OVERALL HEALTH
I only sell puppies that are diagnosed in good health ( as well as any baby puppy can be at 8 weeks old can be ) by my vet. Keep in mind that there are many issues that could present themselves as the puppy grows older. The puppies are only with me for the first 8 weeks of their lives. Many issues result from the diet, exercise, and environment that the dog grows up in or illnesses they contract later on in life. All these situations are outside of my control. They may also occur just because that is an issue for that individual puppy just like people have different issues that they just develop.
That is why it is important for you to take responsibility for providing your puppy with good health care. Find a vet you trust to instruct you on providing the best life for your puppy.
If there are any issues that your vet deems genetic please let me know. Once a puppy leaves my home I have no knowledge of their health until someone tells me. I cannot fix a problem in my breeding program if I do not know about it. All I can go off of is the health of the dogs in my kennel and the preventative measures and care I give to hopefully provide these puppies the best possible start in life.
Here is a link to the AKC Shih Tzu breed website that has a lot of good, general health information about Shih Tzus as a breed and how to take care of your dog. Having lots of experiences with this breed I am always happy to help and give advice in any way that I can. https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/shih-tzu/
DOES MY PUPPY HAVE A DELAYED CLOSURE OR A HERNIA?
This is actually very common in shih tzu puppies. Most “hernias” are really just delayed closure of the umbilical or inguinal (groin) area. If small, sometimes they are closed by 8-12 weeks on their own. I always let my puppy parents know if there is a hernia before the puppy goes to a new home. However, because the condition is so common in the breed, it should not be a cause for immediate concern. You really can not tell the difference between a true hernia or a delayed closure unless the hernia is severe, but if as the puppy gets older and the hernia is getting better as he/she develops, then most likely you are just dealing with a delayed closure.
UMBILICAL HERNIAS
Umbilical hernias are usually small and are of little concern as they are very common in the Shih Tzu breed. They can be found on the dog’s stomach at the location where the umbilical cord was attached. It appears as a little soft lump or swelling. They are equally common in both males and females.
They usually show up at around 2-5 weeks of age and some of them will close on their own by around 6 months of age (delayed closure). An umbilical hernia is usually a small soft bump where your puppies umbilical cord was (their belly button) and for whatever reason the muscle just failed to close up. If the bump is still present at 6 month, simply discuss the issue with your vet about getting it fixed when they are spayed or neutered.
There are a couple of reasons why a puppy gets an umbilical hernia. Because of a shih tzu’s uneven bite, sometimes the moms tend to have a harder time “cutting the cord” and will tug, pull or even chew to close to the skin or sometimes a difficult delivery and the puppy had to be pulled out. This is why I cut the cord rather than letting my mommas chew it off. Sometimes hernias just simply pop up out of no where. I sell on a spay/neuter contract and these can be taken care of easily during that surgery when the puppy is old enough.
INGUINAL HERNIAS
You can not tell if a puppy has a true hernia until they are at least 5-6 months old and the severity can not fully be determined until surgery.
An inguinal hernia is the result of abdominal organs, fat or tissue protruding through the inguinal ring and look like skin-covered bulges in the groin area. They can be bilateral, involving both sides, and unilateral, involving only one side. Inguinal hernias are more common in females than males, but do occur in both sexes. These are more dangerous than umbilical hernias, but again I sell all my puppies on a spay/neuter contract and you are required to spay/neuter your puppy when why are of age and the vet can address this problem during that surgery.
IS IS GENETIC?
Genetics can not predict whether your puppy will have hernias or not. Females who do not have hernias may occasionally produce a pup with a hernia and likewise, a female with a hernia may produce an entire litter of puppies that do not have hernias. This suggests that the presence of hernias may depend on multiple genes, and not a simple one-gene dominant/recessive relationship. Inguinal hernias are different as it is believed that it can be passed down genetically. I have not had a verified case of inguinal hernias from any of the studs or mommas that I use which is why I always check the health history of the dogs I bring into my kennel and if a batch of puppies have an inguinal hernia I will change studs as it is believed to be passed down through the male. There is still a lot of discussion about this subject. Groin or Inguinal hernias have been proposed to be hereditary; however, a clear hereditary pattern has not been established yet. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23423330/
Other conditions may be genetic, but genetics do not predict the health of your puppy or any future issues that arise, nor is there a test that can accurately show all the possible genetic conditions. What may be recessive in all of my dogs, can pop up in a random puppy further down the road. Here is what the AKC has to say on the subject of genetic testing. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/dog-dna-testing-genetic-screenings/
My dogs have also been genetically tested and show nothing abnormal for the breed, but as anybody in the scientific community knows, genetic testing is not a crystal ball into the health of all they puppies they produce.
RUNNY EYES
This is actually quite common in shih tzus because they have such short snouts and the hair if not properly groomed can stick into their eyes causing their eyes to run. If you keep their hair trimmed short on their nose this helps immensely. Some dogs do seem to get allergies. My Mr. Bear and his son Thor always get the worst runny, goopy eyes during the spring allergy season. Keeping their eyes clean and clear helps immensely.
