The pins of your brush should make contact with the skin at the beginning of the brush stroke. From there, make a straight stroke outward to the ends of the hair. Try to teach your dog (and I say this in a “do as I say, and not do as I do,” because this is a very hard thing for me to teach my dogs to do….but that is me….and I need more practice. So with practice it can be done, and if you are planning to have the long coat of hair on your shih tzu, you will need to teach the dog to lie still on his side. Brush one layer at a time, then pull another layer and repeat the process until you have brushed to the center part of your dog. So the dog is on its side and you begin brushing at the lower end of the body and work your way up to the top part of the body to the part. Once you complete one side, turn the dog over and repeat the process.

Start out slow, and start midway in the body. Do the legs, the tail, the feet, the head and stomach area last. These can be some of the touchiest areas on the shih tzu.

If you run into static electricity you can try a mixture of two tablespoons or less of your favorite creme rinse mixed with two cups of water in a spritzer bottle and lightly spray that on each layer as you are brushing. Put on some relaxing music for the both of you and try to make an enjoyable time of “bonding.”

After thorughly brushing the dog, run a wide tooth comb through the layers. What I do is have several types of combs on hand. I have one very wide tooth comb, a regular comb and a very small comb that is actually best to use on the face or the feet. With a comb, you can then get even closer to the skin and drag at each and every tangle. Not really drag out, but gently remove the tangles that get very close to the skin. And if you keep up on your brushing daily you won’t have a big problem running your combs through the coat slowly and gently.

After the bath,when blow drying your shih tzu, turn the temperature down as the hair begins to dry. You can put your shih tzu in a cage with a dry towel in the bottom after they have bathed and you have toweled dried. Allow the dog to shake out as much extra moisture as possible. Turn the dryer in the direction of the cage to blow-dry some of the moisture from the coat while you are not brushing. This can reduce the brushing time and takes some of the stress out of brushing and drying the hair at the same time. You will have a nicer affect if you finish the drying process out of the cage while you brush the hair out.

Now for that beautiful, finishing touch - the topknot and bow. The absolute best way to become a pro at this would be to watch a pro do it, such as a professional dog groomer or handler.

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Some puppies will be active the minute the sac is broke, others will seem lifeless and you will think for sure they are dead. I have rubbed and rubbed on lifeless puppies and then almost give up only suddenly to realize they were starting to move and respond a little bit, so I kept on stimulating them to come more and more to life. The worse I ever had to act like that was my Smokey. He was the only puppy born to me that was this beautiful steel grey color, which now I have learned is a “true blue.” He has a blue nose and the light eyes. I almost gave up on him, it took so long for him to finally come to life. He is a big boy now and has not had a problem since, except for a slight sinus infection as a young puppy unrelated to his initial slow start to breathe on his own.

I use just a plain dry wash cloth and briskly rub the puppy all over, tumbling and rubbing in all directions until it will finally yell. I also take a small baby ear syringe and place it in the puppy’s mouth to suck out any fluid or mucus. This also helps to stimulate the puppy to breathe on its own. The nostrils need to be free of fluid as well.

Once the puppy is dry and breathing I hold it to the mom to see if she will sniff the puppy. If she does and starts to lick the puppy, this is nature’s way of stimulating the puppy to life and making it breathe better. Sometimes mothers are so distracted by the whelping or tired or probably just a little frightened, they don’t want anything to do with the puppies at this point. If that is the case, the doggie midwife will have to continue rubbing and stimulating the puppy. If she does start to lick the puppy and accept it, the puppy will be fine to lie with mom for awhile until the next one arrives. Try to keep the bedding dry and warm and the puppy as warm as possible during this time.

The above procedure is only done if the mother does not do as her instincts should allow her to do with newborn puppies. Most mothers will do all the stimulating. This procedure is only for those few times mom does not do her job.

