Is your Shih Tzu Obese?

Posted in Dog Nutrition | By: Camille Goldin | 07 Aug 2010 9:35 am    

Obesity is one of the most common health problems that Shih Tzu owners encounter with their dogs. If you are the owner of a Shih Tzu, it is important to carefully monitor the dog diet to ensure that your dog is the proper weight.

Proper Weight

Your Shih Tzu should have an adult weight of 9-15 pounds. A great way to tell if your dog is a good weight without a scale is to use their ribs as a guide. If the Shih Tzu’s ribs are sticking out a great deal, they are underweight and need more food in their dog diet. If you can feel the ribs but can tell they are under a layer of fat and muscle, your Shih Tzu is getting an ideal amount of nutrition and exercise; they are a healthy weight. If the ribs cannot be felt, your Shih Tzu is obese and needs to be put on a specialized dog diet.

Many people do not realize that dogs can be overweight just like humans. Dogs need a certain amount of calories each day. More active dogs require more food and more calories. Shih Tzu tend to overeat if their diet is not controlled. Try feeding your dog a set amount of food a few times throughout the day to stabilize and reduce the weight of your Shih Tzu.

Dog Diet

Your Shih Tzu should be eating ½ ounce of dog food for pound that they weigh. This means that a 10 pound dog will need 5 ounces of dry dog food each day. Consider feeding your Shih Tzu 1-2 times per day. Leaving food out all day for your dog may cause them to over eat which will lead to obesity. Work with your dog to develop a feeding and exercise schedule that will help your Shih Tzu to have a health weight.

Problems from Obesity

While a fat dog may look cute, they will have a great risk for serious health problems. It is very important to make sure that you keep your Shih Tzu at a healthy weight by controlling their dog diet.

Obesity will put additional strain and weight on the small bones of the Shih Tzu. This can lead to bone and joint issues as well as arthritis. Your dog may have difficulty walking and running. Extra weight can lead to long term problems with bone and joint health.

Obesity can also cause your Shih Tzu to have a difficult time adjusting to warm weather. This can be especially problematic for long haired dogs. Heat can cause serious problems such as exhaustion, heat stroke and occasionally death.

Shih Tzu obesity can lead to many of the same health problems that humans encounter. Maintaining a healthy weight through dog diet and exercise will lessen your Shih Tzu’s risk for diabetes, heart problems, respiratory and breathing issues, digestive problems and more. A healthy dog will live a longer, happier life. It is very important to carefully monitor your Shih Tzu’s weight so that they can be healthy.