Shih Tzu Information Center

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How to Feed a Shih Tzu

Measured Dog Food

When your Shih Tzu is still a puppy you should feed your dog 3 times each day. You can also give your dog some treats in between meals as long as they are healthy. An adult dog should eat once per day.

After the age of 3 months, it is recommended to never "free feed". This means that you should not leave out dog food for your Shih Tzu to eat whenever they wish. Meals should be scheduled. A puppy should eat an ounce of food (28.4 grams) for each pound that he or she weighs. For an adult: 1/2 ounce per pound.

You can weigh your Shih Tzu by first placing a basket or other comfortable container on a scale and seeing how much it weighs. Then, place your Shih Tzu inside the basket to see the total weight. Subtract the weight of the container from the total weight to learn how much your dog weighs.

How Much is Too Much

Sometimes it may seem as if a dog could eat endlessly. This is not true of course; a dog needs a certain amount of food each day. Just like humans, too little food will not offer the dog enough nutrients and vitamins and a Shih Tzu will not be able to properly grow. Health issues will eventually appear is a dog is underfed for an extended time.

Determining Proper Weight

Too much food and just like a person, your Shih Tzu will gain weight. When a dog is overweight this will first show in the rib area. A Shih Tzu has long fur so one can determine a general idea of proper weight by touching the rib cage.

If you can immediately feel ribs that are seem to be almost poking through the skin, your Shih Tzu is extremely underweight. If you can feel the ribs but also feel a thin layer of fat and muscle, your dog is most likely an appropriate weight. If you cannot feel the ribs at all because so much fat and tissue is covering them, your dog may be carrying too much weight.

Is Human Food Okay?

If you are wondering what to feed your Shih Tzu and if human food is okay, the answer is yes and no. Processed human food is undoubtedly not healthy for your Shih Tzu. This means any food that you could buy at a restaurant, fast food restaurant, microwave meals and more.

We highly recommend home cooking for your Tzu. This does not mean that you would give your Tzu your food. This would mean preparing simple, yet extremely healthy home cooked meals to provide optimal health.

Any manufactured dog food has fillers, coloring, additives and more (or we should say "less")...You would never eat dog food...have you ever wondered why? Deep inside, dog owners are afraid to really know the details of what is in manufactured dog food. So, owners try to choose a high quality food and hope for the best. Truth be told, If you are not willing to eat it, nor should your Tzu.

If you do choose to feed manufactured dog food, we recommend Eukanuba. However, even this "high quality" dog food has fillers, it just has less than other brands.

Home cooking allows you to be in charge of what your Tzu is eating. You will be feeding wholesome, healthy ingredients...and zero coloring, additives, salt or fillers.

The best foods for a Shih Tzu are:

Organs - Liver, heart and brain
Lean Cuts of Meat - boneless white breast chicken, lean hamburger, lamb
Fish
Vegetables - Tzu usually just love mashed potatoes and other healthy veggies such as broccoli and carrots
Starch - Given in the form of rice and pasta

You will want meat to be the main ingredient, followed by vegetables and then starch.

Read detailed information regarding home cooked food VS manufactured dog food,
to help you make a choice.

Nutritional Needs

What are the nutritional needs of a Shih Tzu? A Shih Tzu, and all other dog breeds need to have:

Amino acids from protein
Fatty acids
Carbohydrates
Vitamins
Minerals
Water

Protein and Amino Acids - Dietary protein contains 10 amino acids that a dog cannot make on its own. They provide the building blocks for many important biologically active compounds and proteins for the Shih Tzu. Also, they give the carbon chains needed to make glucose for the dog's energy. High-quality proteins have a good balance of all of the essential amino acids. Studies show that dogs can sense when their dog food lacks a single amino acid and will usually avoid eating it. A Shih Tzu should be feed a high quality dog food that contains the 10 essential amino acids.

Fatty Acids - Dietary fats, mainly derived from animal fats and the seed oils of various plants, provide the most concentrated source of energy in a dog's diet. Fatty acids play a role in cell structure and function. Essential fatty acids are needed to keep your dog’s skin and coat healthy. Puppies fed ultralow-fat diets develop dry, coarse hair and skin lesions that become increasingly vulnerable to infections. Omega 3 and Omega 6 are most crucial.

Carbohydrates - Dogs need a certain amount of energy to sustain the normal activities of their daily lives. Growth, pregnancy, lactation, and exercise all increase these normal energy requirements. This energy comes from 3 major dietary components: carbohydrates, protein, and fats.

Vitamins & Minerals- These are extremely important.

K actives bone proteins
B1 and Pantothenic Acid helps with metabolism
Riboflavin, Niacin and B12 - helps with enzyme function
B6 helps with glucose generation, red blood cell function, nervous system function;, immune response, hormone regulation and gene activation
Folic acid helps with protein synthesis
Choline is a Phospholipid cell membrane component

Water - How much water does a Shih Tzu need? As much as they want ! Fresh, clean water should be available at all times.

NOTE: To learn about why these nutrients are important and details on every single feeding issue possible... see what is inside of the AllShihTzu E-Book . Click here.

Dangerous Foods

While it is always suggested to feed your Shih Tzu a quality dog food, an owner must be aware of basic human foods that this dog is allergic to. Some are quite surprising:

Grapes and Raisins: It may seem odd that such a healthy fruit for humans can be so dangerous to your Shih Tzu; however these foods can cause serious kidney damage and it does not take a large amount
Chocolate: Most people have heard that chocolate may not be good for a dog; the facts are that it can cause seizures, coma and death to a small dog such as the Shih Tzu
Onions. Beware of giving any meat to your dog if it has onions on it or mixed in. This can destroy a dog's red blood cells.
Coffee, Tea and Soda: caffeine can produce seizures, coma and eventual death
Salt. A large quantity of salt will cause kidney issues
Macadamia Nuts: This expensive and sought after nut can do great harm to a Shih Tzu or any other dog. The results of ingesting this can be muscle tremors and paralysis.
Fruit pits and seeds: Again, a healthy food to humans but dangerous to your Shih Tzu. All fruit seeds and pits can cause a range of medical issues including breathing difficulty, and/or fluids that fill up in a dog's abdomen and heart. Some fruit seeds can kill a Shih Tzu within 24 hours!

Important Information

Proper feeding includes many issues! These can include:

Finicky Eaters
Home cooking
When a slow change in food changes is absolutely necessary
Salt issues
When a change in food is necessary based on the age of your Tzu
When supplements are & are not needed - and which type are needed
Odd eating habits
Hiding food
Begging for food...and Much More! Find out about how you can read about all of these issues by clicking here.

Food and Eating Red Flags

The relationship between your Shih Tzu and their dog food can give you an early warning sign of many issues. If your dog suddenly begins to eat less food there may be many reasons including:

Your dog may be ill. When dogs are in pain they may react outwardly by showing aggression or inwardly by eating less

Your dog may be overheated. A dog in hot temperature will eat less. The Shih Tzu is very sensitive to heat.

Your Shih Tzu may be allergic to the dog food and because of an upset tummy, is eating less

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