Shih tzu puppies what is the best food

Plus, this natural dog food provides added vitamins and minerals to ensure that your puppy has a complete diet. This variety is prepared with chicken and formulated just for puppies, with added vitamins and minerals especially for small dogs. Customers loved that this dog food appealed to even the pickiest of eaters while also providing complete nutrition. It contains a good portion of meat as well as carrots, sweet potatoes, cranberries , and blueberries.

At the same time, it also does not contain soy, corn, or wheat, which have been linked to dog allergies. This feature might make this dog food an excellent choice for Shih Tzu puppies with sensitive stomachs or food allergies. This puppy food contains a high level of quality lean protein to provide the necessary nutrients your puppy needs to grow.

Giving your Shih Tzu puppy the correct amount of food is just as important as giving them the right kind of food. Overfeeding your new companion can result in obesity, which brings with it a whole host of health problems. In extreme cases, underfeeding can result in starvation and death, but even in moderate cases malnutrition and poor growth can occur.

Because of the complications that occur, it is imperative to follow the directions on your bag of dog food, especially when it comes to portion sizes.

It is not uncommon for different brands to have different feeding guidelines, so always check when switching brands or from puppy to adult dog food! Your vet will be able to ensure that your puppy is the correct weight and can help you tweak the serving sizes if necessary.

In other words, wolves preferred to eat a diet of almost equal parts protein and fat with only trace amounts of carbohydrates. Another study found that dogs preferred a somewhat similar ratio of A similar study found that over time, dogs changed their dietary preference to contain more protein and fewer fats. In other words, when given access to significant amounts of fats, dogs will gorge themselves in preparation for famine.

Mushrooms — Any type of mushrooms may give your dog stomach pain. Also, with so many varieties of mushrooms, we have to be mindful that some are simply toxic — for humans and dogs alike!

Raw egg — Mostly because it can have bacteria which could make your dog sick. It can be particularly true for sensitive Shih Tzus. Milk is hard for them to digest and can cause diarrhea. Coffee, Tea; Caffeine includes energy drinks — Too much caffeine could cause death, particularly in small breeds like the Shih Tzu.

A tiny lick of your coffee before you notice might not be deadly, however too much certainly could be. So, keep the latte for yourself only. Grapefruit — Your dog may not want the bitter fruit anyways, but we thought its best to mention it — just in case. Shih Tzus should not eat grapefruit as it can diarrhea and vomiting. In a way, they eat a similar diet to what a healthy human should. They thrive on a balance of protein, carbohydrates, good fats, vitamins, and minerals.

The main component of their daily food is often a meat-based protein source such as chicken and also carbohydrates such as brown rice, oatmeal, or barley. Additionally, they will have fruits and vegetables to meet their vitamin and mineral requirements. The right combination of each of these needed ingredients is worked out for you in the specific, small breed dog food you purchase. First off, it is often easiest to check the feeding guidelines on the label of the dog food you have purchased.

Make sure it is the current amount for the age and weight of your dog. Remember, an overweight dog is not healthy so keep an eye that their weight stays in a healthy range. Make sure a small amount of fresh food and water is always available.

You might even want to periodically put your puppy near the food to remind him. They are just babies after all and need a little help.

Shih Tzus can be prone to hyperglycemia when they are this little, so this regular feeding help keeps their blood sugar levels stable.

If they spend too long without food, their blood sugar levels can drop. Similar to when they are 3 — 12 months old, adult Shih Tzus should be fed at least 2 times but 3 times is also good. Since they are a small breed, they need more regular meals than larger breed may be able to tolerate.

Although your Shih Tzu may be a fussy little picky eater and want some fancy gravy-looking dinner, it may not be the best choice. Actually, wet food can cause diarrhea and runny stools. Dry food, on the other hand, provides a crunchy, safe option that is good for their dental health. Dogs need to chew, it is pretty much how they brush their teeth. Just be sure you are buying dry food which is made for small dogs so the biscuits are the right size for them to chew.

Yes, they could eat it with no extreme side effects. Should they eat it though? Bread is essentially a source of carbs carbohydrates which provide a quite source of energy for the body. In fact, weight gain is a problem for these dogs. They will also get sufficient carbs from their actual dog food. So a little bit occasionally might not hurt, but too often and they may put on weight.

