How to Keep a Shih Tzu Clean

Overview

There is a lot more involved with keeping a Shih Tzu clean other than giving baths. Because, after all, it is not practical to give a bath every day, not to mention that it’s not good for the skin and coat. But, this energetic breed can get quite dirty just with day-to-day activities. The paws can become caked with mud, the coat can look a mess, the face can become stained, urine can splash up and soak into hairs, and odors can develop before you know it.

This article will cover the 8 ways to keep your Shih Tzu super clean, looking good and smelling great.

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#1 Baths, But Not Too Many

There's a fine line between baths to thoroughly clean a Shih Tzu and too many which are counterproductive. This is because while baths will of course do a great job in removing dirt and debris, they also remove body oils. You do want body oil removed once it’s accumulated enough that it would clog pores and start to get quite stinky; but, washing a Shih Tzu too frequently makes it so that body cannot keep up in replacing this natural skin moisturizer. Skin can become terribly dry.

So, a Shih Tzu should have a bath just about once every 3 weeks. And, vital to this is to use a shampoo that is pH balanced for a dog’s skin (between 6.5 and 7.5) so that hair is not stripped, contains no soap agents since these can be harsh on skin (a plant-based cleanser is best), has moisturizing properties (like aloe), and leaves a fresh scent.

A longtime favorite that meets all expectations is Earthbath All Natural Mediterranean Magic Shampoo. Everything in that line is fantastic, including their Sweet Orange to help get out stains and their Tea Tree & Aloe to soothe irritated skin. Be sure to follow that with a conditioner like Earthbath’s Oatmeal & Aloe Conditioner.

#2 Use Paw Wax to Act as a Shield

If a dog’s paws are dirty, not only will this be tracked into your house (double dirty!) and onto your Shih Tzu’s bed, etc., but that soil, mud, and other outdoor matter has a way of radiating up onto the coat.

However, an additional and important aspect to the paws is that there are a lot of other elements that can cause irritation, itchiness, dryness, and more. So, this step to keep your Shih Tzu clean has a number of other benefits.

A good paw wax will:

Help repel dirt and other outdoor debris
Offer a layer of protection from hot walking surfaces in the summer
Give better traction year-round, including on slippery surfaces in the winter
Prevent snowballing in the winter; this is when snow melts between the pads and toes, refreezes into ice, and then stretches the sensitive skin there.
Repel allergens, like pollen, which would otherwise make the paws itchy
Repel lawncare chemicals like weed-killer, fertilizers, and pesticides which can be present in your own yard via run-off from neighbors and is commonly present in public areas like dog parks.
Repel ice-melt chemicals and sanding grit
Keep paws moisturized and healthy
Heal drying, peeling, or cracking

One of the absolute best paw products is Mushers Secret Pet Paw Protection Wax. If your Shih Tzu is taken for daily walks and has some outdoor playtime with you, this should be applied every 7 days or so. While this absorbs pretty quickly (about 10 seconds), you may want to massage this into the paw pads (and between the toes) right when your little guy or gal is readying to fall asleep.

Cuteness break!

Sasha at 5 years old and Nala at 1 year old,

photo courtesy of Nicole

#3 Keep the Ears Clean

Ears are another part of the body that can get very dirty, depending on the dog, and taking care of the ears not only helps keep your Shih Tzu clean but can also prevent ear infections (the #1 health issue that brings dogs to the vet).

There are several elements involved with the ears: excess wax buildup, moisture, and fine particle debris from outside like tiny bits of grass or dirt that can get into the ears when a dog is rolling around outside. This is made worse by the fact that this breed has drop-ears, making the ear canal and inner flaps warm, dark places that keep these elements trapped inside.

So, there are two types of ear cleanings that should be done on a regular basis:

1. Cleaning the inner ear flaps. This is to clean away matter before it has a chance to travel down into the ear canal. Depending on how dirty your Shih Tzu’s ear flaps get, you can do this as often as every other day or just every week or so.

For this, use a wipe that is specialized for the ear flaps; these will not be as wet as regular grooming wipes (which could introduce moisture, leading to an infection) and will be soothing (look for aloe) yet effective (via a cleansing agent like witch hazel).

We recommend Earthbath Specialty Ear Wipes which has all of these qualities. Once you clean one ear, flip the wipe over and use the opposite side to clean the other ear.

2. Clean out the ear canal. This is to loosen compacted ear wax, and remove excess wax and any possible debris out of the ear canal. To prevent ear infections, it is recommended to do this every 3 weeks; though, if a Shih Tzu has a history of ear infections, the vet may instruct you to do this as often as once a week.

This cleaning task is pretty straightforward, so if you’re not used to doing this, don’t feel intimidated. You'll want to place a few drops into the ear, massage the base for 1 to 2 minutes, and then swipe the ear flap of any goop that may have come out (even if none did, you loosened what was inside the ear, so you did great!).