Puppies are born unable to urinate or have bowel movements unless stimulated by the mother’s tongue. If the mother does not do this, you will have to do it with a piece of cotton or gauze that has been softened with a little baby oil. If you ever handraise a litter of puppies this is important to know. It has to be done, and is not difficult. You just rub the anus of the puppy with the moistened cotton ball until the puppy defecates, and then do the same for urination until they urinate. It will be tiny little drops. Once you notice the mother about to deliver another puppy, you should remove this one and put it in the warmed puppy box you have kept next to the whelping box. Sometimes mothers will really put up a fuss about me taking their new whelps and putting them in a puppy box, but I have to, and I insist regardless of what a fit she throws about it. Puppies need to be warmed up after birth and kept warm. This is impossible when left in the whelping box with the mom delivering other puppies and the fluids running all over the place and back onto the puppies already delivered. They definitely will get chilled and you do not want this to happen.

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If you need to help remove the afterbirth: First be sure your newborn puppy is breathing well on its own, the sac has been removed from the face, eyes, nose, head and the puppy has either been stimulated by mother or you, the doggie midwife, to breathe well on its own, you can then remove the afterbirth if it does not appear on its own of course. To do this, with one hand about one inch from the stomach of the puppy, grasp the umbilical cord and, with the other hand close to the matron, gently try to pull the afterbirth down and out of the matron, but be sure you do not pull hard on the cord near the navel of the puppy.

If your shih tzu matron does not cut the cord of the newborn puppies, and sometimes this does happen,
it is wise to have on hand before the whelping day, a pinch-type clothespin which has been cleaned in boiling water or sterilized in alcohol, or if you prefer, a professional hemostat. The clothespin should be closed on to the cord about two inches from the puppy’s navel. Once you have this in place, cut the cord (with sterilized surgical scissors) on the puppy side of the clothespin or hemostat. Now you have part of the umbilical cord hanging out of your matron with a clothespin or hemostat attached and the puppy should be in your hand with about two inches of umbilical cord left on the puppy. This method prevents the umbilical cord from slipping back up inside the mother.

If the cord hanging from the puppy does not stop bleeding after you have pressed it hard on the end between your fingers for several seconds, you can use another clothespin to pinch it on the very tip of the cord for a minute or two. This should cause the blood to clot. You can tie a piece of string or thread on the tip of the cord, but I have found just pressure with your fingers or the clothespin treatment does stops the bleeding. You can also use the same kind of blood-clotting agents from pet supply houses that you use to stop the bleeding from a toenail cut too close. Cornstarch (cooking type) can be used in an emergency. The cord just dries up and falls off eventually just as they do on newborn human babies. Sometimes there might get to be an infection. I have used just plain Neosporin antibiotic gel a little dab on the area if it does get infected, and this heals up nicely.

The placenta looks like a small chunk of very ripe liver. Yelk!! Birthing puppies is a very interesting and exciting process. I like best, however, when the mother is able and willing to do the entire process while I just watch this miraculous act of mother nature.

Whelping day has always been an exciting time for me and usually it occurs in the middle of the night, which is probably why I have got my entire routine of life on a 3rd shift schedule. Just put on a pot of coffee and relax. After it is all over, give your matron lots of attention and some special kind of food you know she likes. Make it sloppy food for the first few days after the whelping.

Connie Limon publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts on shih tzu puppies are offered to subscribers. Weekly updates of available puppies. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com

Umbilical and inguinal hernias are very common in the shih tzu. They may be congenital or acquired. In acquired hernias, there generally is some history of trauma such is at birth with the umbilical cord being cut to short or excessive pull on the cord during the cutting process. Congenital hernias involve the diaphragm or the abdominal wall. There are three main types involving the diaphragm. They are peritoneopericardial where abdominal contents are found extending into the pericardial sac; pleuropetioneal, in which abdominal contents are found within the pleural cavity; and hiatal, in which the abdominal esophagus, gastroesophageal junction, and/or portions of the stomach protrude through the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm into the thoracic cavity.

