If your shih tzu struggles with weight gain, skin allergies, or a dull coat, you’re not alone. These are common problems to the breed and ones that are often made worse by poor diets.
Read on to find out if your current food might be the problem and what the best dog foods for shih tzus are.
Best Dog Foods For Shih Tzus
- Best Overall: Instinct Raw Boost Small Breed
- Runner Up: Wellness Core Small Breed
- Best for Allergies: Merrick Lil Plates Small Breed
- Weight Management Food: Nutro Lite Weight Management Small Breed
- Best for Puppies: Blue Buffalo Freedom Small Breed
Instinct Raw Boost Small Breed
Wellness Core Small Breed
Merrick Lil Plates Small Breed
Nutro Lite Weight Management Small Breed
Blue Buffalo Freedom Small Breed
Reviews of The Best Dog Food for Shih Tzus
#1. Instinct Raw Boost Small Breed
Best Overall
High in animal protein
Quality ingredients
Nutrient dense
Pricey
We’ve chosen Instinct’s Raw Boost small and toy breed as our number one choice for shih tzu’s because of it’s quality ingredients, outstanding protein levels, and numerous healthy additives.
Don’t let their tiny frames fool you, shih tzus are carnivores at heart, and this food delivers with an impressive 37% protein. And because this food includes four animal-sourced ingredients in the first six ingredients, including chicken, turkey, and herring, you know most of that protein percentage is bioavailable to your pup.
This food also contains added raw bites. These “lucky-charm” like bits aren’t just a sales tactic. Because these bits are unprocessed, freeze-dried raw meat, they contain higher nutritional content than traditional kibble.
On top of the naturally occurring nutrients in this food, they’ve also added glucosamine, omega fats, and probiotics. All these additives mean healthier joints, coat, and digestive system for your shih tzu.
Those probiotics paired with the quality animal ingredients and grain free recipe also make this one of the best dog foods for shih tzus with sensitive stomachs.
As with all the foods on our list, this formula was made specifically for small and toy breeds. What sets it apart, though, is the combination of calorie dense kibbles and a high nutritional profile.
#2. Wellness Core Small Breed
Runner Up
Quality ingredients
High protein
Healthy additives for skin and joints
Pricey
Wellness has a variety of foods made specifically for small breed dogs which is why we consider them one of the best dog food brands for shih tzus. We chose their Core formula to be number two on our list for its rich protein content and quality ingredients your shih tzu is sure to love.
This food has almost as much protein as our number one food with 36%.
In fact, this food is similar to Instinct in fat content and total calories as well. The only reason it scores slightly lower on our list is because it contains fewer animal-sourced ingredients.
Still, the first three ingredients in this food are turkey, turkey meal, and chicken, which is an impressive list for any dog food.
Your shih tzu will also appreciate the additives in this food, which include healthy fats for skin and coat, glucosamine for joints and probiotics. If your pup has ever struggled with dry skin or dull coat, this food is a great choice.
Like our first choice food, this one is high on the price scale, but worth it if you’re looking for a quality food to keep your shih tzu healthy for the long run.
#3. Merrick Lil Plates Small Breed
Best for Allergies
70% animal-sourced ingredients
High protein
Allergy friendly
High in legumes
Our number three pick packs a mean protein punch and a super-calorie dense formula for young and active shih tzus. Merrick’s foods always stand out for quality ingredients and their small breed recipe is no different.
This formula comes in three flavors: beef, chicken, and salmon. All three flavors use sweet potatoes and peas as their plant-sourced back up.
Because this formula allows you to choose different, unique proteins while using novel grain-free plant ingredients, we’ve named it the best dog food for shih tzus with allergies. If your pup has itchy, red skin or frequent gas or stomach upset, this food is definitely worth a try.
Did I mention this recipe has a lot of protein? In fact, at 38%, this food has more protein than any other food on our list.
And, because this recipe contains 70% animal-sourced ingredients, you know where all that protein is coming from.
For all that protein, you might expect this food to come with a price tag similar to our first two choices. But this food actually sits in the middle of the price scale, making it very budget friendly.
