The
information on this page is provided to you as a tool to find what works
for you. These are tools and products I use to take care of my Shih Tzu.
The tips
on this page are mainly for Shih Tzu that are not in show coat. Be sure
to see below for how to keep your Shih Tzu face white.
Taking
care of a show coat is much more involved with so many what if's. If you
want to grow your Shih Tzu coat long and want tips just drop me an
email.
Tian Mi Shih
Tzu uses Bead Leads exclusively for all our leash/ lead needs. In and
out of the ring.
SHAMPOO
I always
use #1 All Systems White Lightening shampoo on white faces..
I wet the
face first and lather the white lightening on their face. Be careful, do
not get in their eyes. I let the white lightening sit wash and rinse the
rest of the Shih Tzu. The face is the last thing I rinse.
My very
favorite dog shampoo is Crown Royal biovite shampoo and conditioner
FORMULA 1. I use this off and on just to mix things up a little. It
smells so good and does a really nice job on coats.
An awesome condioner I use
for many of my bigger coats is Morracanoil - It lays the coat down,
makes is easy to manage and makes it flow without being heavy or
oily.
Pure Paws
makes a shampoo that is wonderful for all coats. It moisturizes and
calms dry itchy skin. It leaves the coat clean and shiny. It also
smells great. I buy this by the gallon. I use it on cut downs as well as
some show dogs.
Some dogs
will get flea bites, seborrea, hot spots or just dry itchy skin.
If your dogs seems to get itchy a lot or seems to get stinky before bath
time rolls around again, you might need to use a medicated shampoo.
My choices
are
Micro-Tek
shampoo by Eqyss
Label
description:
The
fastest acting, most effective shampoo ever developed! It aids in the
control of problems upon contact, using a trademarked formula developed
from NASA research on the decontamination of astronauts.
Combines ingredients to create the healthiest environment for healing.
For
problem areas you can use Chris Christensen Peace and Kindness Skin
Spray
Label
Description:
Peace
& Kindness is a completely natural antibiotic that is just as
effective as it's synthetic counterparts BUT CAUSES NO SIDE EFFECTS OF
ANY KIND. Unknown to most of us, the medical community has been
aware of the anti-microbial power of SILVER since the early 1900's.
As a matter of fact SILVER has been medically proven to be one of the
best infection fighting agents ever discovered.
EVERY HOME
THAT HAS A SHIH TZU SHOULD HAVE A BOTTLE OF THIS.
I
bathe once a week. I always dry my Shih Tzu after their bath. Brushing
and drying your Shih Tzu will cut down on mats later and prevents them
from catching a chill. If a dog has tangles or mats you need to brush
first and then bathe. If you put water on mats or tangles it will
"set" them or make them much worse, getting them out after the
fact is very painful for your Shih Tzu. Please use a puppy cut if
you cannot maintain longer hair.
To
Whiten Faces
#1
All Systems super whitening gel, follow instructions on jar. This is
very effective getting stains off the face furnishings.
You
can mix 50/50 boric acid powder and baby cornstarch and apply to the
face furnishings with a cosmetic brush, This will help whiten the face and
keep it fresh. The boric acid helps dry, whiten, and kill bacteria.
Show
Off is a rinseless shampoo. Some Shih Tzu need a good face washing every
day to help keep their face white. Show off whitens as it cleans. Spray
on, paper towel off the dirt and dry.
COMBS
& BRUSHES
Teflon Anti Static pet comb Use this to brush
through
the hair to check for mats and smooth down brushed coat. Do not use to
rip out mats. medium/coarse I also use this on the face. Not ripping
through the hair but softly making sure there are no mats. I have about
ten of these. They are everywhere. I use them for home and show.
The besty
brush you can get on Amazon is
Chris Christensen 27mm oblong brush. It is a pin
brush with NO balls.
