July 2, 2022 As one person said, beauty requires sacrifice, and caring for a Shih Tzu also requires quite a bit of decent effort from the pet owner. The Shih Tzu dog breed is amazing and wonderful; they have amazed us for centuries with their unique appearance: chrysanthemum dogs have excellent long hair, which gives them not only a special impressiveness, but also such a luxurious look.
The Shih Tzu not only needs to feed and walk your pet every day, but also groom it, and as the fur grows back, trim it, trim its nails, take care of its paws, and carefully keep its eyes, ears and coat clean. If you do not constantly perform cosmetic and hygienic procedures on your pet, the dog will take on an unkempt appearance, and poor hygiene can lead to dangerous diseases.
In this article, we will look at all the basic activities for caring for your beloved pet, so that he is the most beautiful and pleases you first of all.
How to care for your dog's teeth
Don’t think that only people can have dental problems. Dogs can develop gum disease, and this disease is easier to prevent than to treat. Let's try to figure out how to care for your dog's teeth and gums.
Inflammation of the gums quite often occurs due to the formation of tartar on the teeth. Tartar appears when the Shih Tzu's diet is completely devoid of solid food or is available in insufficient quantities. To prevent such a disease, carrots, crackers, and apples are included in the dog’s diet. You can also purchase special bones and sticks for brushing your teeth. They not only prevent the appearance of tartar, but also strengthen the teeth.
If your Shih Tzu cannot eat solid food for any reason, you should brush your dog's teeth once a week. First, use a cotton swab and tooth powder without aromatic additives. Then the teeth are wiped with a soft cloth.
If a stone does form, it must be removed mechanically. To do this, the dog is immobilized, its lip is raised. A special hook designed for removing tartar is placed between the tartar and the gum. The instrument should be held parallel to the tooth, pressed firmly against it. Tartar is removed with a sharp vertical movement, decisively and firmly. Those who are not able to perform such a procedure themselves can contact a specialized clinic for professional help. It is also necessary to contact a veterinary clinic if the stone is too large.
Do not assume that tartar will not cause harm. Not only does it make your dog uncomfortable, but it is also a source of bad breath.
It has been found that regularly eating tomatoes or tomato juice by a dog prevents the formation of tartar and also thins existing tartar. You can also rub a mixture of a few drops of lemon juice and baking soda into your gums once a week. Propolis also has a beneficial effect on gums. As we can see, there is nothing complicated in the question of how to care for a dog’s teeth, especially if you prevent diseases in advance and not deal with their consequences.
The next point that it is recommended to pay attention to when caring for your Shih Tzu is caring for the dog’s eyes. Below we will look at how to do this.
Dog Eye Care
The most beautiful thing about a dog is its intelligent, understanding eyes, of course, if they are healthy and clean. Therefore, careful care of the dog’s eyes is necessary, especially if your pet Shih Tzu is the happy owner of thick, beautiful hair.
The Shih Tzu not only has unusually long hair, but also a flattened muzzle, which is why unkempt eyes can quickly become inflamed.
Every morning, a dog owner should start with eye care. The dog sits down so that it is convenient to treat its eyes. An ordinary sponge is moistened with warm water, after which it is used to wipe the dog’s eyes in the direction from the outer corner to the nose until all kinds of secretions are completely removed. If this is not done, then these secretions will settle on the coat, which will not only create an unkempt and unkempt appearance, but can also cause a variety of eye diseases.
If there are many folds on the animal’s face in which eye discharge can settle, then you can clean them daily with a toothbrush and boric acid powder. The resulting pasty mixture is combed out with a comb with short, fine teeth.
It is worth noting that discharge from the eyes always occurs, even in a completely healthy dog. It’s another matter if there are quite a lot of them and they appear very often. If you think that there is something wrong with your dog’s eyes, it is better to contact an experienced specialist who will conduct an examination and prescribe (if necessary) appropriate medications. Before visiting a doctor, you can treat your eyes with a weak solution of boric acid or any eye medications that people use. When rinsing your eyes with tea, you need to make sure that the infusion is not very strong, otherwise it may not help, but do harm.
In order not to injure the dog's eyes, it is necessary to select his bangs with a ribbon. After all, the long bangs of a Shih Tzu not only obscure the entire view, but can also injure the eyeball. My Shih Tzu is a boy, and everyone always wonders why I braid the boy. Yes, I have to constantly explain that this is necessary for the dog’s convenience, and not for my amusement. But, in the end, what do we care about others, the main thing is that we will be fine in taking care of the dog’s eyes!
Finally, I want to say that discharge from the eyes can be not only due to eye disease, but also due to the presence of worms, poor diet, allergies and many other reasons.
Considering the issue of caring for the Shih Tzu, we will move on to the next point, caring for the Shih Tzu’s ears, which we will now dwell on in more detail.
Shih Tzu Ear Care
It is enough to care for your Shih Tzu's ears once a week. Every Shih Tzu owner has probably noticed that long hair also grows in the dog's ear. Many people remove them using tweezers and a special powder. You can also remove hairs with your fingers dipped in boric acid powder. To be honest, to this day I have not decided on such a procedure, although many argue that the auricle does not have nerve endings. Experienced specialists believe that hair can be left in the auricle if it does not create any problems or inconvenience.
