Shih Tzu, as a breed, is one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. Besides their iconic fur and long flowing locks, they are widely liked and loved due to their personality and attitude - affectionate, smart-thinking, and playful.
However, Shih Tzus have very thin hair, which requires proper caring. Regular grooming and bathing are needed unless you want your furry buddies to suffer from potential skin and coat problems.
Some might be tempted to use human shampoos. But it does not really work as human hair is far different from dog hair; thus, a different formulation is needed.
With this in mind, we will try to cover some important things that you should know about grooming Shih Tzu, including the best shampoo for Shih Tzu and how to make Shih Tzu hair silky.
Read on, and let's make every moment more enjoyable for you and your pet.
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Top 8 Best Shampoos for Shih Tzu
Editor's Picks | Product Name | Price |
|---|---|---|
Best Choices | Buddy Wash 2-in-1 Dog Grooming Shampoo + Conditioner | |
Best Medicated Shih Tzu Shampoo | Veterinary Formula Antifungal Shampoo | |
Best Hypoallergenic Shih Tzu Shampoo | 4Legger USDA Certified Organic Dog Shampoo | |
Best Waterless Grooming Product for Shih Tzu | Lillian Ruff Waterless Dog Shampoo | |
Best Odor Control Shampoo and Conditioner for Shih Tzu | Nature's Miracle Supreme Odor Control Shampoo and Conditioner | |
Best Shih Tzu Shampoo for Sensitive Skin | Pet Pleasant Natural Oatmeal Pet Shampoo | |
Best Hydrating Formulation for Shih Tzu | Burt's Bees Hydrating Shampoo | |
Best Shampoo for Shih Tzu Puppies | Sofee & Co. Natural Dog Puppy Shampoo |
Buddy Wash 2-in-1 Dog Shampoo + Conditioner is excellent grooming essential specially formulated to deeply clean and gently moisturize your Shih Tzu's skin and coat.
Being a 2-in-1 product, it does provide not only a soothing and safe cleaning experience but also a moisturizing effect with its blend of hydrating oils.
This contains cosmetic grade herbs and botanical extracts, which enhances and repairs any damage in the dog's coat.
Moreover, the shampoo's coconut base perfectly mixes with aloe vera and Vitamin E to help nourish the skin and coat. This ensures a rich lather, which makes the coats velvety soft and completely huggable after rinsing.
This relaxing shampoo also acts as a natural deodorizer due to its wheat protein component, which produces amazing and not perfumey smell.
The infusions of green tea and bergamot create a lovely scent that relieves anxiety and puts your dog at ease.
Having a soap-free and alcohol-free nature, Buddy Wash 2-in-1 Dog Shampoo + Conditioner is guaranteed to be safe for dogs with skin and sensitivity problems. It will not dry your pet's skin but instead cleans, moisturizes, and refreshes them.
- Gentle 2-in-1 formulation
- Alcohol-free and soap-free
- With deodorizing capabilities
- Scent fades quickly
Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Shampoo is dedicated to Shih Tzus suffering from skin allergies due to fungal and bacterial infections.
It is formulated using benzethonium chloride and ketoconazole to ensure fast relief against skin infections. The addition of aloe vera helps soothe the skin and promote healing, while the inclusion of lanolin aids in reducing flaking and itching.
As a soap-free, dye-free, and paraben-free product, this shampoo is 100% safe for use even for dogs with a sensitive coat. It will not affect or remove any topical spot-on flea and tick treatments that you are giving your dogs.
Moreover, this medicated shampoo helps relax and deodorizes your dog's fur and coat due to its veterinary-grade ingredients. The formula utilizes active ingredients such as salicylic acid and micronized sulfur along with natural moisturizers in the form of colloidal oatmeal.
Truly, Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Shampoo is an effective and affordable treatment for your dog's bacterial and fungal problems. Its use can give your pet a complete relief against itching, rashes, thickened skin, and hair loss.
- Works for a variety of skin conditions
- Paraben-free and soap-free
- pH balanced for sensitive dogs
- Not suitable for puppies
4Legger USDA Certified Organic Dog Shampoo is a hypoallergenic product that naturally gives your furry friends healthy skin and a silky soft coat.
This 100% non-toxic pet shampoo is handcrafted in small batches using only the finest plant-based vegan ingredients. It contains a perfect blend of coconut oil, olive oil, and jojoba oil for a greater moisturizing effect on the fur and coat.
