There can be a lot of ways to make Shih Tzu care easy; one is by knowing the proper methods or techniques on how to do it. Knowing how to properly bath your dog or clean his ears and eyes will definitely make your Shih Tzu care period easy. But no matter how good you are in grooming, bathing and cleaning your dog if you do not have the equipment and tools, it will never be easy all along.

Dogs no matter what breed need regular grooming. There are various tools to aide every Dog Owners in their grooming endeavor. Below is the list:

1. Combs

Combs are important when working with your dog’s coat. There are two types of combs recommended for dog use; a wide-toothed comb and a fine one. Wide-toothed comb is ideal for tangles and mats while the fine one is for finishing or final work.

Pin brush is ideal for dogs with soft and long coat. Bristle brush on the other hand should be used to dogs with short coat. When choosing your dog’s comb, always remember to check the tips of the teeth. It should be blunt to prevent injuring your dog’s skin.

2. Scissors

There are two types of scissors for clipping or trimming your dog’s hair; ordinary scissors and thinning shears. Famous and expensive brands of scissors claim quality and perfection but don’t be deceived with that. What is important is that they work well according to their purpose.

Owners of dogs that need trimming should have at least three scissors: a thinning model, an ordinary pair with long blades and a pair with short blunt-pointed blades to work ears, pads, etc.

3. Nail Clippers

There are two types of nail clipper for your dog’s nails. The first is the one of guillotine style and the second is the one with sickle blades. Nail clippers with sickle blades should be used to large dogs with thick, rigid nails because guillotine style doesn’t work properly on them.

Manicure tweezers can be used to replace canine nail clipper. Pliers are another option especially to really strong nails. Just take extra care when using these two items.

4. Grooming Table

Grooming table makes grooming session easy preventing you to crouch. Professional grooming table usually have devices to fix an animal, suspended sacks for trimmed hair, stands, shelves and boxes for grooming tools.

Grooming table for non-professionals or home use doesn’t need to be this elaborate. What is important is it has a non-slip surface with a soft towel or rubber mat.

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A Shih Tzu may eat his own poop, other dog’s poop, cat poop, rabbit poop and other animal’s poop. Just imagine how this behavior will affect your adorable Shih Tzu.

Upon knowledge of this behavior, Dog Owners will surely find information on methods or techniques on how to stop this. You just have to stop him from ingesting feces if you do not want parasites such as tapeworms and whipworms to infest his small body.

Dogs eat poop for various reasons. Starvation or lack of food intake is what some people believe to be the reason why a dog eats his poop.

Some says that a dog eats his poop to hide it. When a dog accidentally excreted in an inappropriate place, the result is punishment. Punishing him physically for staining your highly priced carpet will give him the idea that he is being punished for letting out his poop. Chances are he will either try not to poop or will hide his poop from you.

That is the reason why we sometimes discover poop somewhere in the corner of the house or somewhere that can not be noticed immediately. And if, in anyway he couldn’t find a place to hide his dirt, his last recourse is to eat it. The repeated eating of his poop will eventually lead him to develop this into habit that is sometimes hard to break.

Watching other dogs eat feces can also be the reason why your dog eats his feces. They tend to follow what other dogs re doing. But there is really no proven theory why a dog behaves this way.

Upon knowledge of this disgusting behavior, owners must immediately do something to stop his Shih Tzu from eating his poop and to prevent this behavior from developing into a habit that is hard to break.

Keeping the surroundings clean is one best way to prevent your dog from eating poop. Develop into him the habit of using the appropriate bathroom to prevent poop from scattering all over your place. Some resort to placing cayenne pepper or something that will make poop taste really bad. This will discourage your dog from eating poop. Some says that breaking the one large meal into small frequent feedings a day will help improve this behavior.

It is best to help your dog stop this behavior at once because once became a habit, this will surely become a difficult one to break that will cause various threats to your Shih Tzu’s health.

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Are you capable of saving an orphaned kitten’s life?

It is a sad fact that many newborn kittens face life without their mother, either through abandonment or by being orphaned. So what should you do if you find yourself needing to be a surrogate mother to a small and fragile orphaned kitten?

You may be surprised to learn that it relatively easy to care for an orphaned or abandoned kitten - the main investment will be your time. There are, however, seven essential items that you will need to help with your task. Primarily, your kitten will need a decent sized cardboard box as its home. Further items will be:

A hot water bottle.

Warm nesting material.

A regular eye dropper.

2ml hypodermic syringe fitted with 5cm plastic tubing.

Sterilizing solution for a baby bottle.

