Having a Shih Tzu in your house and calling it your best friend is every dog lover’s dream. Though they’re cute and loving, they also come with their own set of problems.
Overall, they can help elevate the mood of a dull-looking place and make it feel less cold. Feeding a pickle is hard.
A big part of their diet is nutrient-dense proteins, which should be divided equally among three meals.
Shih Tzus cannot be overfed, or else they will suffer from health problems. So how much should they eat? Having trouble finding the answer to this question? Look no further!
How Much Should A Shih Tzu Eat Per Day?
How much food a Shih Tzu should eat depends on their age and how big they are. Numbers vary from puppy to adult size.
In general, an adult Shih Tzu should consume ½ ounce of meal per pound of body weight, while a puppy ought to eat 1 ouce of food per pound.
It’s important to feed your Shih Tzu the right amount of food. Buying too much will cause obesity and other health complications, so you’ll want to make sure there’s one day where it eats less food than usual.
You also need to watch your dog very closely. As your Shih Tzu puppy ages, its food intake needs to decrease.
For a six-month-old Shih Tzu, it needs 1 cup of high-quality dry food per day. For an adult Shih Tzu, the recommendation is half a cup of high-quality dry food daily.
You should always be mindful of the weight your pet is. You shouldn’t give them food according to their weight unless they’re the same size.
So, you have to be careful when deciding on how much food to provide each meal because they can get picky eaters. Shih Tzu puppies and dogs are fuzzy about eating.
You can find a feeding guide and chart below to assist you in understanding the food consumption of your Shih Tzu, based on its age.
2 to 3-week-old Shih Tzu:
It is very important to handle a Shih Tzu puppy carefully if it is between 2-3 weeks old. It is never a good idea to separate them from their mother this early in life.
However, if you have an orphan Shih Tzu or any other complications they need to be given formula milk.
A Shih Tzu puppy should consume 25-35 ml of formula for every 100 grams they weigh, with each meal.
The best way to feed a Shih Tzu is by dividing the day’s intake into four equal amounts and feeding them via a bottle.
When your child is still young, you’ll need to feed them the right formula four times a day. They won’t be able to consume the formula on their own, so it’s important to remember this.
4 to 5 week old Shih Tzu:
By this age, most babies can eat food other than formula. They need to be given 2 ounces per pound of their body weight.
Let’s assume your Shih Tzu weighs 5 pounds and should eat 10 ounces of food, or 6 pounds and should eat 12 ounces of food.
At this age, a newborn needs to be fed every four hours. The food should be divided into 4 equal portions, and it needs to be given at the same time intervals.
6–7 week old Shih Tzu:
Shih Tzu puppies between 6 and 7 weeks old need a similar diet to puppies between 4 and 5 weeks old.
However, at this point in their life they’re expected to gain weight and it’s advised to feed them 1-2 ounces per body weight every day.
From six to seven weeks, a Shih Tzu will usually weigh between 3.5 and 4 pounds. That means they need roughly 3.5 to 8 ounces of food divided into four or six meals as you like.
8 to 9-week old Shih Tzu:
A Shih Tzu puppy weighs approximately 3.75 lbs to 4.25 lbs at 8- 9 weeks old, so they require approximately 4 to 10 ounces of food divided into four meals each day.
The amount of food a pet consumes will depend on the individual animal. Feeding one to two ounces of food per pound of weight is both within acceptable ranges for the advised amount and works for most pets.
10 to 11 week old Shih Tzu:
Feeding a Shih Tzu at 10 to 11 weeks old is easy. The average weight for this age group is about 4 to 5 pounds and since 1 ounce of food equals about 1 gram, you’ll want to feed them a minimum of 4-5 ounces daily.
3 month old Shih Tzu:
For your convenience, we can reword the terms we use when measuring food. From 3 months of age, a baby should eat 1 cup of food per meal, and this will be divided evenly between 4 meals.
One quarter of a cup needs to be served at each meal in six hours intervals throughout the whole day.
4 month old Shih Tzu:
A four-month-old Shih Tzu requires 1.25 cups of food, divided into four meals. This is the easier way to put this.
You can feed your Shih Tzu 1 ounce per pound if you want to be precise but it’s not at all necessary.
For pups who don’t have a big appetite, 1.25 cups is more than enough to satisfy them and that means using ¼ th of a cup instead of 1.
5 month old Shih Tzu:
A 5-month-old Shih Tzu should have 1.35 cups of dry food evenly divided into four feedings.
The amount gradually increases until the puppy is 6 months old, and then it decreases once he starts becoming an adult.
