Tips On Peaceful Coexistence With Your Shih-Tzu Puppy
or
Bringing the Baby Home


by

 Jane Marie Rich

Years ago, I tried to purchase a comprehensive book or even a pamphlet that would cover general information on a puppy and particularly information on a Shih Tzu puppy.  I couldn't find anything, so I wrote this.  I hope you find some or all of this useful. 

This paper presumes you now have a Shih-Tzu puppy and there are some things you need to know.

Shih-Tzus are lap dogs.  They are gentle and sweet tempered.  Shih Tzus do not shed, (even if their coats are allowed to grow long.)  They do not require long outside walks.  Shih Tzus are happy with other dogs or alone.  They are not hyper or yappy and do not mug your company (or you.)  Shih Tzus love to play, but will leave you alone when you have had enough.

The next few weeks are critical, as you are creating the strong foundation that will support your relationship with your Shih Tzu puppy for the rest of its life.  The more time you can give, the more rapidly your puppy will adapt to your lifestyle. 

Be prepared.  Accumulate all of your supplies; decide where they will be kept, where the puppy will be allowed to stay, and where the puppy's bed and/or crate will reside.  Puppies are social creatures; they do not want to be locked away from the humans in their family, nor should they be.  Locking puppies into bathrooms or basements isolates them from their families, interferes with house training, and adds unneeded stress.  The closer an eye you can keep on the puppy, the faster you will bond , the less potential destruction of your house, and the quicker house-training will be accomplished.  So make plans to keep the puppy, the playpen, and/or the crate near you.  Crates can be kept in the living room, the playroom, the kitchen, or even in a bedroom.  It may be necessary to move the crate or have more than one crate, so that the puppy is near the family, but still quiet enough to settle down for naps or nighttime sleeps.  Some owners move the crate from the hub of daytime activities into their bedroom at night.  This is a perfect place, because is quiet and warm, and has the added security of family members. It helps to put a sock or a worn t-shirt in the crate so your puppy can feel closer to you.

Always offer a treat when you confine the puppy.  Speak with enthusiasm about going to the "playpen."  Never use the playpen or bed or crate as a place to put your dog to be punished. Keep fresh food and water in the confinement area all the time. Remember that the puppy is safely in a playpen, not a jail, and your attitude rubs off on her. 

Socialization and exercise are important for puppies.  Puppies that get adequate exercise behave better and sleep better than those that spend their lives in crates.  Just make sure that the puppy is not over-exercised, over-stressed, or hurt by bigger dogs or small, unsupervised children.  Most puppies are too little and fragile to play with adult dogs and should never be left alone with one, even if the adult dog is your own pet.  There is just too great a risk of damage to the puppy.  After the dogs adjust to each other and the little puppy grows for several months, you can consider leaving them together.  The same advice holds true for the puppy and other pets, such as cats.  Puppies should never be left alone with another pet, as either animal may be severely injured.  This common sense advice also applies to puppies and young children, as either may harm the other.

Make sure that your house is puppy-proofed.  In a similar manner to baby-proofing the house, one needs to think like a curious puppy and take a good, hard look at the house.  Temporarily remove irreplaceable, precious items that can be knocked down or chewed-up.  Put child locks on cabinets so that bathroom supplies and poisonous cleaners, laundry detergents, pesticides, car products, and lawn products are totally inaccessible.  Fix gates and fences, and make sure that door latches work properly.  Fence off areas of the yard that you do not want soiled or dug up.  Teach children to close doors to rooms that are off limits to the puppy.  Do your best to confine computer wires and cords into bundled packages that are out of reach of the puppy.  Finally, post the number for national poison control in an easy-to-find and easy to remember place.

This puppy is a member of your family.  At least, she thinks she is.  There is no need to have any problems at all with her if you love her and remember that she is a puppy and will act like a puppy for at least a year. Don't tease her, and don't let anyone else tease her.  Remember the difference between playing and teasing (and there is a difference)!  Playing is when you are both having fun.  Teasing is when somebody isn't having fun. Teasing will make any dog nervous and probably mean-tempered.  Well, you get the idea.  Read this paper through and use some common sense and you will have a devoted friend for many years.