Clinical signs vary from no symptoms to severe and depend on the amount of herniated tissue and its effect on the organ it is displacing. Hiatal hernias may be “sliding” and result in clinical signs of reflux esophagitis (anorexia, salivation, and/or vomiting) that may come and go. Definitive diagnosis is done through radiology, and contrast studies are need for confirmation. Correction of all the afrementioned hernias is best done through surgery.

Hernias involving the abdominal wall include umbilical, inguinal, or scrotal. An umbilical hernia is secondary to failure of the normal closure of the umbilical ring and result in protrusion of the abdominal wall. In small animals, if the hernia is small, correction is best done at time of spaying or neutering and this is best done no earlier than 6 months of age. Sometimes a small umbilical or inguinal hernia will have closed on its own by the time the dog reaches 6 months of age. If not, then it most usually is recommended to be closed during the sterialization process. If you are not planning to sterialize your animal, then the hernia can be repaired at 6 months of age, and preferably not before then, unless there is a medical reason to do so.

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Goals of first aid are: Keep your safety in mind at all times. Attend to any severe bleeding that is present. Administer CPR if needed. Immobilize injuries and/or pet for transport. Take your pet to the vet as soon as possible. Delay in seeking professional help often increase costs and decreases treatment success.

When you do encounter an emergency situation, do not panic! Look around your surroundings to be sure there are no moving vehicles, broken glass, chemical spills, fire and electrical hazards. Approach the injured or ill pet slowly and with caution. Use a calm reassuring voice. You might need to apply a muzzle. Injured or ill animals might bite out of pain or fear. If this occurs, don’t take it personally and don’t feel like your animal is now vicious or worthless and needs to be gotten rid of. Be understanding that the animal is under extreme stress and hardly knows what to do himself.

Never use a muzzle on an animal that is vomiting, choking, convulsing or having breathing difficulties. If you cannot muzzle, use heavy-duty gloves or drape a blanket or thick towel over the animal’s head prior to handling.

Determine whether a life-threatening situation exists and give appropriate first aid. Look for unconsciousness, shock, hemorrhage, look for breathing difficulties. Trauma (like hit by a car), poisoning, and air leakage from chest are all life-threatening. Transport the animal to the vet or emergency vet hospital. Transport securely - use a travel kennel most preferably. If a travel kennel is not available, place the animal in a box.

If head or spinal injury is suspected, use a board, plywood, window screen or any flat, firm surface to transport. If this type of flat support is not available, transport the pet in a large towel or small blanket. You might call the vet clinic in advance of your arrival giving them the circumstances of the accident, or illness.

Planning for an emergency:

Decide what you need to do ahead of time and rehearse. Have important telephone numbers such as your local vet and two of the closest 24-hour veterinary emergency clinics in a place you can find easily in a sudden emergency. The Poison Control Center number should be easily found: (800) 548-2423.

Items for your pet first aid kit:

Muzzle
Leash, Welder’s gloves
Stretch bandage
Roll gauze
Solar blanket
Bandage tape
Sterile nonstick wound pads
Clean hand towel
Cotton balls and/or swabs
Chlorhexidine wash (0.5%)
Saline solution
Sterile eye ointment
Lubricating jelly
Clotting powder
Kydrogen peroxide
Kaolin-pectin
Activated charcoal
Triple antibiotic ointment
Splint
Forceps and/or tweezers
Scissors
Bulb syringe
Plastic digital thermometer
Reusable cold pack
12-milliliter syringe
Disposable gloves
Feeding Tubes
Home remedies

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Dogs, just like all living things have the right to live and prosper without having to worry about being abused. The Shitzu unlike the majority of dogs were bread to be the pets of kings and queens. Many centuries ago, the Chinese bread these dogs to look like lions. That is why they are known as lion dogs. In addition, the Shitzu not only wants to be loved, but it also wants to give back love. Sometimes abuse can take its toll on humans and animals alike, but the most important thing is a second chance. The bible teaches us that a “Righteous man cares for his pet”. Therefore, anyone who mistreats an animal who depends on him/her for survival should be ashamed.