For the swiping part, you can use a clean piece of gauze, a cotton ball, or the aforementioned ear wipes. And, if you are looking for a good ear cleanser, Zymox Ear Cleanser is very effective yet gentle.

Cuteness break!

Toby

Photo courtesy of Evangeline M

#4 Keep the Face Clean

If your cute little guy or gal’s face is always a mess, rest assured you’re not the only pet parent contending with this problem. Let’s see what can go wrong:

The face picks up moisture from drinking water, which can then cause food particles to get stuck on the hairs.
Eye goop (sleep) can gob up around the eyes and/or slowly ooze down the face.
Tear stains can develop which are discolored hairs under and around the eyes, though this can travel down the cheeks as well. Tear stains can be due to a number of causes including excess tears which can stem from allergies or issues with eyelashes, tear ducts, or other eye issues. Drinking water with a high iron count is another cause.
There can be stains around the eyes, cheeks, and/or the mouth which can be caused by eating a kibble with artificial coloring or eating from a brightly colored plastic bowl.
Continually moist hairs can be at the root of the problem, and this is common with Shih Tzu dogs that have long beards, simply from drinking water throughout the day.

That may sound like a lot to contend with, but the steps to keep your Shih Tzu’s face clean can be broken down in a simple manner:

1. Have excessive runny eyes diagnosed by the veterinarian. This breed is prone to entropion (the eyelid is partially inverted), distichiasis (a lash/es will grow in an odd place on the lid), ectopic cilia (the lash/es will grow through the inside of the eyelid inward toward the eye) and corneal abrasions. Though, airborne, food, or contact allergies can certainly be the cause as well.

2. Remove any current tear stains. Resolving tear stains on a Shi Tzu includes offering filtered water or spring water, using stainless-steel or ceramic bowls, feeding a kibble with zero artificial ingredients, and wiping the eye daily with grooming eye wipes (see next point).

3. Clean around the eyes and the entire face on a regular basis. While you can use a general grooming wipe for this if it is formulated to be gentle enough, you may want to opt for Earthbath Specialty Eye Wipes; this is a really great specialty wipe made specifically for the sensitive area around the eyes and also works wonderfully when cleaning the entire face such as down the cheeks, around the mouth, and over the chin and beard.

At the very least, clean your Shih Tzu’s face once a day. If your Shih Tzu’s face tends to get very dirty, clean it up to 3 times a day, after each meal.

Cuteness break!

Baxter, photo courtesy of Sandra Drake

#5 Brush the Coat Out

A coat that is holding dead hairs is going to look a mess, not to mention that anything longer than a short puppy coat will be prone to matting. Added to this, the coat is constantly picking up dirt from outside and fine particle lint and other elements from indoors.

In addition, the body oils that we spoke about in #1 (baths) comes into play. Hairs in the coat are always in 1 of 3 stages: growth, rest, or fall. Any hairs that fall back into the coat will sit there picking up body oil. If those hairs are not removed, they will start to become stinky.

So, brushing your Shih Tzu on a regular basis certainly goes a long way in keeping your Shih Tzu clean.

If your Shih Tzu has a long coat, it should be brushed every other day, minimum. Medium length coats should be brushed every 3 days. For this, polish tipped pin brush is best. A great one is use is the Chris Christensen 20 mm Little Wonder Pin Brush. We love the wooden handle brushes in this brand's line.

Very short coats can be brushed once or twice per week and for this length you will want to use a well-spaced bristle brush like the Safari Small Bristle Brush.

#6 Use a Leave-in Spritz

A secret weapon in keeping a Shih Tzu clean and smelling fantastic is to use a leave-in spritz or spray each time you brush the coat. A good one will have many benefits including helping to prevent split ends, protecting the coat from contact friction, keeping hairs moisturized, preventing tangles, adding shine, keeping hairs soft, and making a dog smell fresh and clean.

There are several good choices for this. The first one that comes to mind is Nootie Daily Spritz. This stuff is really fantastic and comes in some incredible fragrances that may cause you to have to remind yourself that your Shih Tzu is not a snack. There’s coconut lime, sweet pea & vanilla, cucumber melon, and warm vanilla cookie.

Another terrific one that has come to attention is BarkLogic Calming Leave in Conditioner Spraywhich in addition to the expected benefits of a leave-in, is infused with lavender essential oil, known as a calming and soothing aromatherapy scent.

Lavender as aromatherapy is such a great idea and is worth trying as an additional method to what you may already be doing to help your Shih Tzu with separation anxiety or other stress issues.

Cuteness break!

Piper, photo courtesy of Doug L.

