Cobb Mountain Shih Tzus of Northern California 

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Some essential items you should have when preparing for your new Shih Tzu's homecoming

Small size crate and blanket.  The crate mimics a den so your puppy will safe in there and will love to sleep in it. Please don't leave your puppy locked in there unattended. Your puppy is not capable of holding their bladder for long periods of time so as soon as puppy is awake put them outside to empty their bladder or have access to a pee pad.  We use a product called Blyss Pets Klean Paws indoor potty, instead of pee pads  It is cleaner and the puppies can not chew up the pee pads. Your puppy will be trained to use this.  We got ours on Amazon.

Play pen or x pen keeps the puppy safe and you can put the crate, food, water and toys in there. With this set up your puppy is safe when your are not watching them or if your have to leave them at home alone.

Stainless steel food and water bowls. They are easy to clean and can't be chewed on.

Snuggle puppy is a great product.  It heats up and a has a heart beat.

Safe things to chew on such as bully stick, antler, hoof.  Chewing is essential for proper jaw development and helps with the pain of teething.

Child's tooth brush with dog toothpaste.  Toy dogs tend to get tartar build up.  Regular brushing helps prevent this.

Hair brush, comb, scissors and baby shampoo

Toy dogs are susceptible to low blood sugar.  Your Shih Tzu will be lethargic and have no appetite, gums may be pale.  This can be quite serious and if not treated can cause seizures or even death. Even if your Shih Tzu has food out make sure they are actually eating it  Once they go into low blood sugar they won't eat! Nutrical is a highly palatable paste that will bring their blood sugar up quickly.  If they won't take the Nutrical, put some on your finger and put it in their mouth. You should see improvement within a few minutes. If your don't get to the vet quickly. We will provide a syringe in your puppy pack.  You can get Nutrical at your vet, feed store or pet shop.

We will send home several days worth of dog food, so  if you choose to switch food, it can be done slowly over several days. Switching food too fast or giving too many new treats can result in tummy upset. The website, dog food advisor, is helpful in choosing the best dog food.  We feed Diamond Naturals small breed puppy chicken and rice and have done so for many years with no problems at all. We feed free choice, which means kibble is always available.  If feeding this way doesn't work for your family, we suggest feeding 3x daily and then going to 2x daily at 6 months of age.

When going to the vet, please only do one thing at a time.  For example, only one vaccination, then wait a few days to do the worming and wait again to do any flea or tick prevention. Your puppy is so tiny that doing more than one procedure can put unnecessary stress on their system.

We hope this information will make an easy transition for your puppy and your family.