Than we will do the same with duck, lamb and rabbit including organ and muscle meat as well. Of course a meaty bone everyday or 3 times a week.
Once established his likes than we can start feeding 1 day chicken, next duck and so on. I forgot the fish. Some fresh fish once a week is important as well.
I think probiotics , enzymes and clay are a must have in the kitchen. So is ionic silver and therapeutic grade essential oils like geranium, peppermint, frankincense and lemon. When they get lose stool some clay with enzymes/probiotics and diarrhea is cleared.
I use ionic silver to disinfect drinking water, once in a while internal against parasites and to clear my Shih Tzu’s eyes (14yrs). He suffers dry eyes and since he is on raw diet as well since 2 weeks his dry eye symptoms are already totally gone!! Yeahhhh! Now I hope to see changes in his coat like color and softness. His constant fear should disappear as well and his appetite should get better and better. I really hope to gain some more years of his company. I love him so much and hope we can gain back as much health as he has lost due to those bad kibble diet. He lost some of his hair on his back and I truly hope the high protein intake will fix most of his problems.
I stopped using vaccines on my Shih Tzu since 10yrs, neither I believe in spaying/neuter dogs. My pup received vaccines from her Vet, he won’t ever receive any other vaccines in his life. I dont believe it does any good, not for pets and neither for humans. Build up a healthy immune system and eat organic food and you will be fine!!! Same for dogs. THEY ARE DOGS NOT HUMANS!!! THEY DESERVE TO EAT HOW NATURE DESIGNED THEM TO.

[RebeccaRose]

No Susan I did not stop those meds. You do mean the Sucralfate & Omeprazole right? I wanted to give them a couple days at least to see if they were going to work. I think today was the last day on the Omeprazole though, I’ll have to call the vet to be sure but I’m almost certain she said to do it thru Sunday. But I do not remember how long she said to do the Sucralfate. Again I’m going to call in the morning & ask.

But I did buy some more Zantac other than what I have here at home… what I had was the maximum strength 150mg and there exists a regular strength that is just 75mg. Because I did some research online & from what I read they only recommend up to 1mg per pound. And my shih Tzu only weighs 15 lbs. So I needed something I could half or quarter or cut into thirds that could get that mg down to around 15. The 150mg would still be 37.5 mg quartered. I felt that was too much.

So while I’m on the phone with them tomorrow I’m going to ask about maybe doing a short term (a month or two or three) on the zantac & what she thinks about that & if so what dosage just to be sure.

She ate pretty good today. Still not 100% herself but she is doing much better. She has not pooped at all today. So now we’ve went from diarrhea to nothing at all.

I’m glad you mentioned the Wellness Simple because I had been looking at that too & I think I will pick up a bag and work it in. I really want the small bites they make but I bet my Petco won’t have it. Is it ok to put some large size kibble in a Ziploc bag and use like a rubber mallet to break it into smaller pieces to make it easier for little mouths to eat?

[RebeccaRose]

Thanks Susan & LM,

LM, the first time she got the lepto vaccine she had a reaction, within 10 minutes of leaving the vet office her face started to swell up. You can imagine the sight since she’s a shih tzu & has a smashed face.

They gave her a steroid shot & a shot of Benadryl & she was all better. So from then on she has gotten those two shots with her vaccines. Never had a reaction since. So I’m not sure if this could be related or not, except for the fact that she was very scared & stressed but either way… Could stress from the vet visit 9 days prior or stress or virus/bacteria from the groomers 4 days prior… be the cause?

She still won’t eat a thing. She got one big drink early this morning but refused since then so I squirted a syringe full in her mouth. I called the vet back. They still think I need to give it more time. They are not concerned with her not eating. They said it’s only been 24 hrs. It’s stressful when they won’t eat though.

She had diarrhea thus morning. I told the vet that & they wanted me to bring in a sample for testing & pick up an RX of Albon. So I did all that this morning. Fecal test was clear.

When I got home she greeted me at the door with tail wagging. Not as enthusiastically as she normally would but it was more than she had done thus far. I’m getting the pedialyte today. I just wish she would eat.

[RebeccaRose]

Hello, my Shih Tzu is 2 years old & always had digestive issues. Please bear with me & this long post as I give you some history on her first:

She weighs 15 pounds. She is fed a total of 3/4th cup of food daily broken up into three meals, so about a 1/4 cup of food per meal. She is current on all vaccinations.