The formulation comes with aloe vera, which helps soothe itchiness while alleviating dry skin, thus leaving your dog's coat silky without stripping the body's natural oils.
Moreover, this all-natural shampoo contains lemongrass essential oil and rosemary essential oil, which act as a natural flea and tick deterrents.
To ensure the safety of dogs on all life stages, it does not have any parabens, alcohol, MEA, DEA, PEG, DMDM, hydantoin, sulfates, colorants, artificial fragrances, and other harmful or toxic ingredients.
Overall, 4Legger USDA Certified Organic Dog Shampoo is specially made to address dogs with sensitive coat or fur. It will not only clean and freshen your Shih Tzu's coat but also leaves a wonderful smell and keeps those pesky fleas and ticks away.
- Perfect for sensitive coat and fur
- Gentle on all skin type and age
- 100% all-natural
- Thinner consistency
Lillian Ruff Waterless Dog Shampoo is a convenient and fast way to keep your Shih Tzu smelling fresh and clean in between baths.
This shampoo offers a naturally refreshing scent with its perfect blend of essential oils, including lavender oil and coconut oil. These components are known to be gentle and useful, especially in repelling fleas and ticks.
It also contains aloe vera, which helps moisturize your dog's coat and keep them safe, even those with sensitive skin.
Moreover, the shampoo comes with citrus and vanilla extracts, which keep your dogs smelling fresh while ensuring a deep cleaning power.
To top it all, this waterless dog grooming product is gluten-free, tear-free, dye-free, paraben-free, and sulfate-free. All of which ensures only the safety of your dog's no matter what condition or age they may be.
Truly, Lillian Ruff Waterless Dog Shampoo will help you bridge the gap with your dogs who hate the water so much. It will incredibly keep them smelling fresh and clean with just a simple spray and rub.
- Gentle and effective
- Neutral and long-lasting scent
- Easy and convenient to use
- May not work for heavy soiling
Nature's Miracle Supreme Odor Control Shampoo and Conditioner is formulated to clean your dog's coat while leaving a soft, shiny, and long-lasting smell.
This 2-in-1 product uses all-natural ingredients to ensure effectiveness and safety for your dogs. It contains natural cocoa surfactant and oatmeal to help eliminate static electricity while enhancing your dog's health, skin cleanliness, and coat softness.
Also, the shampoo comes with an odor neutralizer and deodorizer, which helps remove tough and stinky dog odors. It's honey, and sage scent neutralizes the variety of odors by forming an odor control complex to provide long-term control.
To ensure added safety, this pet shampoo with conditioner does not contain any dyes, parabens, artificial fragrances, and other harmful chemicals. It is also soap-free and tear-free, making it highly effective even when used with spot-on flea and tick treatments.
To sum it up, Nature's Miracle Supreme Odor Control Shampoo and Conditioner is a great and affordable product that provides gentle cleaning and long-term odor control deodorizer to ensure your Shih Tzus wellness and overall health.
- 2-in-1 product
- Neutralizes and deodorizes smell
- Free from any harsh chemicals
- The smell can be slightly strong for some
Pet Pleasant Natural Oatmeal Pet Shampoo is an effective and all-natural product for your dogs suffering from itchy, irritable, and sensitive skin.
This oatmeal shampoo uses 100% pure ingredients and contains no harsh chemicals such as parabens, sulfates, and mineral oils; thus, providing a safe and natural grooming solution to your pets even with consistent use.
The premium colloidal oatmeal formulation also provides extra strength, which soothes dry and flaky skin while also acting as an effective deodorizer and odor remover. This organic compound gives a full relief for irritated and itchy skin, helps end scratching, and prevents odoriferous dog smell.
As a gentle agent, it's formulation uses a nourishing base and is enhanced with natural grooming moisturizers. It contains jojoba and provitamin B5, which moisturizes the skin and combats skin irritations. These conditioning agents help detangle your dog's fur for a softer and smoother coat.
Overall, Pet Pleasant Natural Oatmeal Pet Shampoo is gentle and safe for grooming puppies and adult dogs. Its tear-free, all-natural, and medicated-strength formulation ensures an effective soothing relief to your Shih Tzu's itchy and dry skin.
