If compare holistic with super premium food.... which would be better? Of course holistic lah.

A standard shih tzu should weigh around 4kg to 8kg. If your shih tzu is withing that weight, should be fine. I had a shih tzu once, he maintained his matured frame of 6 kg till his death.... Shih tzus should never be over fed.

To know if your shih tzu is under weight or over weight, bath your shih tzu. Normally the fur is in the way of our judgment so when it is wet, you can see the body frame better.

If you can see the ribs very very clearly and the hip bones very prominent, means underweight. If you can see the rib bones but not to much and no prominent hip bones jutting out, means correct weight. If your shih tzu is round, cannot see rib bones or feel the rib bones easily, means over weight.

Some taiwan shih tzus are actually mixed breed with pekingese, so there is a majority of Taiwan shih tzus with no cert because there is a mixed breed back ground. This is why some would have a very flat nose or small frame. Also, it is now a trend to have smaller dogs so there is quite a large number of people who are breeding shih tzus the wrong way, which is breeding small sized with small sized, making the puppies small in size but a vet already said, this will cause the puppies to be dwarfs, and when old age, can get many health complications and lifespan also shorten.

You must bring for the yearly vaccination and get a full check up. It is routine. Even us humans, it is also a must for us to get a yearly check up but many of us don't really care..... for dogs, they cannot tell you they are sick or not, so a check up is a must to ensure it has a healthy body and also a healthy life.

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Added on May 16, 2007, 12:12 pmWhat jaunty_niel pointed out is true. There is no such thing as mini shih tzus if we look at standards and kennel associations.... the word mini is used to make people attracted and buy. Same with imperial or teacup.....no such thing listed in kennel books or dog shows.... this is all made up by breeders to get more customers to buy their dogs.

This post has been edited by crazymouse_yyh: May 16 2007, 12:12 PM

Because shih tzus got undershot teeth.

Yups. This characteristic is seen in boxers, bulldogs, pekingese and other dogs.... but by right, when a dog closes its mouth, the teeth and tongue should never show.... if it shows, it is too undershot.

All shih tzus should be undershot. You can check hehehe.... open her mouth a bit to take a peek at the teeth.... if the under jaw overlaps the top jaw, means undershot. My shih tzu will only show his teeth when got food....

Super 14 can be found at a few petshops... Petsmore does carry it. Erm, have not tried this personally coz it is actually for horses.... but can be given to dogs and cats but need to get the correct dosage coz if too much supplements, can do more harm than good.


This is the dosage for horses.

You worked at petsmore before?

Super 14 is actually a supplement some American breeders use on their show dogs.... but not many people use it here coz I think most breeders prefer natural supplements like fish oils? Hahah... dunno but I give my dog omega oils. Too bad i dunno where to find it already since it is from an organic shop and the shop already closed down....

I get the Omega Oils specially sold for dogs.... erm, I'll get the brand later. It has a few types of oils combined. Smells fishy but my dog likes it. I feed my Chelsea using a syringe and drip it for her to lick.

This is a pic of a show shih tzu that I took in year 2005 I think.... yah... I think 2005... beautiful fur. Well conditioned... see how they tie the mostache... it's to keep it in place and not get dirty from the saliva.



To make the hair that is tied on the head to flare and stay neat, they use hair spray to make it stiff.

Puppies got very short attention span... you should only train for 5 minutes each time. Train twice a day but each session only 5 minutes.. more than that and it will make the puppy bored and it will run away to do other things.

Puppies should have 3 meals a day.... that's the best. Small meals each time.

Dogs should not take foods high in sugar. Candy Floss can make your dog get sick later... you cannot see it now but high sugar foods can cause diabetes in dogs.... their diabetes can be worst than Human one... why wanna let your dog enjoy something that can make him sick and have an early death? If you love your dog, give natural treats.... fruits, bread, dog food, cottage cheese, yogurt....

If you want to give bones, never give cooked bones... only raw and the best is raw chicken neck....

Dogs don't need sugar.... I have talked to a few dog breeders and even a vet, the sugar part is a myth.... what makes the fur shiny and nice is Omega Oils from Flax seed oil, sun flower oil and fish oil.... The sugar part has been buried into people's head for generations but in truth, it doesn't work... it may give you a hyperactive dog only.... already rice is carb, and a carb turns to sugar... so why give more sugar?

Dogs cannot eat rice forever.... that is the old folks way, give rice and table scraps.... now we are more advance, have more knowledge and understand the dog's nutrition well. You should be providing a better diet than rice. A dog needs protein, fiber and carbs.... rice and sugar? Only carbs.... where are the protein and fiber? So to give your dog a healthy and longer life, please switch to dogfood.... a dog on rice and scraps may live say 10 to 12 years.... but a dog with a healthy diet(good brand of dogfood and fresh food) can go on for 15... maybe 20 years if everything goes well.

No lah.... that is not caused by the fur too short... it is caused by the groomer cutting to short... it cut too short till the clipper go near the skin, causing friction which causes clipper burn. This is why it is better to groom yourself.... my dog has never suffered clipper burn before, even when I cut him very very short using only scissors...

