All the Creatures

The Shih Tzu is a small breed dog that unfortunately is the victim of several genetic problems. Often they are the result of poor breeding by puppy mills and individuals that have not researched their dog’s bloodlines. The puppy rarely shows any deformities but as they grow and mature, that is when the problems arise.

The major genetic problems that the Shih Tzu dog face are problems with their eyes, more specifically Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Juvenile Cataracts and Entropion. Their kidneys are also subject to Renal Dysplasia. Hip Dysplasia is not limited to the larger breeds of dogs, Shih Tzu is also prone to that dreaded affliction. Of course there are many other lesser known genetic defects that the Shih Tzu can have. I have listed only a few.

Avoid obtaining your Shih Tzu puppy from a breeder that does not test their breeding stock for genetic problems. Ask to see their dam and sire’s certifications to see that they have passed genetic testing. Breeders who do not have their breeding stock tested are usually breeding dogs for mere profit, or should I say a quick buck and do not care about the future welfare of the puppy they have produced.

For more information on genetic problems of the Shih Tzu, visit the American Shih Tzu Club website, click here for their genetics page.

All the Creatures

I find it so amazing how us humans are so weight conscious. For ourselves we worry about diets and finding weight loss products, yet for horses we fret over them not getting enough food. When I visit many of the horse related message boards online, at least one or 2 of the threads are about their horse’s weight. Most think that their horse is too skinny when in fact when they post pictures of their horses, they look just fine, great in fact. I think that the “skinny horse” syndrome came about because of the many visuals on TV of horse that were confiscated by local Animal Control. It got everyone wondering if their own horse is too skinny.

If you are wondering if your horse is the right weight or not, you can do a Google search on the words “horse fitness scale” and see the results. There are a few tests you can do on your own horse to see if they are the right weight.

All the Creatures

Does your horse have brittle hooves? Do they break off easily during hot dry summers? Have you tired hoof quencher? Hoof quencher is made by the same people that gave us “mane n tail,” it is a hoof cream that comes in a pump bottle, at least mine does. I use it on my horses that have hoof cracking problems due to dry conditions. I apply it after I pick out their hooves. I do what most horse owners do and just put it on my hands and then slather it all over the hoof. I remember when I use to use a brush to put it on. Once I started to put it on with my hands I noticed that my own hands were no longer chapped and my own nails were getting stronger. I would not go as far as saying that the hoof quencher is a substitute for a human deep wrinkle cream but it does soften hands and puts moisture back into cracked hoofs if used once a day.

All the Creatures