Skincare for Shih-Tzu Dogs in the Summer and Year Round

Shih-tzu's are hardy, little dogs. Aside from eye problems, they are easy to take care of. The summertime is when a pet owner should keep on the lookout for any skincare changes for their shih-tzu; say, spots on the underbelly or lip and nose colors changing from black to pink.

If a shih-tzu's black lips and nose start to turn pink, then it will be more sensitive to the sun in the hot summer months, and if one lives in a warm climate year-round, a shih-tzu owner will need to make sure they limit the exposure the dog gets in the sun, and the animal should go out in the sun after 4:00 p.m. only, when the sun's ultra-violet rays are less strong.

There are variant factors for lip changes, the worse scenario being skin cancer, the least hereditary. In-between, a shih-tzu might have an enzyme or nutritional deficiency, or allergy. When in doubt, it is best to take your shih-tzu to a vet for proper diagnosis. Many owners put sunblock on a dog's pink spots, but you will need to check with your vet to find out what is non-toxic to your dog; especially around the animal's mouth and sensitive areas.

A lot of shih-tzu's have allergies, and problems may occur from a food bowl; plastic being the culprit behind dog lip dermatitis. Like people, dogs are also affected by the change in the weather, the summer being a causative factor in heat inflicted allergies and rashes; due to overgrowth of certain yeasts in the environment and the heat. Fleas also breed more in hot climates, and are a nuisance in summer. If your dog is scratching more in the summertime, it may be having a reaction to flea bites. Look at your dog's underarms, and for any balding patches, or "hot spots." This is a sign that there may be some on-going parasitic flea activity.

What you can do to help your dog, is to keep their coat clean, and well brushed. Regular brushing eliminates dead skin cells, and will help lubricate the skin with natural oils. Try not to over-wash your pet, even if they have fleas. A lot of that natural oil is a lubricant, keeping your shih-tzu dog's skin moist. Over washing may make the dog itchy, and create further skin problems.

A good shampoo to help a dog with both fleas and dermatitis may be a medicated brand, similar to what humans use for scalp dandruff/dermatitis. These types of shampoos are very effective for killing fleas on your dog, when other regular flea shampoos for dogs fail to do the job. A good brand that I have personally used on my dog for killing fleas is Denorex. This is the only shampoo that has worked for my dog and has helped with her itchy skin.The ingredients kill the fleas, yeasts on skin and helps with itchiness. Consult a vet first before using.

Your dog may be sensitive to the cooling action of the product, especially if a little dog. You will need to be blow dry with warm air, or put dog outside in the warm weather to dry, out of the sun, of course. Medicated human shampoo on dogs should only be used sparingly, when there is a flare up, and try to find one with a moisturizer already built into the shampoo. This is the only kind you should use, for plain shampoo types would be too irritating. Avoid your dog's sensitive private areas, yet make sure to saturate the tail and underneath, where fleas tend to hide. Make sure to rinse off shampoo well, and do not use cold water, warm is key, for the shampoo is medicated. Imagine how your scalp feels when you use this, well your entire dog is getting coated in the stuff, so make it as pleasant as possible and a fast bath for your pet. If you get all the affected areas covered with shampoo, fleas simply die off your dog, down the drain, and the medicated shampoo helps the dermatitis.

Test a small area of your dog's fur to see how it reacts to this shampoo. If your dog is ultra sensitive, they could be allergic to everything. Check your dog for ticks before you shampoo; for you will want to wash the areas, where ticks have been, unless in the ears. Never put water in your dogs ears!