Nutrition is the key to good skin health. If your shih tzu is prone to skin disease first check with a holistic practitioner or a conventional vet to see if he/she can recommend a nutritional program specifically for your particular shih tzu.
There is no single diet that can suit all the needs of all dogs, whether it be shih tzu or bulldog. Every dog is different. One dog might be deficient in one vitamin whereas another dog might be just fine. This is why the HealthyPetNet Life's Abundance's formulator formulated a daily supplement to pick up the slack where the food leaves off. One of my recommendations would be to use HealthyPetNet Life's Abundance dog food and the daily supplement. HealthyPetNet also produces a skin and coat supplement that can be added if your shih tzu still has skin problems. HealthyPetNet also produces a daily skin and coat health bar you can add to your dog's daily menu.
Whatever diet you provide, it needs to be hypo-allergenic for your individual dog. Adding supplements such as vitamin A, C and E and antioxidants especially the Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial and can all be found in the HealthyPetNet line of products.
Herbal remedies may be helpful. Herbal remedies can enhance the immune system, provide a rich source of antioxidants and other nutrients and relieve itchiness.
An accurate professional diagnosis is necessary to adequately treat skin problems. A professional holistic or conventional vet can provide several different types of tests to determine the cause of your shih tzu's skin conditions. You must also realize the skin is an extremely complex organ system that requires an approach to treatment that is oftentimes multi-faceted, requiring the use of many different disciplines of knowledge. So the first step in accurately treating your shih tzu's skin problem would be a visit to your holistic or conventional vet. If the recommendation on nutrition is something other than the HealthyPetNet Life's Abundance Nutritional System, and you continue to experience problems inspite of all you try, then it certainly would not hurt to present the idea to your vet of changing over to the HealthyPetNet System of Nutrition, or just make the changeover yourself to see if this helps your problem.
Honestly, I have fed no other food that has provided my shih tzu with better nutrition for their skin and just in general good health. I know they have more energy, their eyes are brighter and the hair is shinier with no flakey skin. I think the food gives their immune system an extra boost. I also use the HealthyPetNet shampoos.
However, in all honesty, you need to follow the advice of your own vet when you are trying to solve any kind of a health problem with your shih tzu, as I would do the same. Presently, I am experiencing no particular health or skin problems in my shih tzu, especially since making the switch over to this new dog food and shampoos.
I think the air in an environment also affects the skin and coat of dogs. I would recommend anyone having pets in their home to have a good air cleaner. I like the systems produced by EcoQuest, and have found them to be better at odor reducing. I suffer from allergies myself and have at times been without medicine, but with the air cleaners, and I feel like this is what kept me free of symptoms for so long. I eventually went back on my medicine, because there were days when I had increased symptoms, but I truly think, without the air cleaners I use, I could have not survived one day without my Allegra D. So I think it is important to have an adequate air cleaner in everyone's home, but especially the homes you share with pets to improve the health of both you and your pets as well as your hair and skin.
The best house training uses the shih tzu's own instincts to avoid soiling its bed to train the shih tzu where and where not to eliminate. That is the basis behind crate training, in which the shih tzu is confined to its crate in the absence of the owner, and den training, in which the shih tzu is confined to a small area of the home. In essence, the crate, or the room, becomes the shih tzu's den. Shih Tzu are naturally very clean animals, and they try their best to avoid using their dens as toilets.
This type of training usually works very well, both for shih tzu puppies and for older shih tzu. Problems with this type of toilet training are usually the result of not understanding the signals the shih tzu is sending, not being consistent with feeding times, or trying to rush the process.
While the house training process can be sped up somewhat by consistently praising the shih tzu and rewarding it for toileting in the proper place, some shih tzu cannot be rushed through this important process. It is always best to house train the shih tzu properly the first time than to go back and retrain a problem shih tzu.
If the dog continues to soil the den area after house training, the most likely reason is that the owner has left the shih tzu in the den for too long. Another reason may be that the den area is too large. In this case, the best strategy is to make the den area smaller or to take the shih tzu to the toilet area more frequently.
If the shih tzu soils the bed that has been provided in the den area, it is most likely because the owner has left the shih tzu there for too long, and the shih tzu had an understandable accident. Or it could be that the shih tzu has not yet adopted this area as the bed. In addition, urinary tract infections and other medical conditions can also cause shih tzu to soil their beds. It is important to have the shih tzu thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian to rule out any medical problems.
One other reason for house training accidents that many people overlook is boredom. Shih tzu who are bored often drink large amounts of water and therefore must urinate more frequently than you might think. If you notice your shih tzu consuming large amounts of water, be sure to take the shih tzu to the established toilet area more often, and provide the shih tzu with toys and other distractions to eliminate boredom.
Boredom is the root cause of many shih tzu behavior problems, not only house training issues. Chewing and other destructive behaviors are also often caused by boredom and separation anxiety.
Other problems with house training can occur when the shih tzu's den is not properly introduced. In some cases dogs can react to the den as if it is a prison or a punishment. Those shih tzu may exhibit signs of anxiety, such as whining, chewing and excessive barking. It is important for the shih tzu to feel secure in its den, and to think of it as a home and not a cage.
The best way to house train a shih tzu puppy or shih tzu dog, or to re-house train a problem shih tzu, is to make yourself aware of the shih tzu's habits and needs. Creating a healthy, safe sleeping and play area for your shih tzu, as well as a well defined toilet area, is important for any house training program.
House training is not always an easy process, but it is certainly an important one. The number one reason that dogs are surrendered to animal shelters is problems with inappropriate elimination, so a well structured house training program can literally be a lifesaver for your shih tzu.
Connie Limon has sinced written about articles on various topics from Careers and Job Hunting, Dogs and Colon Cleanse. 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. Current available puppies. Sign up at. Connie Limon's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.