Most adult Shih Tzus need somewhere between 80g and 145g of dry food a day, depending on their ideal weight. For an average 7kg Shih Tzu, a sensible starting point is around 120g of dry food a day, or 400g of wet food, or 80g of dry with 100g of wet, split across two meals.
Three things can impact that number: your dog's ideal weight, how active they really are, and which recipe is in the bowl. Plenty of owners look at a feeding guide and think it seems like a lot of food. Sometimes they're right, and we'll show you how to tell.
If you're choosing a food at the same time, our small breed recipes use a smaller kibble piece, which matters more for this breed than you might expect.
How much food does a Shih Tzu need?
For an average adult Shih Tzu of around 7kg, at a healthy body condition and doing about an hour of low to moderate exercise a day, 120g of dry food a day is our starting point.
We can't give you one gram figure that works for every food. Recipes differ in energy density, which is how many calories are packed into each gram. A more energy-dense recipe means a smaller portion for the same calories, so the feeding guide on the pack in front of you always comes first.
You'll find the calorie figure on the back of every Harringtons pack, and our help centre explains where to find the kcal information for each recipe.
Shih Tzu feeding chart by weight
These are daily totals, not per-meal amounts, so divide them across two meals for an adult. The ranges cover differences in activity and body condition.
|
Ideal adult weight |
Dry food only |
Wet food only |
Dry and wet mixed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
4.5kg |
80 to 95g |
260 to 315g |
57g dry plus 72g wet |
|
5kg |
85 to 105g |
280 to 340g |
62g dry plus 78g wet |
|
5.5kg |
90 to 110g |
300 to 365g |
67g dry plus 83g wet |
|
6kg |
95 to 120g |
320 to 390g |
71g dry plus 89g wet |
|
6.5kg |
100 to 125g |
340 to 415g |
76g dry plus 95g wet |
|
7kg |
110 to 130g |
360 to 440g |
80g dry plus 100g wet |
|
7.5kg |
115 to 140g |
380 to 465g |
84g dry plus 105g wet |
|
8kg |
120 to 145g |
400 to 485g |
88g dry plus 111g wet |
The rows are scaled from our 7kg figures using metabolic bodyweight, which we explain further down. Two things to hold onto:
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Feed to the ideal weight, not the number on the scales today.
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Check the pack. Our small breed pack gives 120g to 190g a day for dogs of 5kg to 10kg. That band covers every activity level and a five-kilo spread, so if the pack and this chart differ, go with the pack and your vet.
What a Shih Tzu should actually weigh
The Royal Kennel Club breed standard does set a weight: 4.5kg to 8kg, with an ideal of 4.5kg to 7.5kg, and a height at the shoulder of no more than 27cm (The Royal Kennel Club, 2016).
That's a tighter window than many owners expect. In a UK study of 11,082 Shih Tzus under veterinary care, the average adult weighed 7.9kg, with males averaging 8.5kg (Dale et al., 2024). So the typical pet Shih Tzu sits near or above the top of the ideal range.
That doesn't mean every 8.5kg dog is overweight. Frame, muscle, and coat all play a part. It does mean the scales alone won't settle it, and it's why we suggest you feed from a target weight rather than today's weight.
To find that target, ask your vet to give your dog a body condition check and agree on a number together. Write it down and feed from that row. Our guide to how much your dog should weigh covers the basics.
If the chart looks like too much, read this
A feeding guide is built for an average dog doing average things. Plenty of Shih Tzus aren't that dog.
A neutered Shih Tzu who lives mostly indoors and does a couple of short walks a day may well need less than the guide suggests. A young, busy one who gets a proper hour out may need the full amount.
So if the number looks high, start at the lower end of your dog's row, then adjust gradually based on body condition over three or four weeks. If you're unsure which way to go, a quick chat with your vet can help put your mind at ease.
It can run the other way too. A dog who loses weight, seems flat, or finishes every meal and goes hunting for more may need a little more food.