Bread is also not overly nutritious for dogs so it is best to save their calorie intake for their dog food which contains the nutrients they need to thrive. Well, a bit like for humans, fruit and vegetables are good for Shih Tzus too. Additionally, it is packed with nutrients that are good for their health! Other fruits that are not only good for you but your Shih Tzu as well, include peaches, pears, melons, berries, and bananas.

Make sure your beloved pet does not each the pit from any fruit though. Remove any seeds or pits before feeding the fruit to your pet. Avoid canned fruit or canned food as it is often swimming in sugary syrup and your Shih Tzu does not need that added sugar in their diets. It is not the easiest as all the dog foods listed have pros and cons, however, Nutro Wholesome Essentials Small Breed Dry Dog Food is the winner of the review roundup!

A major point when caring for your Shih Tzu, is being aware that they have unique needs for their breed. While Royal Canin may have made a kibble for Shih Tzus, they lost major marks for not using quality meat. All the other products had meat as the first ingredient, but not Royal Canin. It is made to meet the needs of small dogs including calcium, zinc, and B vitamins.

It also contains vital Omega 3 fatty acid and 6. Overall, it seems to have the best reviews too with the least amount of complaints about dogs refusing to eat it. The small kibble size is a big winner too, as we know Shih Tzu have a small face, making it harder for them to chew big pieces.

The more they chew, the better their dental hygiene! And with so much protein and other essential nutrients, this food is formulated for your Shih Tzu to thrive. You can get an pound bag of this food for little more than the cost of a four-pound bag of certain competing brands.

Three of the top five ingredients are animal-based, including chicken, which is the primary ingredient in this particular blend. This blend is packed with precisely the nutrients that small breeds need. So expensive, in fact, that a 2. That said, very few dog foods are formulated specifically for Shih Tzus, but this one is breed-specific.

With perfect Shih-Tzu health in mind, this food contains all the nutrients that a small-breed canine requires. While this food is meant to aid in digestive health and improve overall health of Shih Tzu puppies, we have a hard time getting over the first ingredient, which is brewers rice.

It accomplishes this by using quality animal-based ingredients. The first ingredient listed is deboned chicken; a top-quality ingredient that provides plenty of protein and other essential nutrients. Also listed in the first five ingredients are chicken meal and menhaden fish meal, so this blend contains a diverse array of animal-based proteins.

On top of all the protein, this blend contains other nutrients, such as essential fatty acids. We just wish the ingredients list was a bit shorter. Dogs, even little ones like Shih Tzus, need to consume substantial amounts of protein with a diverse array of amino acids from multiple sources. However, this food contains protein from just one meat source. Pros Grain-free recipe is easy to digest Made for small breeds specifically Formulated to improve gut health Contains 20 superfoods that are rich in nutrients Cons Contains protein from just one meat source There are quite a few carbohydrate ingredients 6.

It contains live probiotics for improved digestion. However, looking at the ingredients list gives a slightly different impression. We can get over that, but some of the ingredients are second-rate, such as the animal by-product meals or the many carbohydrate ingredients.

Pros Designed for small breeds under 10 pounds Contains live probiotics for improved digestion High in essential nutrients like vitamins A and E Cons Contains animal by-product meals There are many carbohydrate ingredients 7. Plus, this food is high in essential fatty acids, and even contains glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health. This recipe is grain-free, making it easier to digest than some alternatives made with grains.

But the ingredients list was lackluster at best. Only two of the top five ingredients were animal-based, and the other three were carbohydrates. While we appreciate the attempt to provide vital nutrients, we prefer the recipes that manage to do it with mainly whole-food ingredients instead of supplemental fortification. Pros Grain-free recipe Contains supplements for joint health Loaded with prebiotics and probiotics for digestive health Cons Only 2 of 5 main ingredients are animal products The ingredients list is rather long Many carbohydrates listed in the ingredients 8.

Check Price on Chewy Check Price on Amazon Eukanuba is a more commercialized brand than some of the other names further up this list. The first ingredient is chicken, which is a quality animal protein. A few of the Shih Tzus we fed this too ended up with watery stools. With only 3. Shih Tzus are a breed with a few specific needs. Knowing what to look for can help you to compare different options that look good on the surface and tell which one is truly the better bet for your best friend.