She has had vomiting issues and diarrhea issues but not together. About a year ago she was vomiting bile each morning. The Vet suggested I break her meals up into 3 with the last being at bedtime. And that worked great, after that just a random vomit here & there. I will say though if I forget or am late for one of those feedings for whatever reason, within an hour or two she will vomit. So I try to be very good to stay on schedule with her meals.

She was on Wellness Core for puppies, then when she turned 1 yr old I put her on Wellness Complete Health Small Breed and she did great on that for about a year… then she started refusing to eat it. So I switched her to 4Health Small Bites this past January. After a few weeks of success on the 4Health I also added a small spoonful of the 4Health canned Chicken & Vegetable Stew. She has done well on this since then, with a few random vomiting episodes for example: once I was late getting home for her middle feeding a couple weeks ago. And another time I tried giving her a spoonful of a different flavor of 4Health’s canned. She almost immediately threw that up.

The diarrhea she’s had in the past has been what we think was caused by stress as it was almost always after a groomer visit. But it would not resolve on its own I always had to take her into the Vet. She was given metronidazole and Albon but we finally figured out that a spoonful of pumpkin on grooming day & maybe a day or two afterward worked like a charm. She is a very nervous dog at both the vet & groomer & varies noises at home also.

So this morning she threw up while I was preparing her breakfast. I thought it might just be that bile in the morning thing so I went ahead & fed her & she ate, I took my daughter to school & when I got back she had thrown up breakfast in her crate. After that she threw up several more times. Even after drinking water. She refused anything to eat even her favorite thing in the world pumpkin.

So I took her to the Vet. Temp was normal. They did an xray (2 scans) and everything was normal except on area in the upper intestines the Vet said looking like a little “thickening” but she didn’t think it was an obstruction or anything because usually with an obstruction they will see all these other things in the gut that she was Not seeing. She felt like it might be some fluid in the intestines.

She asked bunches of questions & I told her there was no way she had gotten into any garbage or people food, we watch her too close for that, and outside I always take her out myself & pick up her poop so I am always watching & there was no way she ate anything outside either.

So the Vet gave her a shot of Cerenia and some tablets to take home. Sucralfate that I’m to half & make a slurry & give to her. And Omeprazole that I’m to half & give as well. Then she gave me 2 cans of the Hills Prescription Diet i/d Low Fat, GI Restore.

We didn’t do any blood work & she did not mention pancreatitis, but when I got home & was looking online I read a lot about that being a cause.

My questions are… should I switch her to a low fat diet? Something easy to digest? I have been trying to educate myself today on what it is that makes dogs have sensitive issues in the first place and what elements in dog foods are the hard to digest problems. I am reading a lot of “go low fat” but I looked on 4Health’s website and it says for the Dry that I feed – 12% Crude Fat (Min.) and 4% Crude Fiber (Max) and for the wet food I feed it says 5% Crude Fat & 1.5% Crude Fiber.

So isn’t that considered low fat according to the chart here at dogfoodadvisor on the best low fat dog foods page? And 4Health is a 4 & 5 star food. I’m not even sure she will eat the I/d low fat food since they told me to wait till later today to give it to her. I’m not even sure it’s food related that’s wrong with her today but given her history & the fact that I know she did not eat something she shouldn’t have… there must be something going on.

Any advice would be appreciated. If she is not better by Monday I have to take her back.

[Beverly D]

Hi Dori,
Are you looking at the small white Shih Tzu? She is cute, but not my Sugar. I haven’t yet tried to get her on this site yet. Just too darn busy with work. It is survey time for my health-care business. Sigh.
Take care! I will be in touch.

[Marietta B]

I have a white Shih Tzu and the same thing happened once. The vet told me it was an allergic reaction. She prescribed steroids and antibiotics and it cleared right up. I probably wouldn’t go that route again, though. I try feed dehydrated or air dried “raw” food now and use natural products and it has never happened again.

[jakes mom]

Was just visiting family last week and my niece’s Shih Tzu has an odd problem. His white/creamy fur has patches of light brown/honey color appearing. No change of any kind to health, food, routine. His coat is very healthy, just this color change. Any thoughts?
Also, met my brother’s golden for the first time. The biggest golden I’ve ever seen. He’s very tall and weighs about 106 and is not fat. His face/muzzle also seems longer than a typical golden. Is supposed to be a purebred from a golden rescue. Vet said he was a different variety, bred bigger for certain types of hunting but did not elaborate. I think he looks like he has a bit of English or Irish setter in him. Has that kind of feathery coat and tail, along with the longer muzzle. Anybody heard of a different variety of golden?

