Hypoglycemia is the medical term used to describe abnormally low levels of blood glucose. Blood glucose,
which is another term for blood sugar, is regulated by insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is secreted by cells that are called
beta cells that are part of the endocrine pancreas. Dogs that go into hypoglycemia, especially again your toy breeds such
as chihuahua and yorkies suffer from weakness, which they can collaspe in a matter of seconds and go into seizures. Some toy
breeds suffer from hypoglycemia as a metabolic disorder. It is imperative that people purchasing our puppies or owners of breeds
of dogs that are susceptible to attacks be aware of some of the clinical signs of the onset of an attack of hypoglycemia.
These signs can include the dog becoming noticeably confused, disoriented, becomes drowsy at unusual times, shivers, staggers
about, loses appetite or appears to look dehydrated. An advanced stage is when the dog collapses, and goes into an unconscious
state. The entire sequence of clinical signs is not always seen, so close observation of your pet and knowing when your dog
is going into a distressed state, can mean the difference between life and death of your dog. Immediate treatment by a veterinarian
is imperative, as recurrence of or prolonged attacks can cause permanent damage to the brain. Usually a puppy outgrows this condition since
it affects puppies between 5 - 16 weeks of age usually. Some instances that precipates an attack might be ... the puppy being
placed in a new home or being shipped. It may also occur if the puppy misses a meal, becomes chilled or becomes exhausted
from to much play. When
purchasing a puppy from us, we always recommend to everyone when they get home put a teaspoon of sugar in fresh water for
them everyday for a few days and/or give them alittle nutrical by mouth for a few days to a week until they get
settled into there new enviroment and always keep a close eye on them. If you notice any early signs of
hypoglycemia, you may want to let the puppy have some Karo syrup or Nutrical if have it on hand if puppy is in a conscious
state and able to swallow. Using your judgement, a teaspoon or so depending on size of your puppy. The best thing that has
always worked for me 99% of the time is have a suringe like what you would give your infant or child tylenol with and sugar
on hand. What I do when I see a puppy getting ready to have a hypoglycemia attack, even when it has got to the stage where
it was having a seizer was very quickly make up a glucose solution by putting sugar into a glass or container, mix
in just enough water where it will pass through the suringe and immediately squeeze it in the puppies mouth. A
matter of seconds, it works like a miracle, a whole new puppy. You may at this time or if there is time before the puppy
would become unconscious or have a seizure, to contact your veterinarin immediately for his advice or bring the puppy into
his office. |