#7 Do Body Touch-ups

We are nearing the end of our list on how to keep a Shih Tzu nice and clean in between baths, and have come to one of the most important tasks for this. One of the reasons why body touch-ups are vital to hygiene, is because dogs, of course, cannot wipe themselves after going to the bathroom.

So, it's common for tiny splashes of urine to end up on the underbelly or the flanks and for tiny bits of feces to cling to the fine hairs around the anus. This alone can make a Shih Tzu smelly and unclean even just a day after a bath. Added to this is the possible elements of a Shih Tzu rolling around outside which can pick up any number of dirty things and you have a recipe for one messy dog.

But, you don’t have to get the bathtub running quite yet because spot cleaning is a fast and easy way to keep a Shih Tzu clean.

For everyday touch-ups, a thick and effective yet gentle grooming wipe like Earthbath All Natural Grooming Wipes are perfect. All of their 4 options (fragrance-free, puppy formula, mango tango, and green tea) are awesome. As often as once per day or at minimum once per week, start at the top and work your way down. Swipe over the head, down the neck, over the chest, back, flanks, and legs. You may wish to use a second wipe for the underbelly and the tushie.

Remember that it is easiest to remove bits of feces while they are fresh; once these pieces dry up, they will cling to the coat in such a way that a partial bath in the kitchen sink, if not a full bath, will be needed.

An added bonus of wiping your Shih Tzu down is that you will be removing allergens from the coat, if your guy or gal has allergies.

If your Shih Tzu is a mess to the point that grooming wipes won’t cut it, but you don’t have the inclination or the time to offer a full bath, you may wish to opt for a dry shampoo like Wahl No-Rinse Waterless Lavendar Shampoo. This is a foam that is massaged into the coat to loosen and free debris and then is either brushed out or removed with a towel. For Shih Tzu with medium or long coats, we recommend the brush method, since a towel rub can cause terrible tangles.

Cuteness break!

Max, at 16 months old, photo courtesy of Jim Fleming

#8 Keep the Teeth Clean and Breath Fresh

Last but not least, this final tip for keeping a Shih Tzu clean really matters, not just for completing the full ‘clean vibe’ but also to help prevent painful tooth decay and infections which toy breeds are prone to. In fact, 80% of dogs develop some level of periodontal disease by the age of 2 years old.

All Shih Tzu should receive daily at-home dental care as well have their teeth examined as part of their regular wellness checks at the vet.

Note that thick plaque and tartar that has been hardening for years and/or is under the gum line will rarely come off with at-home methods and typically can only be removed by the vet with the use of an ultrasonic scaler. Once the teeth are cleaned in that way, you can then perform maintenance cleanings to prevent them from reaching that level again.

At home, the most effective way to keep teeth clean is to:

Brush the teeth. Not all dogs are tolerant of this, but it is certainly worth trying since it is highly effective method of keeping plaque at bay. If your Shih Tzu is new to this, start off with just very short sessions and work your way up.

You will want to use an appropriately sized toothbrush and a canine toothpaste since human paste foams (this is a choking hazard) and typically contains fluoride (which is toxic to dogs). Paste for dogs is meant to be swallowed; though, it is recommended to swipe the teeth with gauze once you are done to remove any excess.

A nice kit for this is the Nylabone Advanced Oral Triple Action Dental Kit which has both an effective paste and a 3-sided brush which gets all sides of the teeth at the same time is. For puppies and Shih Tzu under 10 pounds, opt for the puppy size brush. For those 10 pounds and up, the adult size is ideal since the larger the brush, the easier it is to use it on dogs that tend to wiggle around.

In addition to that, other supplemental methods include a liquid plaque remover that is added to water (like Nylabone Advanced Oral Care Liquid Tartar Remover), a powder plaque remover that is added to food (like Proden PlaqueOff Dental Care), a dental spray that is spritzed onto the teeth (like Sonnyridge Dog Dental Spray), and dental chews like Greenie Teenie Dog Dental Chews which are meant to be given while supervised since these are very hard (they have to be, to remove plaque).

Cuteness break!

Mochi, photo courtesy of Peggy F.

To Summarize

To keep your Shih Tzu clean, you may wish to do some or all of the following tasks:

Every day:

• Wipe the face.

• Brush the teeth. Use additional methods including sprays, water supplements, and/or a dental chew.

Every 1 to 7 days:

• Clean the inner ear flaps (frequency depends on how dirty your Shih Tzu’s ears get).

• Brush the coat (every 2 days for long coats, every 3 days for medium coats, every week for short coats).

• Use a leave-in coat spray each time you brush the coat.

• Apply paw wax (every 7 days).

• Wipe the body down with a grooming wipe or use a dry shampoo as needed.

Every 3 weeks:

• Give a bath.

• Clean out the ear canals.

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