- Medicated-strength pet shampoo formulation
- Gentle and nourishing shampoo
- Tear-free, cruelty-free, and paraben-free
- Does not lather well
Burt's Bees Hydrating Shampoo is a perfect solution to help clean and moisturize your dog's dry and dehydrated coat with enough moisture.
This hydrating product gently grooms your dogs with its natural components to keep them clean and fresh. It uses some of nature's finest ingredients, such as coconut oils to ensure your canine's proper well-being and overall health.
Being free from colorants, parabens, petroleum, and other toxic ingredients, the shampoo offers a pH balanced for dogs. Its natural formulation also lacks a strong scent, instead the presence of rich lather to ensure softer and silkier coats.
The formulation is guaranteed 100% safe and effective for all dogs, no matter what age they may be. However, its use is especially best and suitable for dogs suffering from dry and itchy skin.
Overall, the easy to use and cruelty-free Burt's Bees Hydrating Shampoo is a brilliant product that protects and enhances the long hair of your Shih Tzu. It is a complete shampoo that can be used frequently to provide gentle cleaning and strong hydrating properties to your dogs.
- Moisturizes dog’s skin and coat
- Safe and easy to use
- Suitable for all dog’s ages
- Not completely a natural product
Sofee & Co. Natural Dog Puppy Shampoo is formulated to clean, nourish, and pamper your cute little Shih Tzu puppies.
The product is basically made from white pears, making it an all-natural and mild shampoo for your furry friends. This helps clean, moisturizes, deodorizes, and freshens your dog's coat while relieving dry, itchy, flaky, and sensitive skin.
Moreover, the shampoo is designed using premium natural ingredients and hand-selected scents to spoil your pets.
With its formula, you are guaranteed to leave your puppies with a human-grade product to make your pets look great, feeling soft, and smelling fresh all day long.
As a bonus, it contains no parabens, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oils, artificial dyes, and other toxic materials that can harm your dogs. Instead, the shampoo offers a light and subtle scent which perfectly fits even dogs with sensitive noses.
Overall, Sofee & Co. Natural Dog Puppy Shampoo is a human-grade, cruelty-free, and non-toxic grooming shampoo that safely and gently cleans and nourishes your puppies even with consistent or regular use.
- All-natural ingredients
- Fresh and clean scent
- Hypoallergenic and non-toxic
- A bit pricey
The Best Shampoos for Shih Tzu: Buying Guides
Shih Tzus come in different colors as well as different kinds of fur. Basically, this depends on the age of the dog and the seasons. Newborn and younger dogs are darker, silkier, and softer as compared to the more mature and aged ones.
The fur of Shih Tzus can easily get tangled and matted. That's why it is advisable to have them clipped and groomed as early as ten months old.
1. Choosing the Best Shampoos for Shih Tzu
When choosing a good Shih Tzu shampoo, the following factors should be considered.
2. How to Bathe a Shih Tzu?
To make Shih Tzu bath time a lot easier, here are some tips on how to groom a Shih Tzu:
Read more —
Frequently Asked Questions
What Kind of Shampoo Should I Use on My Shih Tzu?
Contrary to popular belief, there are several types of shampoos for Shih Tzu. This is why you shouldn't just get any dog shampoos off the rack.
Instead, you should invest in what your dog really needs to be able to achieve the best results.
How Often Should You Wash Your Shih Tzu?
It is recommended to bathe your Shih Tzu every three weeks on average. However, if your dogs are more adventurous and tend to get dirty quickly, then you may want to bathe them every other week or at least twice a month.
However, it is essential to use moisturizing shampoo and conditioner in case you wash your Shih Tzu more often to prevent drying out their skin and cause itching and dandruff.
Final Thoughts
The delicate nature of your Shih Tzu's hair requires you to choose the right shampoos. This will ensure not only the cleanliness of your pooch but also their glossy and adorable long hair.
Among the products we reviewed, Buddy Wash 2-in-1 Dog Grooming Shampoo + Conditioner is the best shampoo for Shih Tzu. This product uses all-natural ingredients, making it safe and effective for your dogs.
It is specially formulated with the dog's correct pH levels, thus giving your Shih Tzu a clean, refreshed, soft, and shiny hair without any dryness or irritations.
Hey there, I’m Ruby Smith, founder of Pet So Fun, and I’m here to provide you with useful information about your precious pet. All pets deserve the best care, don’t they? But not all pet owners have access to the right products and tips for their pets. And the central core of my work here is to change that.