Common Issues

Below are a few common issues that can arise,  

Stenotic nares are common in the breed, especially during the teething cycle.  This can take place from about 6 weeks until approximately 6 months or more.  Teething causes swelling in the bronchial tubes, gums, ear canals and nostrils as well as a low-grade fever, all common.  Snorting, clear discharge, tearful eyes, ear draining and scratching are all common as well in the Shih Tzu during teething.  Shih Tzus are bred to have flat faces and therefore the flatter the face the more likely your shih tzu will experience pinched nostrils when teething. 

Every mama and puppy is treated routinely for parasites.  Moms are teated day 42-45 with fendbendazole for 3 days prior to whelping to prevent any passage to puppies.  We deworm our puppies at 2 and 4 weeks with pyrantel pamoate, fenbendazole x 5 days at 6 and 8 weeks, and toltrazuril every week starting at 2 weeks of age.  Giardiasis is a protozoan and can lay dormant in the intestinal tract.  Fecals can be negative and stools solid and then the puppy can be stressed going to a new home, vet, car ride etc and those that are dormant become active.  Treatment does not kill anything that is dormant unfortunately , so, as  much as we would love to guarantee  that the puppy will not develop Giardia once going to their new home, we cannot.  We always get fecals done before they leave.  If the puppy develops giardia it's important to start treatment right away and pick up any stools and discard every time. 

Hypoglycemia is when the puppies blood sugar drops to low levels.  It is a common problem in small breeds.  Some signs are lethargy, seizures, lack of appetite, weakness.  Small puppies should have food available at all times.  This prevents depletion of stored energy . Shih tzu babies are not typically big gobblers, they are pickers.  We always have on hand nutristat or nutrical for instances where a baby needs to bring their sugar up quickly.  Karo Syrup also works in a pinch.  Puppies who are hypoglycemic just don't feel well so. having those on hand are a must.  Place a small dab onto the roof of their mouth, the. baby will start licking.  

Open fontanelle are common for the small babies to have longer than bigger puppies.  They typically close between 6-10m of age. This is the "soft spot"  on the top of the head.  This is important to allow passage thru the birth canal at birth and brain growth as it develops   It's important to be cautions with the baby until the fontanelle is closed.  This is not the same as a hydro puppy.  A hydro puppy has an excess cerebral spinal fluid  in the brain causing pressure on the brain.  These puppies tend to have larger awkward heads. 

It is common for this breed to retain baby teeth.  Adult teeth come in but the baby teeth never fall out.   If your baby retains any teeth they can be removed under anesthesia while being spayed or neutered.