New puppies need a warm, loving home, guidelines, schedules, and age-appropriate rules.  They do not train themselves and they do not know what is expected of them.  It is your job to calmly and repeatedly show them proper age-appropriate behaviors.  Puppies that are rewarded for proper behavior will learn much faster than those that are punished for inappropriate behaviors.  For example, punishing a puppy for urinating in the house is totally useless.  The dog's actions tell you that it has no idea where it is supposed to have eliminated.   One of the keys to training your puppy is to remember that the tiny, adorable bundle of fluff that is delicately chewing on your fingers will rapidly grow into a larger bundle of fluff that can be really obnoxious if not properly trained.  So think for the future.  If you do not want your adult dog biting your hands playfully, stop the behavior now and redirect your puppy's attention to appropriate chew items.  If you do not want your adult dog playing with you at 2:00 in the morning, do not play with a young puppy that wakes up in the middle of the night.  Simply take her outside to eliminate and put her back to bed.  Realize now that the actions and schedules you create today will follow you into your dog's adult life.


On House-Breaking

The very first rule on house-breaking is confine the puppy.  I cannot stress this enough.  This puppy has been confined every day of her life so far, and she does not mind at all!  A puppy pen is best, but a crate will do.  NEVER let the puppy wander unattended in the house.  Take her out of her area as often as you can and supervise her every movement.  If she appears ready to potty, pick her up quickly and put her down where you want her to go, either on her puppy pad or outside in her designated spot.    When she does go there, praise her voluminously!  Take her outside routinely for at least 10 minutes at a time and praise, praise, praise and give her a treat when she goes to the bathroom outside (or on the puppy pad.)  At first she will think you have lost your mind, but she will soon catch on and will potty outside just to please you.  If she has an accident in the house, DO NOT hit her or shout at her!  Just express your displeasure and take her outside or to the puppy pad.  If she does have an accident, just remember that she is a baby puppy and you are an adult human and this is probably not really her fault.

If your puppy does potty in the house, clean it up immediately and use Lysol spray or something to kill the odor.  Your puppy will return to a spot where there is an odor of urine or feces (not to mention what your house will smell like after a while if you do not kill the odor.)  Actually, if this is a  problem, there are several excellent commercial products that kill the odor of puppy urine.

Another point about the confinement area;  be sure the area is small enough that the puppy cannot pick out a corner and use it for the bathroom during the housebreaking period.  Most puppy pens come in folded sections and can be assembled to be quite small.  If you are using a room instead of a pen, a crate is a good idea during the housebreaking period.  After about 8 weeks, puppies can hold their stool and urine for 8 hours, so be sure to take them out within that time.


On Chewing Things Up

The first rule on controlling chewing puppies is to confine the puppy.  Keep her in a puppy pen with plenty of toys to chew on and take her out as often as you can give her your undivided attention. Do not set her up to fail -like leaving her unattended with a pair of tennis shoes-and then getting mad at her for chewing the shoes!  It is her job to chew shoes!  If you don't want her to do it, don't leave the shoes where she can get them. If you screw up and leave her with the shoes, for Pete's sake, don't get mad at her!  If she begins to chew on a chair leg or some other forbidden object, tell her no and give her something that she can chew on legally. Do not shout at her and NEVER, NEVER hit your dog! I have an agreement with puppies in my house that if it is on the floor, it is legal.  So if I leave a sock and it gets chewed up, it is my fault.  The solution is to pick up
all socks, not punish the puppy.  There are also good commercial products
available which will make things like chair legs taste nasty (like bitter apple).  Get some.