If you plan to take in an abused dog, it would be wise to get some information from a vet. These abused dogs require a lot of special attention and care. The average veterinarian is accustomed to dealing with abused dogs regularly and can give you some important tips and facts about what you need to do. The most important thing the vet can teach you is how to communicate with your new companion. Taking care of an abused Shitzu would no doubt be a lot easier if you were aware of what you are getting into.

Other sources of help with caring for your dog is to get the help of breeders, Shitzu breeders deal with abused dogs on a regular also. Most Shitzu breeders, before they sell a dog to a potential owner, Gets the owner to promise to bring back the dog if they can no longer take care of it. Finding a Shitzu breeder will not only help you with the process of taking care of the dog, but the breeder might volunteer to care for it for you if you are having doubts.

Because of its extravagant roots, the Shitzu can be very nerve racking to train. Many Shitzu owners that I know say that training their dogs took anywhere from six months to a year. Housebreaking an abused Shitzu may take longer, because it will take the dog some time to get use to you not abusing it.  This is where an over abundance of patience is needed. A lot of loving and positive reinforcement will go a long way with helping you reach your goals.

All dog lovers everywhere should hold in the highest regard anyone that do their part to help the millions of dogs who are abused and left abandoned. In time, the Shitzu will love you and become just another part of the family. It just needs time to adapt to the love and affection it is now receiving from you the new owner.

Some over-the-counter medications can be used for emergencies in select situations. Always ask your vet before giving any over-the-counter medicines to your injured or ill shih tzu.

3% hydrogen peroxide: Can be used to induce vomiting and for general wound cleaning. Dosage is: 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight.

Syrup of ipecac: Can be used to induce vomiting. Dosage is: 1 teaspoon per 20 pounds of body weight.

Bismuth subsalicylate: Can be used for vomiting and mild diarrhea. Dosage: 1 teaspoon per 15 pounds of body weight. 1 tablet per 40 pounds of body weight (doubt your shih tzu will be taking a full tablet!)

Kaolin-pectin: Use for mild diarrhea. Dosage: 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight.

Buffered aspirin: Use for fever and inflammation, mild to moderate pain, arthritis, before giving vaccinations. Dosage: 1 adult table (5 grains) per 40 pounds). Ask your vet the correct dosage for your shih tzu.

Diphenhydramine: Use for mild cough, allergies, allergic reactions. Dosage: 1 milligram per pound of body weight.

Vegetable oil: Use for constipation. Dosage: 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds mixed in food.

Epsom salts: Use for constipation, as a soak to reduce swelling and inflammation. Dosage: For constipation, 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight, dissolved in water and given orally; same dilution for soaks.

Milk of magnesia: Use for vomiting, constipation, deactivate poisons. Dosage: 2 teaspoons per 10 pounds of body weight.

Activated charcoal: Use to deactivate poisons. Dosage: 1/2 gram per pound of body weight.

Petroleum jelly: Use for constipation. Dosage: 1/2 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight.

Connie Limon publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts on shih tzu puppies are offered to subscribers. Weekly updates of available puppies. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com

It is medical fact that a dog’s digestive system is designed more to gorge. For this one reason alone, I suggest feeding your shih tzu by “meals.” If you leave food out all the time, and I have fed my shih tzu with free feeding, so I know about what they will do…..they will eat, and eat, eat….until they will become overweight and have soft, runny stools. Most of us just hate “runny stools.” One way to avoid them is to not “free feed.” You need to divide your shih tzu’s food into meals. So how many meals should that be? Try feeding an adult shih tzu 3/4 cup to 1 cup of dry kibble “twice” per day. This would mean a morning meal and an evening meal. Some dog nutritionists even suggest just one meal per day. So you would divide your 3/4 cup or 1 cup of dry kibble into 1/2 cups for two meals.

