Welcome To
Our Shih Tzu Puppies, where our babies are the
BEST you can adopt.
Shih Tzu Health Issues
Responsible Shih Tzu
breeders do
genetic testing
on all their adults to make
sure they
don't have health issues
Before they breed them
Shih Tzus are a deformed breed in two ways – their short legs
and long back are chondrodysplastic, and their short pushed-in
face is brachycephalic. Both of these syndromes can cause
orthopedic problems, respiratory problems, and eye problems.
Four eye diseases occur in Shih Tzus and can lead to blindness:
cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), dry eye, and
glaucoma.
Other eye diseases to watch out for include corneal ulcers,
eyelash abnormalities (which are particularly persistent and
difficult to treat in Shih Tzus), cherry eye, retinal dysplasia,
and tear duct disorders.
A serious kidney disease, renal dysplasia, can kill Shih Tzu
puppies at 6-12 months old. A simple DNA test is available for
renal dysplasia in Shih Tzus, so you can find out at any time
whether your dog has the disease, carries the disease, or is
completely clear of it.
Shih Tzus are very prone to urinary stones, which are
especially dangerous in males.
Allergies cause itchy skin and often lead to bacterial skin
infections (pyoderma). Ear infections are common due to profuse
hair in the ear canals.
Liver shunt is a concern in Shih Tzus, as is liver disease
(chronic hepatitis).
Orthopedic health problems include luxating patella (loose
knees), intervertebral disk disease, and hip dysplasia. The
Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of 565
Shih Tzus and found 19% dysplastic. That's a terrible rate for a
small dog, and the true rate is even higher because most of the
obviously bad X-rays were not sent in for official evaluation.
For comparison, Lhasa Apsos, Bichons, and Havanese all have a 6%
hip dysplasia rate.
A hormonal/endocrine system disease, hypothyroidism, is seen
in Shih Tzus, and a digestive disease, pyloric stenosis, also
occurs in Shih Tzus.
Two health problems in Shih Tzus are related to the blood:
blood-clotting disease (von Willebrand's) and autoimmune
hemolytic anemia.
Can you prevent health problems from happening to YOUR Shih Tzu?
Yes, often you can.
Some health problems are genetic, which means inherited
from parents. Genetic health issues are common in Shih Tzus
today because of unwise breeding practices.
Other health problems are environmental, which means
they're caused by the way you raise your dog. My
best-selling dog health book, 11 Things You Must Do Right To
Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy shows you how to prevent
environmental health problems by raising your Shih Tzu puppy
(or adult dog) in all the right ways.
WATCH THIS GREAT VIDEO, LEARN
TO PROTECT YOUR SELF..