On Food and Feeding

Free feed your dog starting now and for life.  Use a top quality dog food that is a proven complete food and nutrition formula.  I use only Eukanuba for puppies and dogs.  This dog food is so well balanced that no supplemental vitamins or minerals are needed with it.  I think it's significant to note that pregnant and lactating bitches do not need extra supplements of any kind if you feed Eukanuba.   Your dog will have a healthy, shiny coat. This stuff is expensive but dogs this size don't eat much and I rarely have a sick dog or a vet bill.  NEVER  give your puppy table scraps or any other people food.  Never give your puppy bones from chicken or pork chops.  These bones can shred and puncture the inside of the puppy's mouth, esophagus, stomach, or intestines, and cause her agonizing pain and cause you terrible heartbreak and expense.  Beef bones are not as harmful but they will cause digestive upset and loose stool.  Keep in mind that chocolate and black walnuts can be lethal.   It is really better to feed dry, nutritionally balanced dog food and nothing else.  Feed treats that are also nutritionally balanced dog food.  Here are the reasons why I recommend this way to feed:

Your dog will never be fat or skinny if she free feeds.  Dogs eat as much as they need and only that amount when food is available all the time.  On the other  hand, if you feed once a day (or twice or whatever), your dog will scarf every morsel because she gets very hungry and her survival instinct tells her to eat all she can get because she may not get more.  It is easy to overfeed or underfeed and affect your dog's health like that.  Let the dog determine how much food she needs.  An adult Shih-Tzu will eat about a cup of  dry Eukanuba a day.  A good rule of thumb to determine if your dog is overweight or underweight is you should be able to feel ribs when touching the dog but you should not be able to see ribs when looking at the dog.  Of course, puppies will be a little more substantial as you feel over them and that is all right.

If you follow this program of having premium food available 24 hours a day, your dog will have small, solid, well formed stools.  No diarrhea or constipation.  No gas. .  (Cheap dog food has fillers and can cause messy and large stools.)  Your dog will never beg at the dinner table either.

Buy premium treats also, like Iams biscuits.  Keep in mind that the treats you give her become part of her diet, so make it good, nutritious food.

Of course, the top benefit of all with proper feeding is that your dog will live as long as possible in optimum health and will look and feel great.



On General Discipline

The first rule is never hit your dog!  Not for anything!  You need to be firm and assertive with her, but it is never necessary to hit or kick or otherwise physically abuse a dog. This breed of dog is very sensitive and can be made hand shy or foot shy easily.  It is so sad to see a sweet little puppy cower and slink away from people.  And it is never necessary OR effective to hit a dog.  Dogs are naturally eager to please.  Their love is unconditional and they will go to wild extremes to please you.  Show your pleasure with loving words and tidbit rewards and the dog will repeat the behavior .  If she displeases you, tell her no and firmly show her what you want.  When she stops the offending behavior, start with the "good girl" part! Do not fail to praise her when she does something right and DO NOT FORGET to praise her when she stops doing something wrong.. even if you are mad  enough to spit nickels!  Be consistent.  It is as easy to confuse your puppy as it is to confuse your child if something is naughty today and OK tomorrow.

Expect the dog to act like a dog and make appropriate provisions for that.    Puppies chew things and puppies potty in the house. Put your good leather shoes away!  And any socks you might be especially fond of!   Confine the puppy to control that behavior and she will learn what you expect of her and will comply.  Dogs are pack animals and you are the leader of the pack.  The dog will trust you implicitly and will obey you naturally in a very short time. Remember that you must catch her in the act to scold her, because she will have no earthly idea what you are upset about in approximately 2 minutes.

It is never too early to start your new puppy on obedience commands.  The smallest puppy can be taught to sit for a brief moment simply by holding a treat up over its head and asking it to sit.  Remember to reward the behavior with the treats from your pocket and high verbal praise, and repeat this exercise briefly several times a day.  Soon you will have even the youngest puppy sitting every time you ask. 

On Toys

This may seem trivial to you, but it's real important to your puppy.  She needs toys to play with and to chew on.  Most puppies love the fleece toys, the soft squeaky toys, and Nylabones to chew.  Buy top quality toys that won't tear up easily and cannot be eaten up or come apart and choke your puppy. Never buy the bones that can be eaten up, or the animal hoofs, or anything made of rawhide, or anything that can shred.  The cotton rope toys are fine and act as dental floss to clean and massage teeth and gums.  Just be sure to buy a good brand that won't shred and choke your puppy.

