27. 9-year-old Shih Tzu very well maintained, has a "cholesterol plaque" above eyelid?

"An oval reddish lump of 0.8 cm x 0.4 cm at the corner of the upper eyelid in his left eye appeared recently," the couple said. "What is the problem?"

"Is it recent or a fast-growing tumour?" I wondered.

Since the dog was a "senior citizen", could this swelling be a cancerous tumour? The redness could be due to the dog rubbing against it or due to injury.



A cholesterol deposit above the eyelids that is present in some older men? But I doubt such a condition exists in the dog.

Or just an infection due to injury? His left eyeball was protruding a bit relative to his right, but then Shih Tzus have protruding eyeballs.

This 9-year-old male Shih Tzu looked so much younger. No skin disease or ear and face infections unlike many Shih Tzus. I asked the owner to come back for review after 3 weeks. If the lump disappeared, it would be an infection. If it is still there, it is best to be removed. Clear communication is necessary with any dog owner as any delay in removal of a tumour that grows fast may be bad for the dog.

TOILET TRAINING

1. Newspapers and urine training aid in the bathroom next to the kitchen (in the HDB apartment). Spanked and commanded to go to pee on newspapers. The dog did not go outdoors during the first 4 years because the owner did not want his paws to be dirty.

But from the 5th years, the owners could not stand the strong smell of the urine inside the bathroom.

"We bought an industrial acid to neutralise the smell," the lady said. "Since then, he avoids the bathroom. He would just pee at the same spot on the kitchen floor. He usually pees after midnight. We have to clean it every day."

"How many times does he pee and poo a day?" I asked.

"3 times for peeing. 2 times downstairs and the one time in the kitchen. He drinks a lot of water. He poops 1 to 2x per day downstairs but sometimes poops overnight in the apartment. He learns from other male dogs to lift his legs to pee during the past 4 years. When he sees another dog or cat, he runs away."

"When does he eat his meals?" I asked.

"8 am and 6 pm but he gets treats."

URINE MARKING OF THE MALE DOG.
This dog has been urine marking the bathroom for the first 4 years but the owners did not know of this behaviour. The urine smells become unbearable. Neuter the male dog when he is around 6 months old may prevent urine marking. But not all owners want to do it. The Shih Tzu is still urine-marking the kitchen floor after midnight when the owner is not around.

GENERALLY, an adult dog pees 2X per day and poop 1X per day when given a routine of exercise downstairs. This seems to be the case in this handsome well-maintained Shih Tzu.

P.S In Singapore, Shih Tzus owners may not know how to maintain a Shih Tzu's ears, leaving the task to the groomer, the maid or the mother. With ear infections, the Shih Tzu rubbed its ears and face, leading to various skin disease of the head, neck and paws. To prove it, I swab the ear discharge with a cotton swab. I smelled the yellowish brown discharge. If it smells like sour vinegar, I let the owner sniff at it to prove that he or she has not done proper maintenance.

In this 9-year-old Shih Tzu, all ears were clear and clean, the face and paw was free from skin disease. The older couple in their fifties keep the Shih Tzu well groomed by themselves. It was a pleasure to see well kept Shih Tzus.