You should bathe your Shih Tzu at least once every three to four weeks. Spray your Shih Tzu lightly with water and a small amount of gentle hair rinse designed for canines. Gently and thoroughly brush through the coat. Make sure the hair is always moist; dry hair will break. Separate the hair down to the skin, using a comb or knitting needle to part the hair. Remove knots and tangles.
Remove large mats with scissors. Pay special attention to the axillary (armpit) regions, groin areas, belly, behind and under the ears, and below the anus. These areas tend to become matted or soiled and are often overlooked. Remove mats from these areas.
Always brush your Shih Tzu well before you give her a bath. If you don’t remove knots, tangles, and mats before you bathe your Shih Tzu, they will become fixed in the coat when it gets wet and they will be even more difficult to remove later.
Express the anal sacs before you bathe your Shih Tzu. Anal sacs are located at either side of the inside of the rectum. If the sacs are not expressed, or emptied, on a regular basis, they can become impacted, infected, or abscessed and rupture. To empt anal sacs, wear disposable gloves. Place an absorbent tissue over the anus to absorb sac con tents. Anal sac contents are normally brown in color and have a foul odor.
Find the sacs through the perianal tissue by lightly pressing on each side of the anus. The anal sacs feel like small grapes. Gently squeeze on the sacs from the outside of the anus, with your thumb and index finger, until they empty into the tissue.
To bathe your Shih Tzu, first place a hair trap over the drain. Place a non-slip mat in the bottom of the sink or tub. Set the water to a comfortable temperature. Put a large, soft cotton ball in your Shih Tzu’s ear canals to prevent water entry. Thoroughly wet the coat. Mix some emollient shampoo with warm water and apply it to the coat. Wash the coat and rinse it thoroughly.
Pour a mixture of creme rinse and warm water over the coat and work it in well. Rinse again, leaving in just enough of the rinse that the coat feels barely slick (not sticky or gooey) and gently squeeze as much water as possible out of the coat.
To dry the coat, first blot excess water from the coat with a towel. Dry your Shih Tzu thoroughly. Dry the ears well with a soft, dry cloth. Use a cotton-tipped swab to dry and clean the ear canals, but do not probe too deeply or you could rupture the eardrum. Make sure the ears are dry. Germs grow rapidly in moist ears and Shih Tzu are prone to ear infections.
Blow-dry the hair with a hair dryer by separating the hair in strands or layers as you dry it. Make sure the hair dryer is not hot and does not dry or burn your Shih Tzu’s skin.
Caution: Shih Tzu fit easily inside most sinks or bathtubs. If you use a sink, make sure the faucets are out of the way, so your pet doesn’t bump them. Set the water to a comfortable temperature before you put your Shih Tzu in the sink or use the sprayer to rinse her.