An old towel.

The above items will make sure you are able to give your orphaned kitten the basics of life - food and warmth.

Newborn kittens will usually get all the warmth they need from their mother’s body and it is vitally important to ensure that your orphan doesn’t become chilled. This can easily happen and the best way of maintaining the necessary temperature required - between 30-35 degrees centigrade for the first week of life and 25 degrees centigrade afterwards - is to place a suitably sized cardboard box close to a radiator.

As an alternative, a hot water bottle placed under one corner of their box will provide the warmth needed and your kitten will have the choice of moving to a cooler area of its home if it chooses.

It is important to make sure that your kitten cannot climb out of its box. Once away from its home, your kitten will become chilled very quickly. However, the box must be roomy enough to allow your kitten to move and play easily, whilst still providing security and a comfortable temperature. Using an old towel to partially cover the open top of the box is a good way to meet all these needs.

As you are acting as ‘mother cat’, it will be your job to keep your kitten’s bedding clean. Old newspaper is great to use as bedding material as it can be easily removed and disposed of when soiled.

Feeding is a priority once warmth and security have been dealt with.

Here, patience and persistence are what is required as you learn to effectively administer each milk feed via an eye dropper or, as your kitten grows, a hypodermic syringe fitted with an appropriately sized tube attached in place of a needle. Your vet will have kitten formula milk and will also be able to supply you with the equipment necessary to administer it with. Alternatively, good pet stores will sell specialist feeding bottles for use with orphaned or abandoned kittens. Always make sure that the feeding equipment is sterilized after each use, just as you would for a baby’s feeding bottle.

Decide on a firm surface, place your kitten on an old towel and hold its head gently yet securely. Steadying your kitten all the while, gently introduce a drop or two of milk into its mouth. It may take a few tries but, with patience, your orphaned kitten can be persuaded to start suckling. Always make sure that the teat is full of milk and maintain a gentle pressure in response to your kitten’s sucking strength.

Follow your vet’s advice on the amount of formula to feed your kitten and always remain alert to the general health of your small orphan. If you are at all worried or concerned about any aspect of your kitten’s health don’t hesitate to call in the professionals and consult your vet without delay.

As you watch your orphaned kitten grow, you will rightly feel parental pride in the role you have played in saving its life. Your care, dedication and love given freely to a helpless and tiny creature will have safeguarded its survival and without you it would surely have perished at birth.

So you definitely can save an orphaned kitten’s life. However, to succeed, you will need to have the best information and guidence to help you in your task. It will be your responsibility to find out all you need to know and then to use that knowledge to ensure that your kitten recieves the very best care you can give. Your time and trouble will not go unrewarded though - your healthy, playful kitten will return your love many times over!

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Shih Tzu care is one of the factors to consider in keeping your Shih Tzu healthy and happy. To prevent tangles and mats in their long double coat, Shih Tzus need regular grooming.

A Shih Tzu is either in clipped or full coat. If you wanted to keep your Shih Tzu’s coat clipped short, it is still important that he should be accustomed to being groomed at an early age. Fifteen minutes of daily brushing is what a clipped Shih Tzu needs to get used to grooming. However, long or full coat Shih Tzus used in dog shows need to keep its coat at floor length thus daily grooming with a wire brushing is important.

Start brushing your Shih Tzu’s hair from the head gently brushing the hair away from the eyes. It is important that the hair must be kept away from the eyes at all times to prevent irritation which may lead to infection or ulceration. If the hair is still falling into the eyes, trimming is recommended however, extra care should be taken when doing the process.

Not only should the hair around the eyes be trimmed but the mouth and the ears as well. Short hair around the area of the mouth prevents food from gathering and prevents ear infections in the ears. After working on the face, it is time to proceed to your dog’s neck and then body.

The nails and the hair between the pads should be kept short so it is important to pay extra attention to your dog’s feet and legs. The last parts to be groomed are the puppy’s bottom area and tail. The hair in his behind should be kept short to make it easy for him during potty time. Make sure that this area is clean and free of excrement by checking it daily.

Totally dry coats should not be brushed to prevent breakage. What you are supposed to do is just dampen the coat and brush it in layers. Using a grooming table makes this activity easy for it prevents you from crouching. A firm non-slip surface with a soft towel is ideal.

Bonding time is when you and your dog are doing things together. Be it a walk in the park or just the usual grooming session, these activities create a lasting friendship. Grooming a Shih Tzu is not an easy task but knowing the basics can lead to you to an enjoyable moment with your dog. You just have to know how to handle him.

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