Shih Tzu puppy feeding chart by age
A Shih Tzu puppy is fed by their expected adult weight, not their current weight, and more often than an adult. Our help centre explains why expected adult weight is the right measure. For puppies under eight weeks, get in touch with us rather than working from a chart.
|
Age |
Meals a day |
Expected adult weight under 5kg |
Expected adult weight 5kg to 8kg |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Eight to 12 weeks |
Four |
50 to 80g |
80 to 120g |
|
Three to six months |
Three |
55 to 90g |
90 to 140g |
|
Six to nine months |
Two |
50 to 80g |
80 to 120g |
|
Nine to 12 months |
Two |
45 to 70g |
70 to 110g |
These are daily totals of dry puppy food, taken from our puppy feeding guide. The right-hand column comes from a band that runs up to 10kg, so most Shih Tzu puppies will sit towards the lower or middle part of it.
Why does expected adult weight matter so much? Feeding to current weight means chasing a moving target and adjusting every week. Feeding to the adult target gives a steady plan that your vet can check against as your puppy grows. Our puppy recipes come as small kibble and as trays for puppies who prefer something softer.
Why small dogs need more food per kilo, not less
This one surprises a lot of people. A dog's energy needs don't rise in step with their weight. They rise more slowly.
Vets and nutritionists use something called metabolic bodyweight to account for this. It's bodyweight raised to the power of 0.75, and it does a better job than plain kilos of predicting how many calories a dog burns. FEDIAF, the European pet food industry body, bases its nutrient guidelines for adult dogs on daily energy intakes of 95 or 110 kcal per kilo of metabolic bodyweight (FEDIAF, 2021).
Here's what that means in practice:
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A 6kg Shih Tzu needs roughly 41% more calories per kilo of bodyweight than a 24kg dog.
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So you can't work out a Shih Tzu's portion by taking a big dog's amount and dividing by four. You'd underfeed.
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It's also why our chart doesn't go up in neat, equal steps. Each extra half kilo adds a little less food than the one before.
Weighing about 120g accurately: why grams matter more for a small dog
In a study at the University of Guelph, 100 dog owners used three common devices to measure out set amounts of dry food. Their results ranged from 48% under the target to 152% over (Coe et al., 2019), and the smallest portion, a quarter of a cup, produced the biggest errors.
An earlier study found the same pattern. Owners using measuring cups ranged from 18% under to 80% over, and the smaller the portion, the less accurate they were (German et al., 2011).
That's the problem for a Shih Tzu in a nutshell. On 120g a day, a 40g slip is a third of the day's food. On a large dog eating several hundred grams, the same slip barely registers.
Published cup advice for this breed varies a lot too. Across the guides that rank for Shih Tzu feeding, the adult recommendation runs from about a quarter of a cup to a full cup a day, a fourfold spread. Part of the reason is that kibble density differs between recipes and between batches, so the same scoop really can hold a different weight from one bag to the next.
So our advice is simple:
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Use digital kitchen scales and weigh in grams, every meal.
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Weigh the day's total in the morning and split it, so it's easy to see what's left.
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Re-weigh when you open a new bag, especially if you've changed recipe.
How to tell if you're feeding the right amount
Body condition score is a standard scale vets use to judge how much fat a dog is carrying. You can do a rough version at home with three checks:
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Ribs. Run your hands along their sides. You should be able to feel the ribs easily under a thin layer, without pressing.
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Waist from above. Feel for a narrowing behind the ribcage.
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Tuck from the side. The belly should slope up towards the back legs rather than hanging level.
With a Shih Tzu, notice we said feel, not look. A long, dense coat hides all three, so a dog in full coat can look fluffy and round when they're actually lean, or look fine when they're carrying extra. Use your hands every time, and pay particular attention just after a groom, when the shape underneath is easiest to see.
This matters because most of us aren't sure. PDSA reports that 32% of dog owners don't know their dog's weight (PDSA, n.d.).
A monthly rhythm works well. Weigh your dog on the same day each month, either at the vet or by weighing yourself, picking your dog up, and taking the difference. Do a hands-on condition check at the same time and jot both down. PDSA's body condition guide walks through the full check.
When a Shih Tzu is struggling to eat rather than being fussy
Shih Tzus often get called fussy eaters. Sometimes that's fair. Sometimes the shape of the face is the real obstacle.