On Grooming
 

Brush these babies every day.  Be gentle with the brush..  (run it through your

own hair a time or two to see how hard you should brush).  Never brush a dry

coat.  Get a small spray bottle and fill it with water and small amount of

conditioner and spray the coat lightly before you begin brushing.  Brushing a

dry coat can cause static which causes the hair ends to break and the coat isn't as pretty.  I figure whether you show your puppies or not, they should look like show puppies!  No reason not to!  In preparation for all the things you have to do to your dog, start immediately handling the whole body.  Hold feet.  Hold them still for a moment.  Handle toes individually.  Rub all around their pads on their feet. Stick your fingers in her mouth, in her ears, handle around her bottom.

Do this a lot, so that all that you have to do to clip a toenail is clip a toenail, not teach the dog to have her foot handled AND clip a toenail!

I use Coat Handler shampoo and Coat Handler conditioner.  They can be
purchased at some real good pet and vet supply stores and online at the vet
supply houses.  I have tried them ALL, and this is a good one for frequent
bathing.  I have NEVER had a dog with skin problems or coat problems.  I also use a grooming product called "The Stuff" which you spray on lightly either wet or dry and it adds moisture and sheen.  You need to start brushing her daily and the best brush to use is a Hindes brand pin brush. Let me know if you have any problem finding any of this stuff...I buy most of my grooming supplies at www.PetEdge.com.

The Shih-Tzu is a high maintenance dog.  There is no getting around that. But there are a few tips I can give you (above the general grooming information that would apply to any dog) that should make life a little easier.  Coat care for the puppy is easy.  Bathe the puppy once a week and brush her daily.  At this time, she has only one coat which is easy to brush.  (Brush the coat in the direction in which it grows.)  At about eight months of age, however, her undercoat will start to come in.  It is critical that you brush daily during this time because this coat can mat to the skin in just a few days while it is coming in.  The double coat is what gives the Shih-Tzu the regal, full, flowing coat that is so highly prized.  The adult coat requires daily maintenance.  If you let the coat grow and have never
managed a Shih-Tzu coat, post my number somewhere and call when you have any questions or problems.  If you plan to handle this coat yourself,  I offer the following advice.

You need:

A medium sized pin brush made like a hair brush. Find one without the little
balls on the ends of the pins.  They tend to come off and tear the coat. The best value for the money is the Hindes pin brush.  (Pet Edge)

A metal comb with fairly long teeth not too widely spaced.  The Original

Greyhound Comb is best.

A metal flea comb.

Scissors.  Good sharp ones with a blunt tip.

Cotton swabs.

Nail clippers or a dremel tool to grind nails.

Styptic powder in case you cut a nail too short.

A hair dryer.

A good quality (dog) shampoo (Coat Handler) no tears, please.

A good quality (dog) (Coat Handler) cream rinse.

Hair rubber bands.

Hair bows.

Towels.

A little sink hose with a spray head.

A rubber mat for in the sink.

A rubber mat for on the table to groom the dog.

Dog toothbrush.

Dog toothpaste.

Patience, patience, patience....

Make grooming a pleasant, happy experience.  Always give the dog a treat after the grooming routine so it becomes a positive thing.

Get all of your equipment ready before you even call the dog!

Go to the bathroom before you start so you don't need to go with a wet dog in your hands.

Bathe and groom the dog at the quietest time of the day that you can with as
little activity as possible going on around you.

Give the dog your undivided attention during the bath.  Don't make any mistakes (like accidentally squirting her in the face or something) so it can remain a positive experience.

Don't miss the face and neck. Run the water gently when washing the head and
face and the dog will not be  frightened of it.  Even an experienced bather can be freaked out if you put hard running water on her head or face. When washing the face, use the baby shampoo and be sure to wash between the eyes and in the little folds around the nose.  Rinse well.  To work on the face, hold the head by the beard under the chin firmly. Calmly reassure the dog if she seems afraid, but be firm about holding the head still.  Be very careful not to run water in the ears or face.  Be especially careful around the nose because water squirted in their noses can kill them due to the flat faced, short snout design of this breed.  Use a wash cloth for rinsing if it is easier for you.  Wash the ears inside the flaps but be very careful not to get soap or water inside the ear canal.  Use your wash cloth to rinse soap off the insides of the ears.  If this dog has a long coat, do not scrub it, but rather run your fingers through it.  Do not neglect the feet, legs, and tummy.  Shampoo twice and rinse well.  Apply cream rinse and work through the coat. Rinse, but not real well. Wrap the dog in a towel and squeeze out what water you can with towels and proceed to the grooming table.

