Reviewed by Dr. Sarah Mills, DVM · Last verified: July 1, 2026 · ~8 min read
Quick answer: A Shih Tzu weighs about 9 to 16 lbs, so the ThunderBites dose is one chew per day. Give it daily for ongoing separation worries, or time a single chew ahead of a stressful event. Because Shih Tzus are flat-faced, keep an anxious one in a cool room and watch the breathing. Panting hard while stressed is normal, but genuinely laboured or noisy breathing is a medical issue, not just nerves.
Why Shih Tzus are prone to anxiety
The Shih Tzu was bred for one job: to sit in a lap and keep a person company. Centuries of that history left a dog that genuinely struggles to be by itself. Separation anxiety is one of the most common behaviour problems owners report in the breed, and it tends to show up as pacing, whining, or destructiveness the moment you pick up your keys. They are also small and sensitive, so a thunderclap or a burst of fireworks lands much harder than it would for a bigger dog. The flip side of that affectionate, velcro temperament is a stubborn streak, which is why training a Shih Tzu out of an anxious habit takes patience rather than repetition.
The brachycephalic caveat. Shih Tzus have a shortened muzzle, which means less efficient airways than a long-nosed breed. When a flat-faced dog gets stressed it pants harder to cope, and heavy panting in a warm room can tip toward overheating fast. Two rules follow from this. First, keep an anxious Shih Tzu somewhere cool, never shut in a hot car or a stuffy back room. Second, take laboured breathing seriously. Loud, snoring-style effort or gums turning bluish is an emergency and needs a vet, not a calming chew.
ThunderBites dosing by weight
| Dog's weight | Chews per dose |
|---|---|
| Up to 25 lbs (Shih Tzu, 9–16 lbs) | 1 chew |
| 26–50 lbs | 2 chews |
| 51–75 lbs | 3 chews |
One chew covers the whole breed. You can give it two ways. For a constant problem like being left home alone, dose daily and let the effect build. For a one-off scare like a storm or a car ride, give the single chew ahead of time. Don't double up on the same day just because you've got both a daily routine and an event.
The 5 situations: when to give ThunderBites
| Situation | When to dose | Shih Tzu tip | Stack with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separation (home alone) | Daily with the morning meal; give it 2–3 weeks to settle in | This is the breed's number-one issue. Leave a cool, quiet spot and a warm companion toy so being alone feels less bare. | Gradual departure training, puzzle feeder |
| Thunderstorms | 60–90 min before the storm, before the first rumble | Keep the room on the cool side. A stressed flat-faced dog pants hard, and a warm room makes that worse. | Interior room, white noise |
| Fireworks | About 60 min before it starts | Small dogs bolt. Confirm the ID tag and microchip are current, keep the room cool and away from windows. | Closed windows, sound masking |
| Car travel | 30–45 min before you leave | Secure in a harness or crate. Never leave a Shih Tzu in a warm car for a second. If it keeps vomiting, ask your vet about maropitant. | Crate/harness, cracked window airflow |
| Vet visits | 45–60 min before the appointment | Flag the flat face to the clinic; the shortened airway matters for anesthesia. Choose a Fear Free practice and bring treats. | For severe cases ask about gabapentin or trazodone |
Beyond the chew: what actually calms a Shih Tzu
A chew works best as part of a routine, not on its own. The ingredients in ThunderBites are the familiar calming set: ashwagandha, L-theanine, L-tryptophan, melatonin and thiamine (B1). They can take the edge off, but they won't teach a companion breed to be comfortable alone. That part is on the training.
A cool, safe home base
Give your dog one spot that's always available: a quiet, well-ventilated corner away from windows, with a bed and water. For a flat-faced breed the temperature of that spot matters as much as the quiet.
Training for time alone
Build up absences gradually. Step out for a minute, come back before your dog panics, and stretch the gap over days and weeks. Walk and play before you leave so a tired dog rests instead of frets, and leave a puzzle feeder or a stuffed toy to fill the gap. Keep departures and returns boring; a big emotional goodbye teaches the dog that your leaving is a big deal.
Desensitize before the season
If storms or fireworks set your dog off, play recorded storm or firework sounds at a very low volume on calm days, pairing them with treats, and raise the volume slowly over weeks. Start well before storm season, not the night of. And you can comfort a frightened dog freely: soothing an anxious animal does not reinforce the fear. Staying calm yourself does more good than pretending nothing is happening.
ThunderBites vs other calming chews
These products overlap more than the marketing suggests, and none is clearly best for every dog. The honest comparison is about which blend suits your Shih Tzu.
NaturVet Quiet Moments leans on thiamine, L-tryptophan, and melatonin, with ginger and chamomile added. The ginger can be a plus for a dog that gets carsick, so it's worth a look if travel is your main problem.
Zesty Paws Calming Bites use hemp, L-theanine, valerian, and chamomile. It's a different profile that some owners prefer, though valerian has a strong smell that a few picky eaters refuse.
ThunderBites combines ashwagandha, L-theanine, L-tryptophan, melatonin and thiamine (B1) with a probiotic blend without hemp or herbs. If your dog does fine on the basics, that simplicity is the appeal. Any of the three is a reasonable starting point, and dogs respond individually, so the one that works is partly trial and error.
When a chew isn't enough
Calming chews are made for mild to moderate stress: the dog who gets antsy in the car or unsettled by a storm. A Shih Tzu who panics when left, injures itself, or can't be consoled has a real behavioural problem, and that needs a vet or a veterinary behaviourist who can consider training plans and, in some cases, prescription medication. One thing that is never just anxiety: laboured breathing. If your flat-faced dog is struggling to breathe, making harsh noise on each breath, or has pale or blue gums, treat it as an emergency and go to a vet.
Palatability and giving the chew
Most Shih Tzus are food-motivated and take these happily. The short muzzle can make a whole chew awkward to grip and chew, so if yours fumbles it or spits it out, just crumble the chew into a spoonful of wet food or a favourite topper. It absorbs the same way and takes the wrestling match out of dosing.
FAQ
Are calming chews safe for a flat-faced breed like a Shih Tzu?
The ingredients themselves are the same mild calming compounds used across breeds, so the chew isn't a special risk for a Shih Tzu. The brachycephalic caution is about the situation, not the supplement: keep an anxious dog cool and never rely on a chew to fix breathing trouble. If your dog is on other medication, clear it with your vet first.
My Shih Tzu panics the second I leave. Will a chew fix that?
A daily chew can lower the baseline enough to make training work better, but it won't cure separation anxiety on its own. Pair it with gradual departure practice and enrichment. If the panic is severe, involve your vet, because true separation anxiety often needs a behaviour plan.
Is it okay to give one every day, long term?
Daily use over weeks is exactly how these are meant to work for ongoing anxiety, and the ingredients are used routinely at supplement levels. For a breed prone to separation stress, daily is often the right call. Still, mention long-term daily use at your next check-up so your vet can factor it in.
How long before it works?
For a specific event, give it roughly an hour ahead so it's active when things kick off. For daily separation use, don't judge it by day one. Give it two to three weeks of consistent dosing before you decide whether it's helping.
Sources: PetMD: helping dogs scared of fireworks · Cornell Riney Canine Health Center: fear of fireworks and thunderstorms · AKC: dog calming treats
How we compiled this guide: ThunderBites dosing follows the manufacturer's weight chart; the calming protocols here are based on current veterinary consensus (Fear Free and AVSAB guidance) plus the sources cited above. Reviewed by Dr. Sarah Mills, DVM. Last verified July 1, 2026.