#4. Nutro Lite Weight Management Small Breed
Weight Management Food
Low calorie for weight management
High protein
Natural ingredients
Higher in plant-sourced ingredients
All the foods so far on our list have been calorie dense, which is great for the high metabolism of most shih tzus. However, obesity is a growing problem in the pet population, and shih tzus are one of the many breeds affected by it.
If you shih tzu is more of a couch potato than a high-velocity pooch, you’re going to want to check out our number four pick. Nutro’s small breed weight management formula is perfect for less active and older shih tzus who struggle to stay thin.
This food has less protein than the others on our list, but at 25% it still contains more than the average diet food. It also has almost half the calories as our first three picks and is sure to help your shih tzu cut weight and keep it off.
This formula contains chicken as the first ingredient and lamb meal as the third, giving it a respectable amount of animal-sourced protein.
Unlike the other foods on our list, this formula is not grain free. However, it does not contain corn or wheat and is still a suitable choice for most shih tzus.
As a specialty diet for weight management, it is higher on the price scale but well worth it as a diet food that retains quality ingredients and high protein.
#5. Blue Buffalo Freedom Small Breed
Best for Puppies
Made for small breed puppies
High protein
Quality ingredients
High in plant protein sources
Our number five food is featured on this list especially for the youngest shih tzus out there. This puppy food is packed with quality ingredients to help your new addition grow up happy and healthy.
Blue Buffalo’s small dog puppy formula is crafted with the high metabolism and short growth period of a shih tzu in mind. For this reason, we’ve named this the best puppy food for shih tzus.
This formula contains 30% protein and 18% fat to help your growing shih tzu get the calories they need while maintaining strong muscles. Like our other foods, this one contains quality animal-sourced ingredients like chicken, chicken meal and turkey meal.
This food also contains added omegas and DHA to help your pup’s brain grow as well as their body.
As another specialty small breed puppy food, you can count on this one to cost you a little more than typical puppy food. But it is worth investing in a formula made with your tiny dog in mind.
Small Breed Diets are the Best Choice for Shih Tzus
It used to be that you could pick any dog food off the shelf and it would be about the same as any other food in that price range. Today, when you go to the store you are met with hundreds of options from size specific foods to age and breed specific foods.
All this choice can be overwhelming, but it really is in the best interest of your dog. Especially when looking at a breed with such specific nutritional needs as the shih tzu.
Tiny breeds like the shih tzu have higher metabolisms than their larger canine friends, according to petmd.com. Small breed specific dog foods are calorie dense to help support their metabolisms.
But picking any small breed formula off the shelf isn’t enough. You need to look for one that will support your shih tzu in other ways as well.
Want to learn more about what makes a shih tzu unique? This article discusses the breed in depth.
Finding a Quality Dog Food for Your Shih Tzu
Did you just bring a new shih tzu into your family? Or are you in the market for a new food because you believe your current food is causing digestive issues or allergic reactions?
There are some things you’ll want to keep in mind when buying a new food for your dog.
First, you’ll want to find a food that contains a high level of animal-sourced protein. Yes, even your tiny shih tzu is descended from wolves and does best on a carnivorous diet.
Look for a meat ingredient like chicken, lamb, or turkey meal to be listed as the first thing in the ingredients list. The more meat ingredients at the top of the list, the better the food.
Because shih tzu’s can suffer from allergies and eye issues, it will be beneficial to find a food without corn, wheat, and other fillers and with added vitamins to support eye and skin health.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Best Dog Food for a Shih Tzu?
After reviewing the long list of available small breed dog foods on the market, we have named Instinct’s Raw Boost small breed as the best dog food for shih tzus.
This formula contains high animal-sourced protein, raw nutrition, and additives to keep you shih tzu looking and feeling their best. And because this is an Instinct food, you know you can trust the quality of what’s in the bag.
Best of all, even the pickiest of shih tzus can’t turn their nose up at the added raw bites in this food.
While this food might be on the pricey side, it is worth it to feed your dog one of the best dry dog foods for shih tzus.