A
small or medium slicker brush. A must for getting out mats and brushing
feet. Be careful when you use this brush, it can leave marks behind on
the skin if you are rough. Dont rip hair out just brush gently. I
have used a ton of these over the years and I have found this to be the best
and hold up the longest. I have broken
A rat tail comb is good to help part the hair to put up topknots or
helps divide ear hair off for putting in pretty pigtail bows. You can
use any rat tail but the one I love and use most often is a bone rat
tail like this one
FLEA
CONTROL
I
do not like using flea control because of the chemicals. I do however believe
living in Florida that flea control is a necessary evil if you let your dogs
go outside. I try to avoid putting chemicals on the Shih Tzu. I treat my house
and yard first. During the summer months I normally have to use chemicals on
my Tzu. I have found comfortis and Bravecto are very good products. I stopped
using Comfortis and exclusively use Bravecto as it has been "tested"
safe on breeding dogs. I do not give as often as the package directs you.
Sometimes I will go six months. I do not use if I do not see fleas on the
dogs.
CUTTING
AND TRIMMING
For
cutting down my Shih Tzu I use Andis Excel Pro-Animal 5 speed. This
clipper makes fast work of grooming and results are smooth. Clipper is
lightweight and does not tire you out. Be sure to check the bldes often. They
heat up and can burn yoru baby. I suggest getting a couple blades so you can
switch, allowing one to cool while using the other.
Andis
#10 blade is a staple for grooming a Tzu
For the pads of the feet, anal area, bridge of nose and muzzle I use a
micro trimmer. I have a couple different clippers like this.
Different brands. This is a perfect size for small areas.
You
will need a nice sharp pair of scissors. These can get VERY
expensive. Kenchii has a decent pair that is reasonably priced. A cheap pair
of shears will nto last a couple times and will nto sharpen well. These will
sharpen and last a long time.
For
nails I use a dremmel. I find the dogs accept it well and it helps me avoid
cutting the quick.
WATER
BOTTLES
Water
bottles are a must for Shih Tzu. Not just dogs who are in full coat but
cut downs as well. Bottles keep the face furnishings dry and cut down on
staining. Water sitting on the face encourages red yeast to grow and the
dog will become stained.
The
water bottle stands below can be purchased at www.petoasiswaterstand.com
These stands come with a couple options for bottle attachments. Acrylic lasts
and cleans very easy.
How
to keep your Shih Tzu face white
Stainless
steel bowls are best for Shih Tzu. Stainless steel does not harbor
bacteria like plastic and does not hold smells and stains like plastic.
Some plastics are known to discolor faces. Make sure your bowl is
shallow because the Shih Tzu do not have snouts like other breeds. I use
the cat bowls below.
First
trick to keeping a White face white is no water BOWLS. Only use bottles.
Keep
in mind, differnt lines of Tzu may stain more or less than others. Seeing a
puppy's parents before you purchase can tell you a lot.
The following methods are used by "Show people" to help
maintain a white face. You can start this routine on a Shih Tzu at any
age.
Mix
equal parts Boric acid and corn starch, you can mix up a batch and
store in a container. It last forever.
Clean
your Shih Tzu beard and moustache once a day including any stained
hair under the eyes. You can use the Show Off rinse less shampoo
mentioned above.
Dry
face completely.
Apply
cornstarch mixture under eyes with a toothbrush and to the rest of
the face with a cosmetic blush brush. Be careful not to get any
mixture in their eyes. Hold onto the beard to steady the Shih Tzu.
You
can band or wrap ( you can use strips of soft paper towel) the
face with the mixture.
About
an hour before his bath every week you can use #1 All systems
whitening gel. Apply with toothbrush to effected areas and let dry.
When
you give Shih tzu a bath use #1 All Systems White Lightening shampoo
on the face. Wash the face first and leave the shampoo on according
to bottle directions (about 15 min). Make sure you do not get in
your baby's eyes, it is not a tearless shampoo.
Light
staining will take about one month to clear up.
You can also try ¼
teaspoon of powdered buttermilk to your Shih Tzu’s food daily. This
seems to change the chemical composition of the tears and seems to cut
down on staining. You can get the powder at any supermarket. Once opened
you have to refrigerate and it lasts for quite a while.
I
personally use The #1 All systems whitening gel on show dogs if I need
to take out a bit of staining. My dogs normally do not stain but there
is an exception to everything. I also use the White lightening shampoo
every wash on every dog. At a dog show I will brush in a bit of
cornstarch to cover any imperfections or dry a damp face.
