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Choosing your Boxer
An easier and more pleasant journey with your chosen Boxer starts with checking out the parent dogs for unbecoming traits like aggression, hyperactive and extreme shyness. This is easier to do when you get your Boxer from a reputable breeder or...
How To Prevent A Dog Bite
Article:
Most humans are not aware that some of their body postures when
greeting an unfamiliar dog are perceived as a threat in the dog
world.
For example: typical human behavior when greeting a dog is to
say over and over...
Mind Over Matter…
Understanding where horses come from has been a long road for most equestrians. Using that new understanding can dramatically change how one handles, cares for, and trains or rides their horse. “We treat horses the way others tell us to, as well as...
Puppy Protocols - Introducing a Young Dog Into Your Family
Introducing a puppy to your home can cause a lot of upheaval.
You might need to move furniture and make your home dog
friendly, or just change your lifestyle to make sure you are
available to exercise or feed your new pet, when she needs it.
...
Shih Tzu - Introducing A New Shih Tzu Puppy To Your Household
Bringing home a new shih tzu puppy is always an exciting time
for the entire family. Getting that new shih tzu puppy off the
right start with proper training is very important to making
that shih tzu puppy a valued member of his human family....
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The Shih Tzu: Common Health Issues
Although disease affects all different breeds of dog, certain
breeds are more prone to certain ailments than others, due to
their particular anatomical structure, genetic make-up, or other
factors. In this article, we will briefly describe some of the
most common ailments that affect the Shih Tzu.
Eyes and Ears: Because of the anatomical structure of the Shih
Tzu's head, their eyes are especially vulnerable to being
injured. This can be caused by collisions with foreign objects,
encounters with other animals, rough play, etc. Eye injuries are
probably the most avoidable of all ailments that affect the Shih
Tzu and can be prevented to a large degree by providing a safe
environment for the dog to play in, with special care taken to
removal of potentially injurious objects. Shih Tzu should always
be supervised when interacting with other animals and should
discouraged from rough play. Another important preventive
measure is to keep the eyes and eye area as clean as possible.
Avoid allowing crustiness or dirt to accumulate. When grooming,
it is recommended that the hair covering the eye area be left at
a reasonable length as it protects the eyes from dirt and debris.
A genetically linked disease that often affects the Shih Tzu is
Progressive Retinal Atrophy, or PRA. PRA is basically the de
generation of the retina and retinal tissue over time and can
lead to blindness at an early age. If a dog is suspected of
having PRA, veterinary care should be provided. As PRA is an
inheritable disease, dogs that suffer from the affliction should
not be bred.
Shih Tzu are also very susceptible to ear
infections. Ear
infections are generally not serious and can be treated easily
by a veterinarian. Some preventive methods include keeping the
inside of the ears immaculately clean and free of hair and other
debris.
Bones, Joints, and Internal Organs: Another genetically linked
disease that affects ShihTzu is Hip Dysplasia. Hip Dysplasia is
a degenerative disease that affects the function of the
ball-and-socket joint of the hip. This can be an extremely
debilitating disease and cannot always be corrected by surgery.
Dogs suffering from Hip Dysplasia should not be bred.
Renal Dysplasia is an inherited disease that affects normal
kidney function which, in turn, affects the overall health of
the dog. Although Renal Dysplasia is more prevalent in older
dogs, it can also affect young puppies and in some cases, can be
fatal. Dog with Renal Dysplasia should not be part of any
breeding program.
Other Concerns: Just as in humans, some Shih Tzu suffer from
abnormal thyroid function. This can be treated with medication
prescribed by a veterinarian, although the dog may have need of
the medication for the entirety of their lives.
Shih Tzu also seem to be prone to certain types of allergies
including food allergies, flea allergies, and hypersensitivity
to environmental substances. This can lead to any number of
secondary ailments, such as irritated skin, hair loss, and
overall poor health. Allergy testing can be performed by a
veterinarian and can be treated with medication.
About the author:
Learn more about Dogs and Puppies on Don Krnel's site
http://www.dogsandpuppies.info
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