A fun, friendly, affectionate, fur-ball just about sums up the bundle of energy that is a Shichon.
This cute canine companion is a hybrid dog; the result of one parent being a Bichon Frise and the other a Shih Tzu.
The result is an irresistible package of fun and fur that will delight their pet parent for 16 years or more!
But to live into a ripe old age, the Shichon needs to be well-cared for.
This means feeding a diet that is designed to meet the needs of a small dog.
Factors that are especially important when considering the best dog food for Shichon are that they tend to have a sensitive stomach and they can have dental problems if their teeth are not properly cared for.
Top 8 Best Foods for Shichon
Other factors you may wish to consider include whether to feed canned food or dry, kibble, along with how often to feed. With this in mind, we will look at eight of the best dog food for Shichon so that you can spend less time worrying about what to feed, and more time playing with your pet pal.
Unfortunately smaller breeds such as the Shichon can be fussy eaters.
The way to avoid this is never to make a big deal out of mealtimes.
If you a likely to hover over the dog while he investigates his food bowl, then it’s best if you leave the room during dog meal times.
This removes any possibility of the dog learning he gets more attention when he refuses to eat than when he eats.
Knowing that his mom gets clucky when he doesn’t eat or that it makes even tastier treats appear is a strong motivator that makes dogs into fussy eaters.
But let’s start with the basics, and look at what is the best dog food for Shichon.
1. Taste of the Wild
Taste of the Wild Appalachian for small dogs is ideal for a Shichon for several reasons.
Firstly the small kibble size. The Shichon has a dainty mouth and may find it difficult to crunch on large kibble pieces.
However, the biscuit size in this Taste of the Wild food is easy for that small-bite mouth to maneuver, crunch, and swallow.
An important consideration for any food is what the ingredients are and their quality.
Again, this is something that Taste of the Wild pride themselves on and won’t compromise over.
They understand the importance of using good quality protein sources, such as actual meat rather than meat meal or vegetable protein.
This is even more important for a small dog with a small stomach.
Taste of the Wild has named meat, venison, right there at the top of the list, which is a sign of quality.
Also, the other ingredients all sound good enough to eat in a restaurant, including chicory root, tomato, and blueberries.
The Appalachian flavor, in particular, is made to be highly digestible, to suit the smaller dogs less robust constitution, and is also ultra-tasty so that even the fussiest eater would have difficulty finding a reason to turn their nose up.
That said, when researching the best foods for Shichons this Taste of the Wild Appalachian must be high on the list.
2. Rachael Ray Nutrish
Bichons’ are notorious for having sensitive skin and allergy problems.
Since your Shichon is 50% Bichon then it stands to reason they are slightly more at risk of having skin sensitivities than other breeds.
If you want to know what the best brand dog food for Shichon then look no further than Rachel Ray’.
Oh, and before we forget, not only will it do your Shichon good but it does rescue pets good too – as in part of all profits are donated to pet charities.
So what about the food?
The name ‘Just 6’ comes from it having just six ingredients (plus added vitamins and minerals). Amazing.
It’s also big on the good stuff and leaves out those with a question mark over them such as corn, wheat, or soy.
This formulation contains lamb meal rich in natural chondroitin and glucosamine for healthy joints, along with first-rate protein content and essential B vitamins.
If a dog has an allergy to say, beef, then any beef by-product included in eh food is likely to trigger an allergic itch.
With Rachel Ray’s Just 6, because the ingredients are restricted, the dog is a lot less likely to accidentally be eating something they are allergic to. Hey, presto!
When the dog doesn’t eat an allergen he’s sensitive to the itch will go away for a scratch-free lifestyle.
Got to be better and healthier than steroids, all day long.
3. Wellness Small-Breed
What’s the difference between a dry kibble and canned food? It’s all in the moisture content.
Whilst a moist canned food is around 65-80% water, dry kibble is around 10-20% water. The implication of this is that canned food is an expensive way of hydrating your dog.
Indeed, provided your Shichon has plenty of fresh-water available at all times, and then there is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding dry food.
Indeed, dry food has many benefits such as it gives the teeth a work out as the dog chews, which helps keep gums healthy and slows the rate of plaque deposition.
Also, it’s easier to store because your dog eats a smaller volume of kibble than he would for the equivalent amount of calories in wet food.
So out of all the dry foods, why pick Wellness?
Wellness Complete understands what’s special about the nutrition of small breed dogs and creates foods accordingly.
For example, just like the Taste of the Wild Food, the smaller kibble size is ideal for a smaller mouth to chomp on.
It includes delicious doggy delights such as salmon, white fish, and chicken to make it extra tempting for the picky eater and it’s free from colors and preservatives.
It’s also packed with valuable nutrients such as omega 3 and 6, to promote a glossy coat and healthy skin.
This all adds together to make each mouthful count, which is so important for a smaller dog such as a Shichon.
4. Eukanuba Puppy
It’s important to find a food suited to the rate of growth of your puppy, which is why there are foods designed for a range of different breed sizes.
This makes sense when you think about it because the nutritional needs of a Chihuahua are very different from those of a Great Dane, so one size does not suit all.
A Shichon has a relatively rapid growth from that cute bundle of fur into the adorable teddy-bear good looks of the adult dog.
This means the pup must have good quality protein to supply the needs of those rapidly growing bones and muscles.
Eukanuba provides just that with chicken being the ingredient heading the list.
It’s important not to overlook the significance of having named meat topping the ingredients because this means it’s also the major ingredient in the food.
This well-balanced food is also rich in Omega 3 and 6, which are important for a healthy coat and supple skin.