6 month old Shih Tzu:
A Shih Tzu typically becomes less fragile and more resilient at the age of six months. Starting at the age of six months, you can begin giving your Shih Tzu two meals per day.
A 6-month-old Shih Tzu puppy needs 1.35 cups of food per day, but it can be divided into 2-3 meals as your schedule permits.
As the Shih Tzupuppy grows, an increase in the number of serves will be needed but the number of meals can be decreased.
7 month old Shih Tzu:
Seven month old Shih Tzu’s need 1.5 cups of food per day. You can also provide it depending on how much it weighs.
8 month old Shih Tzu:
There is not much of a difference between 7 and 8 month old Shih Tzu. For 8-month-old Shih Tzu, their daily food intake would be 1.5 cups.
9-month-old Shih Tzu:
At 9 months old, a Shih Tzu needs 1.75 cups of food daily. By this age, your Shih Tzu is very close to adulthood. The amount of food you give them gradually increases.
10 month old Shih Tzu:
For a 10-month old Shih Tzu, you should feed him 1.75 cups of food per day. Comparing ounces to body weight also gives you a similar amount.
Using the cup method will give you more convenience when measuring food for your pet.
Feeding Chart For Shih Tzus
| Age | Expected dog Weight (pounds) | Recommended amount of food per day (cups) | Daily calorie intake | Feeding frequency |
| 2 week | 1.52 | 25-35 ml formula | 100 | 4 times |
| 3 week | 1.75 | 25-35 ml formula | 100 | 4 times |
| 4 week | 2 | 0.25 | 120 | 4 times |
| 5 week | 2.5 | 0.25 | 120 | 4 times |
| 6 week | 2.75 | 0.35 | 180-200 | 4 times |
| 7 week | 3 | 0.35 | 180-200 | 4 times |
| 8 wk-2 mo | 3.25 | 0.5 | 240 | 4 times |
| 9 week | 3.5 | 0.5 | 240 | 4 times |
| 10 week | 3.75 | 0.75 | 280 | 4 times |
| 11 week | 3.8 | 0.75 | 280 | 4 times |
| 12 wk-3 mo | 4 | 1 | 325 | 4 times |
| 4 month | 6 | 1.25 | 440 | 4 times |
| 5 month | 8 | 1.35 | 480 | 4 times |
| 6 month | 10 | 1.35 | 480 | 2-3 times |
| 7 month | 12 | 1.5 | 550 | 2-3 times |
| 8 month | 12.5 | 1.5 | 550 | 2-3 times |
| 9 month | 12.5 | 1.75 | 625 | 2 times |
| 10 month | 12.5 | 1.75 | 625 | 2 times |
Are You Overfeeding Your Shih Tzu Or Not Feeding Enough?
The best way to compensate for your pet’s diet is to measure body weight, and then measure out that amount given per pound.
Other signs will tell you whether or not your Shih Tzu is overfed. You can check the dog’s abdomen to see if it is swollen from overeating.
It’s important to keep your abs tucked in order to maintain balance. If you find that your stomach is bulging, then they are considered overweight. Check their movements to see if they’re sluggish and lazy.
Being too lazy to move is one of the ways that you can determine obesity. One the other hand, not feeding them enough will lead to weight loss and malnutrition.
You should always consult an expert on nutrition if your dog is showing signs of malnourishment or lack of energy. If so, it will need a change in its diet to fix the situation as soon as possible.
When it comes to Shih Tzus, both overfeeding and not feeding enough have severe risks.
How Frequently To Feed Your Shih Tzu?
The number of meals a Shih Tzu dogs should eat depends on their age. Up to 6 months, they need 4 meals at equal time intervals. Gradually, as they grow older, the number of meals is reduced.
You should feed your Shih Tzu three times a day for the first six months of his life. Between the ages of one and two, he can be fed twice a day. An evening snack, however, won’t hurt their diet.
Recommended feeding time
In order to provide your Shih Tzu enough food, you should divide the meals into equal time intervals. It’s important to match the timing with your dog’s sleeping schedule.
If you’re giving 3 meals a day, then during your lunch break, at night during supper, and in the afternoon during a snack time.
For 1 meal per day, please feed your Shih Tzu once in the morning and once in the evening.
Final Thoughts
One way to keep your Shih Tzu healthy is by feeding it about ½ to 2 ounces of food per pound of its weight, depending on its age.
This gradually decreases as the dog ages. Make sure not to overfeed your Shih Tzu; 1.75 cups of food should suit an adult canine well. Always divide the food into smaller portions for meals.