What to Feed a Shih Tzu

There is no single best bag, and any site that names one is selling something. The standard most vets point to comes from the WSAVA global nutrition guidelines.

Pick a brand that does the science. Ask whether the company employs a full-time, board-certified veterinary nutritionist and runs feeding trials. The safe defaults are Royal Canin (which makes a breed-specific Shih Tzu formula shaped for the short muzzle), Purina Pro Plan Small Breed, and Hill's Science Diet.

Choose a small-breed formula with small kibble. A Shih Tzu has a small jaw, often with an underbite, so a kibble it can actually pick up and chew matters. Then judge the food by the dog: firm stool, a healthy coat, settled skin, and a lean body condition.

Shih Tzus have a reputation for approaching the food bowl like a food critic, and most of the time that fussiness is something the household taught. The dog refuses kibble, a worried owner adds a topper or some chicken, the dog eats it, and a clever animal learns that holding out pays. The cure is rarely a better food, it is predictability: feed on a schedule, allow fifteen to twenty minutes, pick up what is not eaten, and stop the between-meal extras. Most healthy Shih Tzus settle into eating their own food within a day or two.

One overlooked cause of a turned-up nose: stale food. A small bag that has been open for weeks can go rancid and smell off to a scent-driven dog, so buy a size your Shih Tzu finishes quickly and keep it sealed.

Here is a fix most owners never think of. As a flat-faced breed, a Shih Tzu can physically struggle with a deep bowl or oversized kibble, and a dog that finds the food awkward to pick up may simply give up and look picky. A shallow, wide bowl and a small-breed kibble often solve an apparent eating problem on their own. Royal Canin even shapes its Shih Tzu kibble specifically for the short muzzle and underbite. It is the cheapest experiment you can run before assuming the food is the problem.

Tear staining is a Shih Tzu obsession, and owners often hope a food change will clear it. The honest answer is mixed. Diet can be a factor for some dogs, because a food intolerance can increase tearing, and a few owners do see improvement after a vet-guided change. But tear staining is driven much more by the flat-faced conformation, shallow eye sockets, and blocked or abnormal tear ducts, plus environmental irritants. There is no reliable “tear-stain food.”

So before you start swapping bags chasing the stains, get your vet to check the eyes and tear ducts, because a structural or medical cause will not respond to a diet change. If a food intolerance is suspected, work it as an elimination diet with your vet rather than guessing.

A typical adult Shih Tzu eats roughly half a cup to a cup of quality kibble a day split into two meals, but the bag chart tends to overstate it for a small dog, so feed to body condition. Feel the ribs easily under a light cover and look for a waist. Obesity strains a small frame and raises the risk of joint and other problems, so count treats inside the daily total.

For puppies, feed a complete small-breed puppy food three meals a day until about six months, then two, and transition foods slowly to avoid loose stool. The American Kennel Club breed guide is a good general reference. Stay on puppy food until roughly nine to twelve months, then transition to a small-breed adult formula. Your vet can confirm the timing and a healthy weight.

Shih Tzus can be prone to itchy skin and allergies. Food can be a cause, but environmental allergies look similar, so confirming a food allergy means a vet-run elimination diet, not a bag swap. And skip grain-free unless your vet diagnoses a grain allergy: the FDA has been investigating a possible link between grain-free diets and a heart condition, and a true food allergy is usually to a protein anyway.

Keep these away from a Shih Tzu completely:

• Chocolate (darker is worse)
• Grapes and raisins (can cause kidney failure, even a few)
• Xylitol (in sugar-free gum, some peanut butters, and baking), which is rapidly fatal to dogs
• Onions, garlic, leeks, and chives
• Macadamia nuts, alcohol, caffeine, and cooked bones

If your Shih Tzu eats something on this list, call your vet, the nearest emergency clinic, or a pet poison helpline right away.

Only with a vet or veterinary nutritionist involved. Some Shih Tzu owners like raw or fresh diets, and a well-built one can suit the breed. But the Merck Veterinary Manual notes that most homemade and raw diets are not nutritionally complete unless formulated by a professional, and raw meat carries a pathogen risk for the dog and the household. A complete cooked or small-breed kibble diet from a nutritionist-backed brand delivers the same results for most Shih Tzus. If you want to go fresh or raw, use a complete commercial product or a vet-formulated recipe.

Every brand worth feeding a Shih Tzu is easy to find in store and online:

• Pet specialty chains (Pet Planet, Tail Blazers, Tisol, and similar). Carry Royal Canin, Pro Plan, and small-breed lines.
• Pet Valu and PetSmart. National chains that stock the major small-breed formulas, including the breed-specific Royal Canin Shih Tzu food.
• Your vet clinic. The place for prescription diets that need authorization.
• Online. The same brands ship to your door, handy for the smaller bags this breed needs.

Because a Shih Tzu eats little, buy a bag size your dog finishes within a few weeks so the food stays fresh, and keep it sealed. A small-breed formula on a recurring delivery means you never run out mid-week.