The breed standard describes a muzzle that is "square, short" and a mouth that is "wide, slightly undershot or level" (The Royal Kennel Club, 2016). Undershot simply means the lower jaw sits slightly further forward than the top one. A short face and a forward lower jaw can make it fiddly to pick pieces up off a flat surface, so a dog who nudges food around the bowl may be finding it awkward rather than turning it down.
A few things you can change at home:
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A shallower, wider bowl. In a deep bowl, the face can meet the sides before it reaches the food.
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Smaller pieces. A smaller kibble is easier to grip, which is one reason our small breed recipes can suit this breed.
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A softer texture. Adding some wet food, or a splash of warm water to dry food, can make pieces easier to gather and brings out the smell.
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Keep the face clear. A topknot or a quick trim of the hair around the mouth can stop it getting in the way.
These may help some dogs, and plenty won't need any of them. If your Shih Tzu drops food, chews on one side, or seems uncomfortable when eating, speak to your vet, because a sore mouth can look a lot like fussiness. For dogs who truly are just picky, our guide to dog breeds that are picky eaters covers what to do next.
Teeth, and what food can and can't do
Periodontal disease, which is gum disease and the damage it causes around the teeth, is the most commonly recorded disorder in UK Shih Tzus, at 9.5%. Dental problems overall were recorded in 13.3% of the breed, the second most common group after skin conditions (Dale et al., 2024).
We'll be clear about this: dry food doesn't clean teeth, and we'd never pretend otherwise. What can help is brushing with a dog toothpaste, ideally daily, and regular dental checks with your vet. Our guides to looking after your dog's teeth and feeding a dog with bad teeth cover both in more detail.
Keeping a Shih Tzu at a healthy weight
Shih Tzus are a fairly long-lived breed, with a median age at death of 12.7 years in UK vet records. Recorded obesity was 3.5%, lower than the 6.38% seen across flat-faced breeds overall (Dale et al., 2024).
Recorded obesity is only what vets write down, though, and the average weight in that same study sat above the ideal range. So think of this as steady habits over a long life rather than a problem to fix:
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Keep treats under a tenth of the daily amount, and count them. On 120g a day, a single 10g biscuit is already around 8% of your dog's food. Our guide to how many treats a dog should have has more on this.
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Take treats from the day's total rather than adding them on top. Our low fat dog treats break into small pieces easily.
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Adjust when life changes. Neutering, a quieter winter, or getting older can all lower what a dog needs.
If you think your Shih Tzu needs to lose weight, start with your vet rather than the bowl. They can set a target and a safe pace, and keep checking in along the way.
Which Harringtons recipes suit a Shih Tzu
We don't make a Shih Tzu recipe, and there's no need for one. What we do make are recipes that suit this size and shape of dog for particular reasons:
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Small breed recipes have a smaller kibble piece that's easier to pick up. Turkey and rice and lamb and rice both come in 1kg bags, so food stays fresh in a small household.
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Just 6 keeps things simple with six key ingredients, which some owners prefer for a dog with sensitivities. It comes as dry food and as 380g trays, such as chicken with vegetables and gravy.
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Grain free wet trays suit mixed feeding, or a dog who finds a softer texture easier to eat.
None of these is better than the others. They do different jobs, and all our recipes are developed with veterinary and nutritionist input. For a wider look at feeding smaller dogs, see our guide to the best dog food for small dogs.
Switching your Shih Tzu onto a new food
Change food gradually over seven to 10 days, mixing in a little more of the new food each day. Keep weighing the total so the daily amount stays the same while the mix changes.
Watch for loose stools, a drop in appetite, or a dog who seems uncomfortable, and slow things down if you see any of them. If it doesn't settle within a few days, speak to your vet.
If you're adding wet food, move any leftovers into an airtight container in the fridge and use them within two to three days. Use a clean spoon each time, and throw it away if it smells or looks off. There's more in our guide to storing wet dog food after opening.
If you take one habit from this page, make it the kitchen scales. On a dog this size, a few grams each day add up faster than you'd think.