In order to clean your Shih Tzu's ears of dirt, a few drops of boric acid are instilled into the ear canal. At this time, the ear is lightly massaged. After a few minutes, the dog's head is turned so that the fluid can flow out of the ear. This way, all dirt is removed from the ear canal - easily and painlessly. If the ears are free of fur, they can be cleaned with a sponge dipped in heated olive or Vaseline oil.
In addition, owners of dogs with light coat color often wonder: how to get rid of brown stains on the fur around the ears of a Shih Tzu? Everything is very simple. It is enough to treat the animal’s fur with boric acid or magnesia powder near the base of the ear. The fact is that boric acid is an excellent absorbent powder, and magnesia has bleaching properties.
So, if you follow all these simple tips for caring for your Shih Tzu's ears, you can get rid of many problems with your dog's ears.
Once we've dealt with the ears, we'll move on to caring for your Shih Tzu's coat.
Breed standard
The Shih Tzu is an ideal tenant in an apartment. They do not have the characteristic dog smell, they easily learn to go to a diaper or to the cat's litter box. The fur does not shed, so the pet will not affect the cleanliness of the apartment.
In 2011, the FCI No. 208 standard was adopted, which determines the appearance of an adult dog.
Shih Tzu standard:
- Height does not exceed 27 centimeters.
- Body weight from 4 to 8 kilograms (girls are smaller than boys).
- The coat is long, straight, without fluff, and should not interfere with movement and vision.
- Any color, the white color on the forehead and the tip of the tail is mainly valued.
- Large eyes set wide apart.
- A sharp transition from the forehead to the muzzle, the nose is at the level (or slightly below) of the lower eyelid.
- Hair sticking up on the nose (creates a resemblance to a chrysanthemum).
- Between the ears there is a tuft of hair, an elongated beard and a mustache.
- Wide nostrils.
- The bite is straight, a slight overshot is possible.
- The ears are hanging, long, their hair merges with the hair on the neck.
- The legs are short, muscular, the chest is wide, the back is straight.
- The height at the withers is less than the length from the withers to the base of the tail.
- The tail is set high, with thick hair, carried over the back, preferably at head level, giving a proportional appearance.
Shih Tzus live from 10 to 20 years. Her longevity depends on her initial state of health and subsequent care. The dog needs an owner who has thoroughly studied the characteristics of the breed.
Shih Tzu coat care
Caring for your Shih Tzu's coat is no less important than all the others. The coat of any dog is designed to protect it from the unfavorable environment. Naturally, when a dog finds itself in certain climatic conditions, its coat changes, adapting to the surrounding conditions.
Shih Tzus have a unique, unusually long coat that they can be proud of. Wool consists of downy hair - undercoat, outer hair and guard hair. There are also tactile hairs, thicker and longer, located above the eyes, under the lower jaw and on the upper lip.
Caring for your Shih Tzu's coat should be done daily, otherwise in the near future you will face problems that will turn into huge, dense tangles that are quite difficult to deal with. Brushes with metal teeth are used for combing. In this case, the owner himself selects the frequency of the teeth depending on the pet’s coat. The tangles must be combed carefully and patiently, cutting them off only as a last resort with a special tool - a tangle cutter.
Many people believe that it is easier to untangle the mat on dry hair, before bathing the dog. I concluded for myself that wet fur still untangles easier and faster, so I comb very tangled hair immediately after bathing the dog.
Show class dogs are typically bathed once a week, after which their coat is blow-dried. Regular Shih Tzus bathe about once or twice a month, depending on the condition of their coat. I don’t use a hairdryer, but I comb everything carefully and patiently - it takes quite a lot of time.
For washing you must use a special shampoo. Of course, the regular one will do, but you need to make sure that the dog doesn’t have an allergic reaction to it. Any shampoo is diluted with water approximately one to seven to eight, so that the resulting composition foams a little. Then the shampoo is washed off and the coat is rinsed with conditioner, also diluted in water. After a few minutes, everything is washed off and the dog is wrapped in a thick towel. Under no circumstances should you dry the fur with a towel; it should dry on its own.
I do this: While my Shih Tzu is wrapped in a towel, I comb the hair on his head and braid it the way I want. Only then, some time later, I turn the dog around and start combing it. I start with the paws and tummy while the dog is lying down, then I turn him over and brush his back. Maybe someone will decide that this is wrong, but it’s convenient for me, and I have a dog not for exhibitions, but for the soul.
Daily grooming for your Shih Tzu includes standard brushing and styling to keep hair out of the eyes.
One last point on caring for your Shih Tzu is caring for your dog's paws.
Breeding
For breeding work, mature animals are used, whose breed is documented by pedigree. It is in this case that the offspring will be considered representatives of the Shih Tzu breed.
At what age do they knit?
