All the time we hear, “Why won’t my finicky shih tzu eat the expensive food I bought them?!” Dealing with a picky shih tzu can be frustrating, so we asked the I Love My Shih Tzu Facebook community the following question: “What is the best food for a picky Shih Tzu?” We’ve received hundreds of responses, and we’ve rounded up some of the best suggestions below.
Always remember to consult your veterinarian before making any health changes to your shih tzu diet, especially if they have any medical issues. iHeartDogs is reader powered so some of the links below may be affiliate links where we get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
20 best foods for picky Shih Tzu
Good to see this thinking it’s just mine. Very picky but will eat Simply Cesar’s. But have to pick out the beans. Likes potatoes. Sweet taters. Hamburger once in a while. She is 3 years old and still has her first bag of dry food since I had her. She is just super spoiled.
Author: Debt C.
Prefer: 14
The only thing that suits my shih tzu is Rawabble chicken (all-rounder) and Scientific stewed chicken. I would add chicken, pasta, broccoli or a small amount of what we have. She’s always tough, I think they’re all like that
Author: Pam Jaykus B.
Prefer: 4
We feed them royal dog they have dry and wet food shih tzu and mine will eat it, they are super picky, it’s a bit pricey
Author: Michelle L.
Prefer: 6
Correct, natural diamond I get mine at tractor supply, they have one for small dogs or even puppies or big dogs. it doesn’t have any products that are not good for dogs. Do research on it.
Author: Barbara I.
Prefer: 0
I use dry purina pro plan puppy. My puppy is 10 months old. I add chickpeas and sometimes scrambled eggs. I find her to eat better if I microwave hard boiled eggs and green beans for just 7 seconds. She seems to like the warmth in this cold weather. Also use frozen strawberries for treatment. She loves them. Also baby carrots. Try to make sure she won’t get overweight.
Author: Rea H.
Prefer: 0
Freeze-dried Stella & Chewy. Or Mrs. Lucy’s freeze-dried food..I never feed anything with chicken in it..most dogs are allergic to it…I have a 10 year old shih tzu…good luck good luck with your fur…my Willie sent woof woof woof woof
Author: Dorothy Scaffidi D.
Prefer: first
Dr. MARTY’S WITH ONE EYE OF CHICKEN AND ONE TIME A WEEK, I GIVE YOU ONE EYES OF BACON. MIX DR. MARTY’S WITH SOME WARM WATER FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. I HEAT IT IN THE MICRO FOR ABOUT 16 SECONDS AND MAKE SURE IT IS NOT HOT INCLUDING THEIR Dish. IF YOU’RE GIVING IT TIME TO COOL DELICIOUS INCLUDES JUST TO FEEL COOL. DO SCAM.
Author: Sean T.
Prefer: 0
My shih tzu is 2 years old and i never found a dog food that he would eat regularly until i tried fresh pet, now she washes her dishes almost daily. I tried wet food, dry food, all different brands and she refused to eat.
Author: Sue St Aubin
Prefer: 3
I cook a variety of meats for me but that’s usually what we eat that day. So if I was making a steak, she would take one. She also gets veal, lamb, pork, chicken, hare, partridge, and sometimes deer. Without spoiling ETA, she eats subzero nutrition, the red bag. Sometimes I’ll crush and sprinkle pieces of dried liver over this snack, but most of the time she eats it as it is.
Author: Silvia R.
Prefer: 0
i give me Nature’s Formula hard and soft according to my vet after trying dozens of varieties. One can goes a long way. She is so small, I can give 3 feeds in 1 box. I get small bite hard food.
Author: Maria N.
Prefer: 0
We have a shitzu and Yorkie mixed shorkie and we give her some Chicken Caesars dry dog food and mixed with roasted chicken that I have to cook in my rotisserie. We can say spoiled. But I love her and she loves and protects me.
Author: Bonnie L.
Prefer: 0
I’ve been a picky eater since I was a kid. I mixed her dry food with Stella and chew lil bite and steamed broccoli or boiled chicken breast.
Or I give her boiled sweet potatoes or pumpkin mixed with her food. I have to give her different mix every day because she wouldn’t eat if every day was the same
Author: Cathy Aquino C.
Prefer: 0
We feed both FreshPet. I use all 4 flavors. We use a roll of one flavor and when that roll is used up we switch to another roll of a different flavor. They are also picky, but this seems to be the winner consistently. I tried the chopped fresh pet food and they got fed up and didn’t eat it. I just use the reels now. I tried farming a farmer’s dog and they threw it up, so I canceled that show. They also love fresh turkey bacon for pets.
Author: Nancy Mandigo T.
Prefer: 0
Rocco gets 1/3 cup of kibble (stay healthy) in the morning 1/3 cup kibble in the evening, some boiled chicken and 5 green beans with milk bones. At bedtime, he gets the Good Morning treatment.
Author: Martie L.
Prefer: 0
Mine too, I boiled the chicken and mixed it with Scientific dry diet for stomach and sensitive skin . It’s fine now, but he’s just getting tired of it. I also use Fresh pet, everyone knows. He also takes probiotics every day and it helps.
Author: Linda S.
Prefer: 0
Fresh Pets for Small Breeds…My Rocky is 3 years old and he loves it. They have a diary or you can buy it in a bag.. it’s located in the pet section of the fridge.. grocery store and BJ’S.. and they also have a cat litter just to keep that in mind if available. who is the owner of the cat…
Author: Mama Rose H.
Prefer: 0
Rosie is 4 years old and can eat once or twice a day. One day she won’t eat at all. I don’t worry she knows when she’s hungry. I feed her in the morning and in the evening a quarter cup Free nut health care brand dog food and topped with a small amount of Badlands Ranch high protein adult dog food, rinse with warm water. I’ve got her ready when she wants. I’ve spent a lot of dog food brands reading what’s in the food. Lots of unhealthy ingredients in high end brands. I’ve had a lot of furry kids die of kidney disease. I know I want better dog food for her. I guess I’m picky about what she eats. Rosie likes her food when she wants to. Her weight is still low around 9lbs 10oz. Rosie is a small frame of Shih Tzu. My other Shih Tzu was in a 16 lbs dog frame. I love this fur baby and I wish her the best.
Author: Karen P.
Prefer: 0
My female shih-tzu and shih-tzu/bichon mix is quite picky. I feed them a mix of: Beneficial or unbelievable mix (wet dog food) with helpful dry food. They come in different sizes so servings are based on weight 3 times a day. Lunch is smaller servings. Everyone will randomly skip meals from time to time.
Author: Cindy Lou A.
Prefer: 0
Mine still eats Chow puppy Purina but it’s only a year old. Likes green beans and carrots. Don’t tell anyone but eat what we make. love fruit
Author: Linwood M.
Prefer: 0
win dried food. They also have wet food. Mix with sweet potatoes and pumpkin and blueberries
Author: Mark U.
Prefer: 0
Always consult your veterinarian before making any health changes to your shih tzu’s diet, especially if they regularly suffer from any medical problems. iHeartDogs is reader powered so some of the links above may be affiliate links where we get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
