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.
Back in 2007, you might recall the saga of Snowball the deer. A fawn that was injured and found by a family in Oregon and then nursed back to health by them. I first wrote about Snowball in 2007 and you can read that post here. Then came my update on the court battle (as you remember, the state of Oregon took possession of Snowball and her son Bucky) where over $39,000 was spend by the state (at that time) to keep Snowball out of the hands of those awful animal lovers and deliver her and her son to state fish and game. If you missed that post, you can read it here. The last I had heard about the court battle, the family that found Snowball had won their case and the state of Oregon was to turn over Snowball to them - that did not happen. The state ushered Snowball away into “protective” custody. The Aardvark’s Tongue also wrote about Snowball and gives a time line that ends in 2008, here is a link to that (with a photo of Snowball). So now it is almost 3 years later and I thought I would check up on Snowball. There is almost nothing on line about the court action going on. But I do know where Snowball is being held.
In mid 2008, Snowball was handed over to a for profit zoo. There she is in a petting zoo, where she gets lots of poking and prodding by little kids all day long. Here is a link to that part of the saga, you’ll want to read all the comments over the public outrage about that little part of the Snowball the deer story. So what has happened since 2008?
It so happens that just a month ago, my daughter was invited with some friends of hers to visit one of those drive through wildlife parks. This one is called Wildlife Safari in Winston Oregon. That is the same zoo that Snowball is located at. My daughter along with all the other visitors saw Snowball, not in the petting zoo but just in a small pen where you can reach over and touch her. She is located in an area where she can run like other deer. She is in fact another zoo animal. The zoo website, Wildlife Safari, mentions Snowball at the bottom of this page. The family that first took care of her allowed her the full freedom of their farm, which was acres of land not square feet of a pen.
To me, it is so sad to know that this saga has not had a happy ending for Snowball. I still don’t know if there is any news on Bucky, her son.
You can now get All the Creatures delivered to your Kindle FREE for 14 days. Try it out.
delivered to your Kindle FREE for 14 days. Try it out.