The optimal period for a dog to bear and give birth to puppies is considered to be the age of a bitch from one and a half to seven years. In order for conception to occur for sure, it is necessary to organize mating during the period of ovulation, which occurs at the end of estrus. Test strips used to detect sugar in the urine of diabetics will help to accurately determine it. The strip is inserted into the dog's vagina for a minute. If the color turns green, you can breed the dogs.
Caring for puppies
In the first three weeks, the bitch takes care of the newborn puppies herself. The owner must take good care of the dog during this period, and also ensure that the puppies have access to the nipples and receive the right amount of milk.
It is advisable that the mother feeds the babies for as long as possible. As long as they have enough food, they don't need complementary feeding. To determine this, babies are weighed every day. As soon as the weight gain stops, it is time to introduce complementary foods. It starts with cow's milk and chicken eggs, and from 20 days of age continues with liquid milk porridges.
Choosing a Shih Tzu is a responsible matter, sometimes it seems that it is not the person who chooses the dog, but the dog who chooses its owner
Gradually, minced beef and vegetable soups are being introduced into the menu. Upon reaching one month of age, food is flavored with vitamin and mineral supplements.
All this time, it is important to monitor the babies’ digestion - they should periodically defecate with yellow feces. If one of the puppies squeaks for a long time, he may have stomach problems or constipation and needs a massage. Usually the chrysanthemum mother herself monitors this and takes measures, but the owner should keep the situation under control.
At the age of one and a half months, puppies begin to develop teeth. This means that they are ready to undergo examination (certification) by experts in order to obtain puppy metrics. After two months of age, young chrysanthemums are ready to move to new owners. If you decide to keep the puppies, make sure they have their own place to sleep. The norm for changing teeth is 4–6 months.
Caring for your dog's paws and claws
The owner of a Shih Tzu should get into the habit of constantly caring for the dog's paws by inspecting the pads of his pet's paws, making sure that tangles do not form between the toes, and also trimming the hair around the paws. The fact is that plant thorns or glass fragments can get stuck in the paw pads, and plasticine or chewing gum can stick. All this causes the dog inconvenience and discomfort.
For example, I have an eternal problem - this is burrs. If you don’t pull them out right away, then this procedure becomes much more difficult, because the burdock becomes even more entangled in the fur. However, I can’t forget about them - my dog becomes restless and refuses to go.
I constantly trim the hair between the toes of my Shih Tzu to prevent tangles from forming, because combing it in these places is quite difficult, almost impossible. In summer, it is necessary to ensure that the dog does not run through fuel oil or heated tar. Otherwise, it is necessary to treat the paw pads with animal or vegetable fat, and then rinse them with a liquid to wash off these substances.
In winter, it is necessary to wash your pet’s paws with water and then treat them with a rich nourishing cream. This is done in order to avoid exposure of the skin of the paws to the reagents that are sprinkled on roads. If cracks do appear on the pads, it is necessary to lubricate the damaged skin with propolis tincture.
A dog's nails also need care. If the dog runs quite often on rocky surfaces or asphalt, then the claws wear down on their own. Otherwise, the owner of the Shih Tzu must trim them. I perform this procedure once a week, immediately after bathing the dog, when the claws are steamed and more pliable.
The owner should keep in mind that the claw contains a blood vessel that can be damaged. To prevent this from happening, the claw is held up to the light, thereby determining the area of the living zone. Trimming is done below the pink area. If you constantly do this in the same place, then the living part will move a little over time.
If a dog's nails are not trimmed, they can become bulging, peeling, and breaking.
This will cause pain and discomfort to the dog and lead to inflammation of the periungual fold, which is extremely undesirable. At the same time, the Shih Tzu may begin to limp and fall on a sore paw. Particular attention should be paid to the claw, which does not touch the road and never gets worn down. Such a claw can even dig into the skin of a dog's paw.
In the event that the living part of the claw is still touched during trimming and blood begins to flow, it is necessary to treat the wound with ferrous sulfate powder. The powder stays on the wound for several minutes, after which it is not recommended to wet the wound with water for some time.
If your dog is patient in caring for the dog's paws, then after trimming the nails, they can be treated with a nail file. We hope that our article on caring for your pixie helped you understand many points that were not entirely clear to you before. Useful tips that will not only make your life easier, but also the maintenance of your pet in general.
Conditions of detention
The breed is intended for keeping at home. It is necessary to allocate a separate area for your pet where his sleeping place will be located - a lounger or a house. When choosing a comfortable space, you should pay attention to the distance from sources of heating (radiators, radiators) and cold. The dog should not experience discomfort from drafts or overheating. You should also avoid walk-through areas (corridor, kitchen).
From the moment a puppy appears in the house, he is shown a feeder and a drinking bowl. It is best to use ceramic or metal bowls. Food is poured in accordance with the feeding schedule and removed after finishing the meal. Drinking water must be available at all times.
To walk your dog, you will need accessories such as a collar and a leash with adjustable length. The muzzle is used in rare cases. The Shih Tzu's thick coat needs protection from dirt and rain. The animal should have clothes for walking in wet weather - overalls or raincoats.