It is much easier on you and the dog to groom with the dog lying down.  It doesn't take long to teach them this.  Stand the dog in front of you facing the side.  Put your hands on the far side of the body above the front and back legs and lay the dog down.  Pull the legs toward you as you do this and the dog will go right down.  Then patiently hold the dog down with one hand and groom with the other.  It won't be long before the dog will lie there for as long as you need her to.  Start brushing at the underside of the dog and brush a small row of hair.  Brush from the skin out the entire length of the shaft.  Brush gently so as not to tear the hair.  Then bring the hair down in rows about half and inch or so at a time until you reach the middle of the back.  Pay particular attention to the areas behind the ears and to the armpits (do dogs have armpits?) as this is where they tend to mat worse. Do the front and back legs and then let the dog up.  Stand him facing the other way and lay him down and do the other side.  Of course, it isn't necessary to do this with your baby puppy, but do it anyway to get her

used to being lain down for grooming.  Keep the sessions VERY short for the babies and by the time they actually have a long coat, it will be old hat to lie there for you.

Check the feet for any foreign material.  Keep the hair inside the foot pad
trimmed.  Examine the area around and between the toes for splinters or stickers or ticks or whatever.  Trim the nails weekly.  Trim only a tiny bit at a time and be careful not to cut into the quick.  Always have the styptic powder open and beside you when trimming nails just in case.  Hold the paw firmly when trimming nails and pay attention.  If you cut a whole nail off too far down, the dog can bleed to death.  If you do this every week, it is truly no big deal and you shouldn't have any problems.  Keeping the nails short and trim lets the foot stay tight and pretty and makes the movement of the dog correct.  Also, in the absence of proper care the nails overgrow and can painfully break or split and even curl back into the foot.  Trim nails greatly diminish the odds of your dog taking up digging in the back yard, too.  We use a dremel tool for nails here.  Just gently round off the nail with the dremel tool and it stays short and  smooth.  If the puppy acts like the dremel hurts, you are probably grinding a little too short...  it does not hurt when done gently.

Comb the dog's face.  This will be a general wrestling match but be firm and
do it well.  Clean the ears with a q-tip.  If there is any kind of tarry substance

in the ears, suspect ear mites.  Your puppy will be on Revolution to prevent

heartworms when she leaves here.  If you keep her on this once a month, you

will never have to worry about ear mites! You can purchase a good powder to

put in the puppy's ears to dry them out and to give you a good grip on hair

growing in there.  Sprinkle some powder in each ear,  and if there is any hair

growing from the ear, pull it out.  Be gentle.  Pull it with your fingers. 

Big hint here:   

Put the powder in both ears before you start pulling hair in the first ear or you will have powder all over yourself, the table and the dog trying to put the powder in the second ear!  Put the head up after the whole dog is done. Trim the hair around the feet even with the floor.  Trim around the anus.  Check the anal glands.  Every male and female dog possesses two anal glands which can cause a strong odor.  They are located near the anus at the four and eight 'o clock position.  They can occasionally become plugged or infected.  Cleaning  (expressing) the glands may be necessary if they feel enlarged.  I would suggest you have a professional groomer or your vet do this if you have never done it.  It is unlikely that you will have any problems of this nature if you feed the top quality food I recommend so that the stool is the correct size and texture and keeps the glands gently stimulated.

