08/23/2025
Poor little Leon is teething! Well, they all are, but in flat faced puppies like Shih Tzu, sometimes the gums and nearby tissue can swell a little bit with teeth coming in. With their nose so close to those front teeth, it can sometimes squish those nostrils together! This is temporary and harmless. The swelling (squished nostrils) can go in and out over time during the first 6 months or so. Once the adult teeth are set in, their faces are more mature, and no more teething, they end up with wide nostrils. While the nostrils are tight, it can cause a little condensation (clear, watery snot, basically). The puppies may sneeze to clear the airway or you may see little water droplets on their nose or the little hairs there. Sometimes they'll even open their mouth to take a big breath or sound sniffly. Surprisingly it doesn't seem to be more prevalent in the more smashed faced babies. Mako (now Pooh Bear) stayed here for his first year as we were hoping to have him as a breeder. He has a big, broad, wide head and actually a longer nose than I prefer. His parents have wide open gorilla nostrils. For some reason, teething hit him HARD but not until like 5 months old. Then suddenly his nostrils were like sealed shut for a week, then normal for a few weeks, then I'd hear his breathing again and sure enough the nostrils squished back in! They went in and out until almost a year old and then settled on wide open.
I learned to never risk breeding parents that don't have wide open nostrils as adults. We are very careful (even more careful, the more we learn) in the structure and breathing of the adults that we choose to breed. I promise if it was a matter of "don't breed small faces" or "don't breed flat faces" or "don't breed this dog" then it would be an easy choice to make! Unfortunately it seems pretty random, I really haven't been able to pinpoint who's going to have those temporary growing pains. Luckily it doesn't seem to bother the puppies!! It doesn't slow them down in playing, doesn't cause them any distress, no illness, doesn't affect eating. It goes away on its own and doesn't need any intervention.
Some veterinarians (including one of mine) are not as familiar with brachycephalic puppies and may panic if they see tight nostrils, suggesting surgery. The breed club and community strongly recommends waiting until a year old to let their face mature AS LONG AS they aren't affected by the nostrils.
Warning signs would be
If they struggle to breath
pass out
have trouble eating
Thick colored discharge like a sinus infection
Low energy, low appetite, or generally acting like they don't feel well
Then they are may be sick and should see a vet, although that's super rare
Leon is totally fine, not slowed down and at, and his nostrils will open back up on their own when theyre ready!
Just wanted to share because while Leon is the only one right now with right nostrils, 8 weeks (right around the time they go home!!) is when it really seems to peak for the puppies that do get it. Kikimora's puppies sometimes do go through this, so someone else may end up snorty too.
You can see Leon's tight nostrils, like curled all the way in! His brother Kai's more open nostrils (like Leon's were!!), and the adult parents Lenox dad and Kikimora mom. They breath great and enjoy long forest hikes running and playing!!
Look at this tiny teeth coming in, mucking up his precious nose!!!
Asena's & Kikimora's 10 pups are going to Dr. Shaw next Friday. He is a reproductive specialist (highly experienced with puppies) and brachycephalic breed specialist (very knowledgeable in Shih Tzus and similar built babies). He will check them all over and make sure everyone is doing great, but I have no concerns. Just an unfortunate, random puppy "growing pain" that a small number of the babies experience.
Here's an article from the national breed club, the American Shih Tzu Club, regarding teething issues involving the nostrils. https://shihtzu.org/teething_issues
" Pinched nostrils on and off are not uncommon among Shih Tzu puppies before their permanent teeth come in, which is normally at about 10 months of age. This problem generally resolves itself, especially if the nostrils are not so pinched as to interfere with the puppy’s ability to eat and breathe at the same time. If the puppy is active and gaining weight, do not be too concerned about a clear, watery, bubbly discharge from the nose, especially if his gums are swollen. A few dogs are so severely affected that they may need surgery later on, but this is a situation in which “wait and see” rather than surgery should be the normal response."
If you have any concerns, do feel free to consult a trusted veterinarian familiar with the breed, and follow their guidance. I appreciate anyone letting me know if you ever have a problem, but just FYI for teething babies going home ❤️ I promise it gets better!
The medical term is stenotic nares, but in Shih Tzu puppies itemporary ts normally just a temporary annoyance .
