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HYPOGLYCEMIA by Annette Davis
(permission granted by Annette
Davis to re-print this article)
Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar
is a possible problem with all
toy breed puppies. Veterinarians
unfamiliar with toys often mis-diagnose
the condition as viral hepatitis
or encephalitis. As a toy
breeder or pet owner, it is
important to recognize the
symptoms of hypoglycemia and
know how to treat it.
Hypoglycemia is easily treatable
in the early stages, but fatal
if allowed to progress. Your
puppy MUST be fed on a regular
schedule every 2-3 hours, and
first thing in the morning.Many
puppies are lost needlessly to
hypoglycemia because of
ignorance on the part of their
owner or veterinarian.
The first sign of hypoglycemia
is the puppy slowing down and
then acting listless. The puppy
will then begin to tremble or
shiver. This is a reaction
caused as the brain is starved
for glucose. The trembling is
followed by a blank stare and
the puppy lying on his side. He
may also experience convulsions.
After a time, the puppy will
become comatose. His body will
be limp, lifeless, and the
tongue and gums will be a
grayish/blue color. The body
temperature will be subnormal.
The puppy may even appear to be
dead.
If caught in the early stages,
treatment is simple. Rub Nutri-Cal
(Caro syrup will do if you have
no Nutri-Cal) on the puppy's
gums, under the tongue, and on
the roof of the mouth. (Caution:
do not use honey.) Get a heating
pad or heating blanket and
slowly warm the puppy to proper
body temperature. If the puppy
responds, all is well. Feed a
quality canned food right away
(you may want to mix it with egg
yolk) and then monitor the puppy
to be sure that the condition
does not recur. Be sure to
eliminate the stress that caused
the episode if at all possible.
If caught in the more advanced
stages, treatment is more
complicated. Always assume that
the puppy is alive. Rub Nutri-Cal
or Caro in the mouth, and
carefully insert a small amount
in the rectum. Slowly warm the
puppy to normal body temperature
(101-102 degrees F) and keep him
warm continuously with light
heat. If the puppy still does
not respond, carefully eye
dropper dextrose solution or
Caro water into the mouth, a
little at a time. Call your
veterinarian and inform him that
you have a hypoglycemic puppy.
He will prepare a warmed
dextrose solution to inject
subcutaneously and may put your
puppy on an IV drip. Request a
fecal exam. Your puppy may have
intestinal parasites such as
worms, coccidia, or giardia that
need to be eliminated
immediately. A bacterial or
viral infection may also be
present and antibiotic treatment
necessary. If your puppy has
been given glucose injections,
it is probably a good idea to
treat him with antibiotics so
that infection does not occur.
Your vet will likely recommend a
prescription canned food such as
a/d to give as your puppy
recovers. You can finger feed
the a/d 'as is' from the can and
add Pedialyte to the drinking
water. You must also keep the
puppy warm at all times. Of
course use prudence, and do not
overheat or dehydration will
occur. In severe cases you may
need to force feed a/d for a
time and give Pedialyte with a
dropper. Give B vitamins to
stimulate appetite. As your
puppy improves he will begin to
eat in his own and then you can
gradually phase back in his
regular food.
It is important to understand
that just because a puppy has an
episode of hypoglycemia, it does
not mean that the puppy is truly
"hypoglycemic." True
hypoglycemia is a chronic
condition caused by
overproduction of insulin by the
pancreas. Even though the
pancreas may normally function
properly, toy puppies can still
have an isolated hypoglycemic
incident in reaction to stress.
Hypoglycemic incidents are
almost always preceded by a
stress of some kind. Some
examples of common stresses
include: weaning, teething,
vaccinations, a change in
environment, shipping,
over-handling, cold
temperatures, intestinal
parasites, infections, anorexia,
etc. Many puppies simply play
too hard and stress their system
or forget to eat. I have heard
of young males experiencing
hypoglycemia when a female in
heat is around. They become so
worked up over the female that
they do not eat and their blood
sugar drops.
Tiny dogs often do not have the
fat reserves to supply adequate
glucose in times of stress or
when they do not eat regularly.
Hypoglycemia most often occurs
when the puppy has not eaten for
several hours. This is not
always the case, however. A
puppy can have eaten recently
and still show sings of
hypoglycemia if his system is
stressed and the food has not
been digested and assimilated.
It is important to "free feed"
toy puppies a high quality food.
Toy puppies simply have too high
of an energy level to be
restricted to scheduled
feedings. Most do fine if
switched to scheduled feedings
when they reach adulthood, but
they must have access to food
and water at all times when they
are puppies. If you like to give
your puppy canned food, you can
schedule the feeding of the
canned, but allow access to
kibble at all times.
A summary of important reminders
is as follows
1) Always keep Nutri-Cal or Caro
(Corn Syrup) and a heating pad
on hand. This is the quickest
way to revive a hypoglycemic
puppy.
2) If you ever see your puppy
becoming listless, or laying on
his side and acting unresponsive
IMMEDIATELY rub Nutri-Cal or
Caro on his gums, under his
tongue, and on the roof of the
mouth. Slowly warm him to normal
body temperature with a heating
pad. Feed him as soon as he
responds. Call your veterinarian
if the puppy does not quickly
respond.
3) Keep your puppy from
chilling, free of parasites, and
minimize stress.
4) See that your puppy eats
often and maintains a proper
body weight.
5) Do not over-handle your
puppy. Be sure to allow him rest
time and alone time. Like all
babies, puppies need to have a
regular schedule of rest, meals,
play and potty.
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An Imperial
(under 9 pounds as an adult)
puppy can become a precious part
of your family. But please
understand that all very small
dog breeds require special care,
handling, and feeding. Your
puppy is like a baby, and until
your baby reaches
2 1/2 to 3 pounds, must be
carefully monitored . The care
involved is time consuming. That
is why you see so few very tiny
dogs!
I recommend purchasing a digital
scale (Wal Mart $20.00) and
weigh your baby daily to assure
proper weight gain. Only the
finest pet foods available
should be fed to your Imperial
Shih Tzu.
Puppies should be checked
regularly for Coccidia, a common
parasite that is picked up by
puppies in their outside
environment. (grass, dirt,
mudpuddles, etc.) Older dogs are
not effected by Coccidia, their
immune systems flush it from
their systems.
We will not let our our
Imperials leave our home until
they have reached at least 2 1/2
pounds. This can be at 12-16
weeks old. No Imperial puppy
will be released to their new
owner until at least 12 weeks
old. |