After you have brushed and then combed through the entire coat, blow it dry.
Use warm heat, keep the dryer moving and dry the coat until the dog is bone
dry clear to the skin.  There is a dryer available called a "Super Duck" which is

a dryer that is made for dogs (not nearly as hot as people dryers) and has its

own stand.  This dryer is relatively inexpensive (about $45.00) and can be

purchased through the on-line veterinary and pet supply houses.  This dryer will

change your life if you are grooming puppies..  you will have two hands for the

puppy!  Get one if you possibly can!  Dry the feet thoroughly as well.

BIG HINT HERE:  If the puppy is wigging out from the dryer, back off a bit with

the dryer.. that is, get a little farther away.

Brush her teeth.  Start very young and use only dog toothpaste (it tastes like

chicken- YUM!) and brush teeth at least weekly.  They make a little rubber

thing for you finger to brush with and this might be better for small puppies until

they get use to the stuff in their mouths.

Put up the head.  Part the hair from just to the outside of center of the eye back past the ears to the crown of the head.  Make a pony tail, secure it with a rubber band and do not pull it tight.  Be careful not to get eyelashes in this rubber band and do NOT pull this real tight or your puppy will be uncomfortable and will look really surprised!  Then part the hair from that pony tail to a point at the base of the skull and rubber band that piece. Then put a rubber band around both pony tails.  When removing these rubber bands, cut them.  Redo the head every day, brush the coat paying attention to behind the ears and the armpits, and give the dog a treat for being good. Daily routine maintenance should only take 10 or 15 minutes.


On shots and medical care:

New arrivals need to be seen by your veterinarian within a few days of entering your house.  It does not matter that the breeder has already had the dog examined; it needs to be done again.  Your veterinarian needs to meet the new puppy and confirm that she is in excellent health.   Some puppies will need vaccinations at this initial check-up; others will not.  There is no hard and fast rule for puppy vaccinations.  Many puppies get vaccinated every 2-4 weeks between the approximate ages of 6 and 16 weeks.  Some need additional boosters at six months of age.  It is important to discuss with your veterinarian the diseases that your puppy will potentially be exposed to.  Even though many puppies will receive similar vaccines, the exact mixture is determined by the disease prevalence in your area, the exposure the dog will have, and other factors.  Show puppies in Ohio may need different vaccinations than house dogs in Connecticut, so check with your veterinarian. Take the medical records you receive from Rich Kennels so the vet can accurately determine what shots and vaccines have been given and what he wants to give and when.  We use Revolution for prevention of heartworm and ear mites and we recommend that it be continued.  Ask your vet.

Your Rich Kennels puppy will have a microchip.  Microchips are tiny identification chips that  are placed under the skin on the dog's shoulders.  The chips are a permanent, traceable method to identify your new dog.  This chip will track the puppy back to Rich Kennels who will track it to you.  With the microchip, the puppy is protected for life.

Once you have your veterinarian's okay, enter the little one in puppy classes.  These are a wonderful place to meet human and canine friends, and start obedience work.  The instructors can help answer behavior questions and direct you to resources that may be of help.  Other owners of young puppies can share stories of success and failure, and offer support.  You may even find enough puppies to form a play group.

This is the shot schedule used by Rich Kennels.

6 weeks Parvovirus, Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Adenovirus cough,
Parainfluenza, Bordetella vaccines and Pyrantel wormer and Revolution

8 weeks Parvovirus, Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Adenovirus cough,
Parainfluenza,Bordatella booster

10 weeks Parvovirus, Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Adenovirus cough,
Parainfluenza, Coronavirus vaccines and Safeguard wormer and Revolution

12 weeks Parvovirus, Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Adenovirus cough,
Parainfluenza, Coronavirus

 

Monthly Revolution.  Wormer as needed.  Frontline Plus as needed for fleas and ticks.

Annually Parvovirus, Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Adenovirus cough,
Parainfluenza, Leptospirosis, Coronavirus, Bordetella, Rabies



On illness

Your puppy should be lively, playful, bright-eyed, and loving.  She should eat well, drink a lot, sleep well, and grow.

If she coughs or sneezes, vomits, has a runny nose, feels hot, acts listless or lethargic, bleeds anywhere, or quits eating or drinking, call your vet immediately.