[Naturella]

Cheryl, do you mean Snowy? She is the beige-white-ish one on the top. I believe she is a maltese-shihtzu mix of sorts, or something like that. They were pretty tired in that pic. Casey sleeps a lot anyway, and Snowy had just had a bath, and Bruno was at Snowy’s house before that, and both had gone to the pet store as well. So they had an eventful day and were pretty tired. 🙂
Can’t wait for them to get that stage again tonight!

[Tracey K]

Hi! I have a 5 year old shih tzu/bichon mix that I have been feeding Fromm Grain Free kibble and canned for the last 2 years and after much reading on the benefits of a raw diet, I went out and purchased raw dinners from a local company ( Big Country Raw) located here in Southern Ontario. I went with the dinners because they included vegetables and fruits along with the meat.
My question is do I have to add any supplements to this food? I’m so nervous he won’t be getting the required amount needed. I want to start him on it in the morning and is it ok if I don’t have the supplements if needed then?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated 🙂

[Jamie R]

Hi,

My two dogs (male – Shiz-tzu/Maltese, female – Shih-tzu) just recently started eating poop in my yard. Not sure if it’s theirs or another animals. I’ve been sick with the flu so haven’t gotten around to picking up their poop in the back yard for the past week or so. Is this something I should worry about?

The female has a knack for eating sticks and mulch so I wouldn’t put eating poop past her. However, the male never eats things outside unless it’s a piece of food a squirrel dropped. He seems fine (ie normal appetite, drinking plenty of water, etc). I did recently start them on Grizzly Salmon Oil so I’m wondering if it has something to do with that?

Thanks in advance!

[Holly C]

I own an adult small breed and recently adopted a large/giant breed puppy. What is the best food to buy them. I would love to do raw but can not afford it nor do I have the time to prepare it. I would like to be able to buy them a dry kibble with the occasional wet food, but having a lot of issues finding an appropriate brand. There is a local feed service store which supplies Diamond Naturals grain-free, Loyall, Holistic Blend(currently switching to this brand from Loyall), Summit, and Nutram along with very crappy brands like pedigree and purina. I would love to feed them a 4 star minimum. The small breed is a 16 pound Pomeranian/Shih-Tzu/Poodle male, neutered and the large/giant breed is a 12 Week Shepherd/Mastiff. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Kris J]

Please help. I’m so frustrated and confused and I just want to help my sweet boy.

Eli is a 2-year-old shih tzu, and his allergy testing showed high reactivity to food storage mites, fusarium mold, bayberry and one or two other environmental things. We’ve done what we can about those, and he’s on prescription allergy drops formulated from his test results (Heska).

All along, though, my vet has been certain he has a food allergy. We fed him Dick an Patten’s LID dry, then, when the scratching didn’t subside, a diet of sweet potatoes and white beans, both at the vet’s direction, with no relief, but she had us do that BEFORE the allergen blood testing. She says that there’s no point in testing for food allergies, as there is no accurate test (though others have sworn by VARL Liquid Gold serum testing).

He’s been on the drops a month now, and I think he’s scratching less.

But now — what do I feed him? I don’t KNOW if he has a food allergy. Can anybody guide me through this fog?

Many many thanks,

Kris

• This topic was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by Kris J.

[neezerfan]

I had a Shih-Tzu that developed a wart on her face when she got older. It would get infected and look like that. I had it removed when she was 13. She did very well. It had become a real nuisance and she was constantly rubbing her face on things and oozing and gross. I think if it wasn’t such a nuisance I would have left it alone.

[Chris R]

Almost forgot! Tucker is a pitbull/golden lab/terrier and Robin is a bichon frise/shih tzu.

[Karen D]

I have a Shih Tzu and a Lhasa Apso. Both are having very loose bowel problems. I don’t know what else could be causing it but food. They get Blue Buffalo dry food, mixed with a small amount of Little Caesars. Any ideas on a food I can change them to? Thanks

[Sharon H]

I’ve been feeding my 10 month old puppy Royal Canin shih Tzu puppy her whole life. She is getting where she eats less and looking for what is best.