Another good reason to feed your shih tzu in meals is that you will know exactly when the shih tzu slows down eating or stops eating, which is a sure warning sign, the shih tzu may be ill.

If you have more than one shih tzu or other pets in the house to feed, you minimize your pet’s opportunities to guard his food. If there is always food in the bowl, your pets, or just one of them might decide to protect this valuable resource and the territory around, thus creating some behavior problems. If the food bowl is picked up when it’s empty, the feeding area becomes neutral to all the pets in the household. Unless you have a “Duke” in the house. Duke believes all food bowls belong to him, all food belongs to him, all the girls belong to him, and that he should be a privileged shih tzu to be able to go through any door that is opened, etc., etc. Duke is a whole other story at Stain Glass Shih Tzu. Duke also walks with me by putting his head through my legs and actually walks along with me for a few minutes. I think he is saying to me: “I am right up there with you, I can even take the same steps as you take.” I think Duke really, really admires me or something. And I sure do like Duke also. That is why I sort of play his games of him wanting to lead the show with me. I am not certain, however, that he truly realizes between he and I, that I am the actual leader. Then again, maybe he does. Duke is such a character. I have a lot of fun with Duke just watching him be himself. Visit us at Stain Glass Shih Tzu website to see what Duke looks like. Every now and then, you will have a shih tzu that is extra unique in some way. Duke is one of them.

You can take advantage of training your shih tzu about the higher-ranking member of your social group. You are not the “alpha dog.” Your shih tzu knows you are not a dog. You are a member of his social group. You are the leader of the entire pack, whether your pack consists of you and 4 shih tzu or other pets, or whether your pack consists of just you and one shih tzu, you are the leader of your particular household pack. The leader controls the “good stuff.” If the “good stuff” (the food) is available all the time, your dog controls it. If you, as the leader, choose to share some of your food with him out of the goodness of your heart, and he performs a deference behavior such as sit or down to get you to share, you’re reinforcing a healthy relationship.

I had a comical experience with one of my pregnant moms lately. She was residing in the cottage, where she actually loves to stay. She never tries to go anywhere else. Since she has become pregnant I want her in the house so I can give her extra meals separate of the rest of the gang. The first night I tried this, she fought me like crazy as I picked her up to bring her in the main house. The next night, she hid under the cottage porch at the time she suspected I was going to bring her in. I had to let her dwell there for a couple of nights. I couldn’t catch her in time. She outsmarted me on this and I imagine she was delighted she did. The next time I tried to catch her, I did it at a different time of day and caught her off guard (I outsmarted her). I brought her in and each time I would get her inside, I would take her straight to an extra bowl of food with something enticing added as well (I do this for my pregnant and nursing moms). Finally, she started just preferring to come in where I wanted her to be. Bianca thought she did not need me for anything. She is pregnant, but she thinks she has no use for me even in her pregnancy, until she figured out I was a hand that was feeding her. And not only that, I was giving her extra attention and extra feed, of which she could not get hid under porch. She is now convinced I am important to her, and cooperates as she should. Incidentally, Bianca is expecting babies by our famous Dukie Boy (Duke I talked about above). Bianca is the daughter of my Cindy. Cindy has a keen intelligence about her and many of her offpsring have been just like her. Bianca is one of them. Bianca’s father was Bert (of whom I no longer have). Bert was a gorgeous silver/blue. The match of Bianca and Duke went so well the last time, I decided to mate them again. They both have the imperial/teacup genes in their background and they produced imperials and teacups, even though they themselves are the standard size shih tzu.

You can use their meals as a training method to suit your needs, that is, if you serve them meals, rather than to free feed.

You can also control their weight. If they look too skinney, increase the amount. If they look like they are getting too fat, decrease the food.

I favor feeding shih tzu in meals as you can tell from reading this article.

