Editorial Policy
Last updated: September 24, 2026
Shih Tzu Pedia exists to give Shih Tzu owners accurate, practical and up-to-date information. This page explains how we research, write, review and update our content, and how we handle products and affiliate links.
Our Standards
- Evidence first. Health, nutrition and behavior claims must be supported by a published source. We do not publish health claims we cannot source.
- Clear sourcing. Every guide ends with a list of the sources we used, with links where they are available.
- Honesty about experience. We never invent personal stories, test results or dog ownership. If we have not tested a product, we say so.
- Plain language. We write in short, clear sentences so the key points are easy to find.
- Safety. Health guides include clear warning signs and advice on when to see a veterinarian.
Where Our Information Comes From
We rank sources in this order:
- Peer-reviewed veterinary studies, especially studies of Shih Tzus or small, short-faced breeds in veterinary practice.
- Veterinary references and professional guidelines, such as the Merck Veterinary Manual, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and VCA Animal Hospitals.
- Government and regulatory sources, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pet food recalls and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
- Breed organizations, such as the American Kennel Club (AKC), the American Shih Tzu Club and The Royal Kennel Club.
- Manufacturer information, used only for product facts such as ingredients, sizes and specifications.
We avoid anonymous blogs, marketing claims and forum posts as sources of fact. When the evidence is limited or mixed, we say so.
How We Write and Review
The editor, Shahzad Sadiq, is responsible for every article we publish. We may use research and writing tools, including AI tools, to help collect sources, organize notes and draft or edit text. These tools never replace our standards. Every factual claim must match a cited source before an article goes live, and the editor decides what is published.
Our authors and editor are not veterinarians. We do not diagnose conditions or recommend treatments for individual dogs. Our guides explain what the evidence says and when to involve your veterinarian.
How We Choose Products
We do not test most of the products we recommend, and we say so in each review. We choose products based on:
- How well the product fits a small, long-coated, short-faced breed.
- Published veterinary guidance, such as WSAVA advice on choosing pet food and the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal for dental products.
- Recall and safety history, checked against FDA and CFIA records.
- Clear product specifications, such as size, ingredients and materials.
- Availability in both the United States and Canada where possible.
We do not accept payment, free products or sponsorship in exchange for a recommendation. Affiliate commissions do not change our rankings. We remove or replace a product when it is recalled, discontinued or no longer meets our standards. We do not publish Amazon prices or star ratings, because they change often.
Keeping Content Up to Date
We review our guides on a regular schedule. Product guides are checked at least every 3 months for recalls, availability and broken links. Health and care guides are reviewed at least once a year, and sooner when new research or guidance is published. Each guide shows the date it was last updated.
Corrections
If you find an error, please tell us. Email shihtzupedia@gmail.com with the word “Correction” in the subject line and a link to the page. We review every correction request. If we confirm an error, we fix it and update the page date.
Advertising and Independence
We show display ads from Google AdSense. Advertisers do not choose, review or approve our content, and an ad on our site is not an endorsement. Read more in our Affiliate Disclosure and Privacy Policy.