5. Royal Canin
What is the best dry food for a Shichon? Our choice: Royal Canin
A small dog like the Shichon is prone to bad teeth. This isn’t so much because of any genetic trait towards poor teeth, but because it can be tricky to get in with a toothbrush to clean their teeth regularly.
Diet can be a big help to improving dental health because whereas canned or wet food is claggy and sticks to the teeth, dry food has more of a scouring or cleaning action.
But not all dry foods are created equal.
Just because one biscuit looks very much like any other, that doesn’t mean what’s inside is the same.
In terms of finding the best dry food for Shichon then seeking out a food specifically designed to meet the needs of one of the parent breeds is a good starting point.
Royal Canin makes a range of breed-specific foods, which calls on knowledge of the individual needs of breeds to optimize what goes into making them so that your dog can live and long and healthy life.
For starters the kibble is made to a specific shape which makes it easier for a Shichon that inherits the shorter nose of her parent, to pick up without dropping.
Besides, it is balanced to provide everything the dog needs for a luxuriant, soft coat, for which the parent breed is well known.
Royal Canin is packed with Omega 3 and 6, biotin, and essential minerals and vitamins, you can be confident your dog gets everything she needs.
As a bonus, once eaten and having worked through the digestive tract, the stool is small and dry, so it doesn’t smell bad to boot.
6. Hill’s Science
Our choice: Hill’s Science. Many dogs have food sensitivities or intolerance.
This means when the dog eats an ingredient they are sensitive to it can cause tummy upsets or in some cases itchy skin.
This food by major pet food manufacturer Hills is designed for just such dogs.
For a start, it ranks amongst the best dog foods for Shichon with sensitive stomachs because it does not contain any artificial colorings, preservatives, or flavorings.
This is important because each of those ingredients could irritate a sensitive gut and cause stomach upsets, so not including artificial chemicals is a case of ‘less is more’.
Hills contains a limited list of ingredients, all of which are easy to digest.
This doesn’t guarantee the dog won’t have an allergic reaction (after all, some dogs are sensitive even to chicken) but it cuts down the chances.
7. Lily’s Kitchen Organics
As the marketing for Lily’s Kitchen so eloquently puts it, their food is “Real food for dogs.”
What do they mean by this? OK, well what they mean is this is like a home-cooked meal using natural and organic ingredients, ready and waiting in a sealed-foil tray.
It contains the highest quality ingredients, but what it doesn’t contain is flavoring, colorings, or preservatives.
If your Shichon inherits the ‘fussy’ gene from both sides of the family tree, then this food could be the answer to your pet pal’s appetite problems.
It contains such delicious delicacies as organic chicken, turkey, and pork.
Along with the meat are carrots and peas for carbohydrate energy.
It’s all cooked together with natural herbs for extra flavor and is rich with essential vitamins and minerals.
So what type of Shichon is best suited to Lily’s Kitchen’s suppers?
Well, it’s an awesome healthy treat for your dog on those special occasions such as when he’s been super cute, super clever…or just himself.
It’s also great for dogs with a poor appetite as the ingredients are not only tasty but nourishing to boot.
Because it’s a moist food it is soft and easy for dogs with sores mouths to eat it without pain, and it’s great for seniors who need a little extra tender loving care from time to time.
Kind of makes you want to tuck in, doesn’t it?
8. P.S.
What is the best dog food for Shichon with skin allergies? Our choice: PS – 100% Hypoallergenic Recipe
An itchy dog is an uncomfortable dog, and no-one wants that for their pet pal.
It’s a good idea to make sure your Shichon is up-to-date with their regular parasite treatments since simple things like a flea bite are one of the commonest reasons for itchiness.
However, if you are already conscientious about de-fleaing and the dog is still itchy then a reasonable explanation is they may have allergies.
Some Shichon’s with a sensitive system may react to allergens in their food, and the result triggers a chain reaction that ends with an itchy dog.
The good news is this chain of events can be short-circuited when you feed a diet that doesn’t contain the allergens the dog is sensitive to.
This is called a hypoallergenic diet because it’s low in the allergens that trigger the reaction.
When wondering which as the best dog foods for Shichon with skin allergies a good starting point is this PS for Dogs Hypoallergenic Recipe.
Formulated to be super-tasty so that it appeals to small dogs with fussy appetites.
It contains one protein source, lamb.
The importance of this is that dogs are often allergic to the protein part of their diet.
Also long as your dog is not allergic to lamb, then you’re good to go with this one.
Also, the recipe is gluten-free, which carbohydrate energy supplied by pumpkin.
Some dogs that have had long term recurrent ear infections and a history of yeast infections or itchiness, found this food to almost miraculous in the improvement in their pets.
Bottom Line
There are many excellent foods to choose from that will help keep your fur baby fit and well. So there we have our list of best dog food for Shichon.
However, remember you can have too much of a good thing, so keep a careful eye on portion size and your dog’s waistline.
Once you’ve made your choice, know that this is a dog prone to weight gain.
Follow the directions on the pack as to how much to feed.
But this is only ever a guide, with some dogs needing less and some more.
A foolproof way of keeping your Shichon in good shape is to get into the habit of feeling for their ribs.
When you can feel the ribs without applying too much pressure then your dog is doing great.
If the ribs are hard to find beneath a layer of ‘love’ aka fat, then cut the portion size down a little and check again in a week.
By adjusting how much you feed according to what the dog’s body is telling you then you can’t go far wrong, especially when feeding the best food for Shichon.
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Sarah Robinson
Dr Sarah Robinson attended veterinary school at Oklahoma State University receiving a D.V.M. in 2008. Sarah’s longtime interest is to help people to better communicate with their pet companions, and in doing so, to help them to strengthen their relationships with their dogs and cats. Sarah has published numerous articles on canine feeding in pet related magazines, veterinary journals and leading natural health web sites.
