A SHIH TZU STRUGGLE TO LIVE- Luna's Story

Luna was born to this world just as any other puppy. She was a little small but seemed healthy and wanted to nurse. Born to a litter of six it did not take long before Luna was being pushed from nursing and began to starve. She was so tiny that she did not have the strength to fight for food like the other Shih Tzu babies. Within a day she started to decline and if we did not step in her life was surely in danger. Knowing how important it is for a new baby to get the first milk from her mother we forced her mother to lay on the couch and nurse her declining baby. We discovered, that not only was she being pushed away by her brothers and sisters, her own mother had decided it was not worth her milk and time to save this tiny little life. Luna's mother knew she was small and weak and fought us to give her the life saving milk.

HOW LUNA GOT HER NAME
After several battles to get her mother to let her nurse, I decided to take over and feed Luna every two hours. I was now Luna's mother. I have a rule that I never name the puppies while they are here. If I personally name the puppies before they leave I feel some attachment to them and it makes it very hard when they go to their new homes. At feeding time who ever was closer to the whelping box would be the one I would ask to get her while I prepared her milk. I would say "Go get the puppy with the moon on her head." Finally my husband said she needed a name and that is when the name Luna was born. As you can see by the photo below she has a moon on the top of her head.


Luna did not want to take the bottle at first but after much encouraging she began to nurse and it was not long before she knew when she smelled me that she was going to eat. She quickly identified me as her mommy.
Luna grew into a precious little girl. Always so tiny and way behind the others in development. Once we offered her real food she took no time in diving in. She was so much smaller than the others that could get all the way into the bowl and just lay there and eat. She was even known to fall asleep in the middle of the bowl. Below is a photo of her first meal.


After interviewing MANY potential parents for Luna, I found the perfect family and decided Luna was well enough to be with her new family. Luna has grown into a beautiful young lady. Luna was renamed Jewel. Her new mommy thought she reminded her of a precious Jewel.

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To see more of Jewel / Luna visit TIAN MI SHIH TZU
CLICK TO SEE A MOVIE ABOUT LUNA / JEWEL

TIAN MI'S BOMANISCIOUS WINS AT THE TOY SHOW

Bomber goes winners dog and best of winner Sunday at The Central Florida Toy Dog Show in Orlando FL.

Read more about the show weekend and see more great photos at Tian Mi SHih tzu News page.

CUTTING DOG NAILS

Dogs are often reluctant to have their nails clipped, therefore, starting the process at a very young age is a good idea.

Initially, get your dog accustomed to you simply holding and stroking their paws. Then progress to applying light pressure on their paws and nails - lightly pinching their nails between your finger and thumb. Reward them for allowing this.

Then, after a lesson from your vets in how to cut a dog's nails, lightly trim a couple of nails a day. Just trim off the tips - this lessens the chances of you cutting too deep and frightening your dog off.

Talk to your dog in a soothing voice all the time and reward him with his favorite treat and a romp straight after. He will gradually grow accustomed to this unpleasant procedure and learn to at least put up with it.

You can choose a nail clipping tool that you feel most comfortable with. There are many types on the market and they all equal. Just make sure you get a nice sharp pair. Some people use the new tools on the market that grind the nail. I find for my Shih Tzu the simple old variety clippers work best.

It is also advisable to keep a styptic pen or Quick stop powder handy just in case you clip into your dog's quick.

Anatomy Of A Dog's Nail
Knowing how to cut dog's nails is easier when you know the anatomy of a dog's nail.

A dog's nail is constructed of a hard outer cover, which protects the quick which is the inner soft part containing blood vessels and tender nerve endings. In dogs with light coloured nails, the quick can often been seen as being faintly pinkish in color and is thus easy to avoid cutting into.

In the more common black nailed variety, the quick it totally invisible. Therefore, knowing exactly how to cut a dog's nails in this case is imperative. In these cases, trimming off a small amount at a time is more advisable. Sometimes you can look at the bottom of the nail and get a good idea of where the quick starts.

Keep checking the clipped part of your dog's nail and look out for a dark spot in the middle of the newly clipped area - this shows the start of the quick. Taking small amounts at a time will enable you to know whn you are getting close or let you know you can take just a little more.

Also, don't forget your dog's dew claws. Growing on the inside of his legs. To learn more abou thow to groom and keep yoru dog healthy go to www.shihtzukisses.com