"Clipper burn: a rash or sore caused by clipping. Usually caused by forcing a clipper through the coat but can also occur when blades are overheated and on dogs with sensitive skin. They clear up by using an antibiotic cream or Sulfadine. If you suspect you may have burned your pet, bath him with a medicated shampoo. After shave lotion may also help."
http://www.delayrekennel.com/groomfox.htm

"What is Clipper Burn?

Clipper burn is caused by a clipper blade which has gotten too warm against sensitive skin. Clipper burn is also caused by passing a cool clipper blade over a sensitive area. Most clipper burns are located under a tight mat or on pale, pink skin.

Signs of clipper burn may appear after the pet has left the grooming shop. Normally, the groomer is unaware of the burn.

Most common sites for clipper burn

* Under the tummy
* On the soft skin between the back legs
* The potty path
* Under the tail
* On the nose"
http://hubpages.com/hub/What_IS_Clipper_Burn

Your Jack Jack scratching coz it is very irritating....

In other words, a vet calls Clipper burn as inflammation.... the groomers need to do things fast, so they just groom only, without checking the clippers properly... Got 1 case, my friend's dog went for grooming, kena mange mites coz the groomer never clean the clipper properly and make my friend's shih tzu have mite infection.... very kesian...

I think the breeder did not check his breeding line properly... Eye ulcer is normal since it is caused by external causes.... but glaucoma can be inherited.... it is a genetic thing. Maybe your breeder's dog got glaucoma but he doesn't know.... so he breed, the genetic disorder is then passed down to the pups, but not all will have, maybe 1 or 2 pups will suffer from glaucoma. So it is not your fault... but the breeder.


http://www.canismajor.com/dog/gscreen.html

http://www.animaleyecare.net/diseases/glaucoma.htm

Maybe one of the breeding dogs have but the breeder dunno about it? Coz not all vets will do a proper check up, especially eye part unless you request. Or both parent dogs can be carriers....

The normal eye check up is nothing much... like what your vet did lah, what the vet does is check the eye ball in the light, then press a bit to feel got anything wrong.... but if want proper one, I think only those big animal hospitals can do.

In AMC and UPM, they have eye specialist for dog... I know UPM got coz a vet from UPM told me... but I think AMC should have also. You can give them a call and see if can make appointment or not...

Your pup is playful... that is not dominance.... well, normally dominance is humping and growling, being possessive...

Anyway, your pup created a bad habit. What you should do is make your hands and feet taste horrible to your pup. A good way is applying vinegar to your hands... I know its yucky a bit but then dogs hate vinegar... you don't need to worry since vinegar brings no harm to dogs.... what you do is dip your hands in vinegar, then offer your hand to your pup. She will of course wanna bite, then later taste that weird sour taste, she will let go. Do it a few times till when you offer your hand, she turn away....

3 months old is playful. But if you do not train her properly, when she grows older, her bad habits and growling can become a painful problem. When grooming, associate it with good things. Everytime you touch and comb her head, give her a favourite treat or toy and say nice words to her.... if she growls, hold on to her, don't let go so that she will know that growling won't get her anywhere. A pup is easier to hold on coz an adult dog may bite harder and deeper....

Dogfood that is high in protein makes the poo smelly a bit, not as smelly as corn lah.....but my dog sometimes poo in my room at night while I'm sleeping, even when I wake up, I don't smell anything stinky.... I'm feeding California Natural mixed with Orijen.... You can look at other brands.... maybe Innova Evo not suitable for your dog? Anyway, dog poop of course will smell lah hahahah.... maybe someone who is giving their dogs Innova Evo could give a clue, I used to feed but can't remember how it was...

OMG!!! Someone just said Bayticol expensive? It is like the cheapest quality product in the market.... coz mix a few ml to a bucket of water can already..... If you want cheap, there is the old yellow liquid, smells worst than Bayticol, RM7 only but only a few vets sell........ but the smell is worst than moth balls....

Anyway, for ticks, it is best we try to get rid of every tick. They are parasites carrying bacteria and sometimes viruses.... it can cause your dog to become very sick if the infestation is large.

Shih tzus got sensitive eyes due to their short muzzles with the 1 inch stop, plus the eyes tend to bulge a bit like goldfish eyes. Shih tzus are not meant for lazy people coz the eyes need to be constantly cleaned everyday with a bit of cotton or cloth that is wet. The fur has to be tied so that the eyes are free from the fur. Those who cut the fur around the eyes must be extra careful coz it irritates the eye more than those who tie the fur.
Blind.... 5 years old... I can say is Cataract.... It can be cured, but of cost caused a lot of money. The shih tzu is not 100% blind, it can still see, just very blurry... that is why it can still pee and poo at the right place.
My old shih tzu did not suffer from cataract, only the 2 eye ulcers he had when he was 3 years old and 5 years old from injury.... he lived till 12 years without cataract.... Anyway, any dog can get cataract.... my friend's terrier mix got cataract around 6 years old, both eyes are blurry, not 100% blind. So this depends. Always check your dog's eyes... if there is a sign of anything cloudy or red or white spot on the eye, quickly bring to vet for a check up. There are medication and also surgery that can save a dog's eye sight... of course it must be detected early.