Fleas and ticks should be treated and kept under control.  They carry numerous diseases, some deadly, and cause the dog to scratch, which often results in hot spots.  The new topical treatments are wonderful.  They are safe and easy to apply and can be obtained without a prescription.  We use Capstar pills from our vet and Front Line Plus.  The Front Line Plus is absorbed through the skin, so you only need to put it on once a month even if you bathe the dog weekly.

Kennel Cough is the common name of an infectious cough that is passed from
dog to dog easily.  The name Kennel Cough was derived from the infectious
nature and rapid spread of the disease when a dog is kept in close contact with other dogs in a kennel situation.  Kennel Cough can actually be caused by 13 different viruses and bacteria.  90% of the Kennel Cough cases are caused by the following 3 organisms:  Parainfluenza, Adenovirus type 2, or Bordetella.  If you vaccinate for these 3 organisms, it is unlikely, but not impossible, that your dog will get Kennel Cough.  The recommended vaccines include these three.

There are several strains of Parvovirus.  All dogs, even those vaccinated for Parvo, are still at risk of developing certain new or mutant strains of the disease. Even though your puppy is vaccinated, if you see symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stool), seek medical attention at once. Remember that today's vaccines in their present form do not protect against all new or mutant strains of Parvovirus.

If you find dark pasty stuff in her ears when you clean them, use ear mite
remedy according to the directions.  If that doesn't do it, see the vet.


Any injury should be treated by a vet.

These dogs will jump on and off stuff.  As a general rule, if the dog can jump on it, it is probably safe for him to jump off it (unless the dog is overweight).  The risk here is possible sprained or broken ankles or too much stress on hips.  Do the best you can to keep her from doing too much jumping.

Daily brushing should distribute natural body oil on the skin and coat of your dog, but if she gets dry skin or a dry coat, use a good moisturizer or hot oil treatment.  It is okay to use "people" hair treatments on dogs, but not "people" shampoo or conditioner.


On Stool Eating in Dogs

Dogs frequently are noted to eat their own or the stools of other dogs. This is commonly seen in younger animals and during the winter.  These animals are not suffering from vitamin or mineral deficiencies rather they are responding to inherited behavioral traits.  It is believed that dogs, before they were living with us, often found food to be limited.  This was especially true in their first couple years of life and in the winter months.  To supplement their diet, they would ingest their own or the feces of other animals.  In many cases they are able to digest and receive nourishment from about 10% of the quantity eaten.  To curb this behavior, you can use the commercially prepared product Distaste.  It is a food supplement that gives the stools a taste that dogs will not tolerate.  While
it doesn't work in every case, it is successful most of the time.


Household Medications for Pets


The following is a list of common household human medications that can be
used on pets.  These medications can be especially useful if you can't reach
a veterinarian immediately.



Product  / Common Usage  / Canine Dosage


Buffered Aspirin / Pain relief, anti-inflammatory /  8-12 mg. per lb. every 12
hrs.


Vitamin B  / use as an appetite stimulant  / ½ to 2 ml subcutaneously every 24 hrs.


Benadryl / treats allergies, itching, etc. / ½ mg. per lb. every 8 hrs.  (maximum dose 2 mg. per lb.)


Dramamine / reduces motion (car) sickness  / up to 50 mg. every 8 hrs.


Hydrogen Peroxide / 3% used to induce vomiting after  / 10 ml. by mouth every 15 min.  accidental ingestion of poison


Epinephrine 1:1000 / used to treat reactions following  medications, insect stings / 1/10 to ½ ml. intramuscular or  bites  subcutaneously


Pepto Bismol / for diarrhea, vomiting & anti-gas  /1 tsp. Per 5 lbs. every 6
hrs.


Di Gel Liquid / antacid and anti-gas  / up to 4 tbs. every 8 hrs.


Mineral Oil / eliminates constipation   / up to 4 tbs. daily


Kaopectate / relieves diarrhea  /  1 ml. per lb. every 2 hrs.

Robitussin (pediatric) / relieves coughing   / ¼ tsp. 2 to 4 times per day be sure there is no letter or number after the name - just plain pediatric Robitussin


Tylenol (acetaminophen)      not recommended