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One method of determining whether the food you feed your shih tzu is affecting its health or producing problem symptoms is to keep a health journal.

It is time consuming, but will be invaluable for determining whether there is a link between his diet and his condition. You can diagnose or better yet help your vet diagnose your shih tzu’s itchy skin, whereas otherwise, it might be impossible and cost you a lot more money in vet bills after your vet has to run test after test based upon the only symptom you report being “itchy skin.” You may even still end up with a shih tzu with itchy skin. You can do a little homework on your own and put your money into your own investigations. Then take the entire journal to your vet and show him what you have done so far to determine what is causing your shih tzu’s problems, or better yet, solve it yourself and never visit the vet.

In your journal, list the foods you give your shih tzu and their major ingredients, note outbreaks of increased or renewed itching, ear infections or paw-licking, whatever problem you think his diet might be causing. Change the food. Note symptoms. After about six months into your project, go back over your notes to see if symptoms increase when certain ingredients are fed, or do symptoms decrease.

Keep the date, your shih tzu’s health problems and assets, results of veterinary exams or tests, the type of food or foods you feed him and the food’s major ingredients (this would be the percentage of protein and fat). The major ingredients in any dog food are always listed first.

Periodically look through the data for trends such as: Did your shih tzu’s itchy skin or coat problems go down or up when you switched to that “food.” Did some foods trigger diarrhea and only go away when you switched to another food?

My tests were simple. I merely changed all my dogs to HealthyPetNet Life’s Abundance Dog Food and Treats. The diarrhea problems and loose stool problems disappeared. The dogs I had that were itching because of their diet, stopped itching. I had a few that did have other skin problems (minor) in which I sought the help of a vet for resolution. Other than that, my shih tzu are thriving better than ever before since we switched to HealthyPetNet Life’s Abundance Dog Food.

Your tests may not reveal the same. Not every shih tzu is alike. I do have several different bloodlines, however, and the food has agreed with them all, which is kind of unusual. Which food to feed my shih tzu has always been a huge problem for me at Stain Glass Shih Tzu. Based upon my experiences and observations with the shih tzu I presently own, HealthyPetNet Life’s Abundance has proved to be the best of all. It could be your tests prove differently. Just keep your journal. Read the dog food labels. Know that the main ingredients are listed first. Then make your decision of whether or not it is the diet of your shih tzu causing the problems you seek to solve.

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Puppies are born with very few antibodies against disease. The mother will first produce colostrum. Colostrum is the first milk and is nature’s way of providing newborn puppies with their first doses of antibodies to produce against disease. Puppies’ bodies will not produce their own antibodies to disease until they are about six weeks old. Puppies must have at least one feeding of colostrum in their first 24 hours of life. By keeping the mother updated on vaccinations, she has a good chance of passing on her immunity to newborn puppies that helps to guard them against disease.

Access to colostrum is only good for the puppies in the first 24 hours of life. Access to the mother’s colostrum in the first 24 hours of life is crucial.

The immunity to disease passed through the mother’s colostrum called “maternal immunity” usually lasts for several weeks in the puppy’s system. It gradually fades as the puppy’s own immune system begins developing and becomes capable of producing its own antibodies at around 14 to 16 weeks of age. The exact time of maternal immunity’s fading is very variable, but it generally occurs between 6 and 16 weeks. The goal of vaccination programs is to cover any gap in immunity by starting vaccines immediately after the maternal protection fades and when the puppy’s body is capable of producing its own antibodies.

Vaccines are given to puppies several times to cover this gap. When the maternal immunoglobulins fade and leave the puppy without protection from disease, vaccines given at this time will prompt the puppy’s maturing immune system to produce its own protective antibodies against disease. To be sure the series of vaccines given your puppy provides the immunity it needs, you can ask your vet for a Titer Test.

Do not vaccinate a pregnant shih tzu. You must do so before she is pregnant on a yearly basis.

Connie Limon publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts on shih tzu puppies are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com