The Shiba Inu originates from southern China and is an ancient dog breed. Its name comes from its tough fur. This dog breed is very precious and one of the most valuable breeds in the world. In the past, it was an excellent hunting dog, and later, through long-term breeding and further improvement by experts, it has gained widespread popularity due to its unique appearance and personality.
The Shiba Inu is an alert dog with a medium size and a square outline. It has short and rough fur, loose skin covering the head and body, small ears, a "hippopotamus-like" muzzle, and a high-set tail, giving the Shiba Inu a unique and distinctive appearance. As a puppy, it has loose skin and wrinkles on its head, neck, and body, but as it grows up, these wrinkles may only be limited to the head, neck, and withers.
Shiba Inu originated from Dalitown, Guangdong Province, and has a history of several thousand years in China, which can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. However, the specific development process is not very clear. In the past, this breed was rarely seen in mainland cities, only a small number remained in remote rural areas, as well as in places such as Hong Kong, the British Council of the Churches, and Taiwan.
The origin of the name Shiba Inu literally means "sandy skin," but it is often freely translated as "rough, sandy fur" or "sandpaper-like fur." It includes two distinctive fur characteristics of this breed: rough and short. This makes this breed very unique in the world.
In 1968, this breed was only recognized and registered by the Hong Kong Kennel Club. Subsequently, the Hong Kong and Kowloon Kennel Organizations established a dog registration office and registered Shiba Inu. In addition, other registration offices in countries such as Japan, Korea, Canada, the UK, and other European countries also recognized this breed.
It is highly alert, agile, easy to train, loyal to its owner, but exceptionally brave and enjoys playing and fighting, so it is also called "fighting dog". It is not suitable for family breeding and is now mainly used as a guard dog.
Tinea pedis
Symptoms: The dog frequently licks its toes, and the area between the toes becomes red and moist. In severe cases, limping may occur.
Preparation: Iodophor, erythromycin ointment, Elizabethan collar
Instructions: Wear an Elizabethan collar, remove the hair between the toes, wash with soapy water or wipe with iodophor, and then apply erythromycin ointment to the toes once a day. Repeat for one week.
Ear mites
Symptoms: The dog scratches its ears, shakes its head, and the ears have a strong sour odor. Tear stains worsen, the ears lose hair, and there is dark brown secretions and ear wax.
Preparation: Ear cleaning solution, ear wash
Instructions: Clean the hair inside the dog's ears, pour ear wash or Virbac ear cleaner into the ear canal, gently massage the base of the ear for 30 seconds, wait for the dog to shake out the ear wash, use a cotton ball to wipe away the secretions and gently clean the earlobe and ear canal.
Skin disease
Symptoms: The dog feels itchy, the skin becomes red and itchy, the dog scratches randomly, the fur becomes dull and rough, there is more dandruff, and even patches of hair loss occur.
Preparation: Diluted saline, topical ointment or skin spray, vitamin B
Instructions: Put an Elizabethan collar on the dog to prevent scratching and licking. Trim the problem skin and surrounding hair, then rinse with saline to sterilize, and apply ointment or use spray, along with antibiotics and vitamin B.
Diet:
The Shiba Inu is a relatively large dog breed with high energy levels, so it needs to be supplemented with more meat. In addition, attention should be paid to nutritional balance and it should also eat more vegetables, avoiding bones. Provide clean and hygienic drinking water for it every day.
Exercise:
Since the Shiba Inu was originally used as a hunting dog, it requires a large amount of physical activity. However, excessive exercise should be avoided because of its short nasal passage, which can easily lead to oxygen deficiency. The Shiba Inu is lively and active and needs moderate exercise. Due to its short nasal passage, vigorous exercise can easily cause oxygen deficiency, so it is best to take it for walks outdoors in the early morning or evening. This breed has many folds of skin, which can easily hide dirt and bacteria, so daily cleaning and hygiene should be paid special attention to, otherwise it is prone to mange and skin diseases. It is recommended to bathe the dog twice a week in summer and once a week in autumn. The dog should not be overfed to avoid becoming overweight and affecting its health. In addition, the Shiba Inu is prone to entropion and rickets due to its special anatomy, so attention should be paid to feeding and management. Skin hygiene should also be emphasized as the wrinkles are prone to dermatosis. Regular baths and spraying perfume can help prevent body odor.
Shiba Inus are naturally afraid of water, so do not take them swimming.
1. Do not bathe frequently
When bathing a dog, of course, it should not be done too frequently. The frequency of bathing a dog depends on the dog's hygiene conditions. In hot weather, you can bathe the dog one or two more times, while in winter, you can reduce it by one or two times. In general, it should not exceed 5 times. Otherwise, it will damage its fur and skin!
2. Regularly brush the fur
Dogs shed almost every day, especially in spring and autumn, when seasonal shedding is more severe. To make the fur grow well, regular brushing is an important step. Pet owners can use a pet-specific comb to help the dog clean up naturally shed fur and prevent tangling. Brushing once in the morning and once in the evening for about five minutes each time is sufficient.
3. Sunbathe
Sunbathing is beneficial for the growth of a dog's fur. Besides making the fur more shiny, letting the dog sunbathe can also help kill bacteria. While sunbathing, pet owners can let the dog exercise a bit, which can improve the dog's physical fitness, promote blood circulation, and help grow healthier fur.
4. Deworming
Poor fur quality is closely related to parasites. Parasites absorb a large amount of nutrients from the dog's body, robbing them of nutrition. Therefore, deworming is essential. It is recommended to treat internal and external parasites at the same time. Additionally, deworming medicine can cause great harm to a dog's stomach. Therefore, it is recommended to supplement with probiotics to alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Pay attention to diet
In order to have bright and beautiful fur, it is necessary to establish a good nutritional foundation and pay attention to the daily diet. On one hand, feed the dog with nutritious and healthy dog food, select a dog food that is suitable for the dog and provides sufficient nutrients to meet the dog's needs. On the other hand, you can also feed the dog with an appropriate amount of lean meat, cooked egg yolk, and vegetable oil.
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