Shih Tzu: health conditions to watch
Shih Tzus are affectionate, easy-going lap dogs. Their flat face, prominent eyes and hairy ears bring a handful of predictable things to stay on top of, all easier to manage when you know what to look for.
What to watch in a Shih Tzu
A predisposition is a “worth knowing”, not a diagnosis. Most Shih Tzus never develop these — but knowing the early signs means you can act early.
Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome (BOAS)
Learn about Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome (BOAS) →The flat face makes breathing harder work, especially in heat or excitement; snoring and noisy breathing are worth taking seriously, and they overheat quickly.
Join the Breathing & Airways community →Vision Loss
Learn about Vision Loss →Those big, exposed eyes are prone to injury, dry eye and ulcers; any redness, cloudiness, pawing or squinting deserves a prompt check.
Join the Vision & Eye Health community →Skin & Ear Infections
Learn about Skin & Ear Infections →Facial folds and hairy ear canals trap moisture, so fold and ear infections are common and worth a regular check.
Join the Allergies & Skin community →Bladder Stones (Uroliths)
Learn about Bladder Stones (Uroliths) →The breed is prone to bladder stones; straining, frequent squatting or blood in the urine warrants a check (a dog that cannot pass urine is an emergency).
Join the Urinary Health community →Start here
Flat-Faced Dogs and Heatstroke: The Rules That Save Lives
For a flat-faced dog, heatstroke is not a hot-summer worry to file away for July. It is a fast, year-round killer, and the difference between a dog that recovers and a dog that doesn't is very often a few decisions an owner makes in the first few minutes, before any vet is involved. So here...
BOAS Surgery: Should We Operate, or Not?
Operate, or not. That is the question this piece is built around, and it's one of the harder ones in flat-faced medicine. Maybe your vet raised surgery after listening to your dog breathe, or maybe you've watched your Frenchie snore through the night and snuffle through every walk and gone looking yourself. Either way it's...
Flat-Faced Dog Breathing: Normal, or Dangerous?
You know the soundtrack already. The soft snore from the dog bed that everyone finds adorable. The little snort when they get excited at the door. The snuffle on a walk, the gulping and gurgling after a drink, the way they flop down propped against a cushion with their chin in the air. If you've...
Thinking of Getting a Flat-Faced Dog? An Honest Guide
There's a reason these dogs are everywhere. A French bulldog tilting its head at you, a pug leaning its whole weight into your shins, a bulldog snoring like a small engine on the sofa: they are funny, affectionate, devoted little companions, and the people who love them love them fiercely. So let me be clear...
Living With a Brachycephalic Dog: The Everyday Playbook
A good life for a flat-faced dog is built out of small, unglamorous, daily habits, and almost none of them cost anything. That is really the whole of this piece. There's no lecture coming about whether you should own the breed, because you already do and you already love the dog. So let's talk instead...
BOAS Surgery: What It Involves and the Week-by-Week Recovery
Your flat-faced dog is booked in, or has just come home with a shaved patch on a leg and a slightly bewildered look. The practical questions follow quickly. What did the surgeon actually do in there? How worried should you be in these first couple of days, and when will you hear that easier breathing...
Looking after a Shih Tzu
- Keep them cool and watch the breathing — brachycephalic dogs overheat quickly
- Protect and check the eyes daily; ask about a tear (dry eye) test
- Clean facial folds and dry the ears regularly
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