His hair is everywere...

Question
I have a Shih Tzu who is 5 years old and he sheds all the time and he has since he was little. I feed him Iams food for small dogs. What can I do to keep him from shedding or even reduce it? His hair is everywhere...

Answer
Hi Tessa,

As far as I have ever known and read, Shih Tzus are typcially non-shedding dogs, double coated, with long, glossy coats when well groomed.  They can be clipped short, but the show dogs have a beautiful coat that trails to the ground.  However, keeping the coat in show condition is a pretty full-time job, so most owners of companion Shih Tzus opt for the clipped coat, which I think they look adorable with as well as the show-coated dogs.  

I don't know why your Shih Tzu, a non-shedding breed, would be shedding, particularly to the degree that you describe.  My best suggestion would be to consult a canine skin and haircoat specialist as to why your dog, again a non-shedding breed, would be shedding as profusely as you describe.  There could be a nutritional deficiency or a medical issue that needs looking into.  Stress can also make some dogs blow their coats, even non-shedders, so if no medical reason is found, you might want to look at your dog's stress level and what may be triggering the hair loss.  There are diseases in dogs such as thyroid disease, Addison's Disease, and other medical issues that could be causing hair loss, particularly in a non-shedding breed.  You might want to consult your vet and have a complete work-up done on your dog, including thyroid levels, to rule out or determine if there is a medical issue behind the shedding. Hope this helps!

Best of luck,
Madeline, NY-NJDogTrainer