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Hypoglycemia in Small Puppies

Hypoglycemia?!?!  What are you talking about? I had never heard of this concern after many litters of Springer Spaniels. It is not something to be aware of when raising the bigger dogs. But, whether you are a pet owner or a breeder, it is very important to know about this dangerous condition which the toy breeds are susceptible to. Hypoglycemia occurs when the Blood Glucose is less than 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) of blood. Symptoms depend on how quickly the blood glucose concentration decreases but rarely occur until it falls below 50 mg/dl. Juvenile Hypoglycemia occurs in puppies less than 3 months of age. At this developmental stage, puppies are not able to regulate their blood glucose concentration due to low muscle mass and thus low ability to store glucose. They also have a higher requirement for glucose.

Causes:  Thus, diet is a primary contributing factor, but so it  stress, cold, sudden change in feed, water and schedule patterns, infections, and intestinal parasites.

Prevention:

• Make sure your puppy is eating well. We have supplemented our puppy food with cottage cheese or plain yogurt. Yogurt does not have as much salt as the cottage cheese. Always have food and water available at first for your new puppy.
• Have a back up supply of Nutri-Cal® on hand. It consists basically of a malt-flavored paste with sugar and vitamins.  Some puppies will happily lick it off fingers and others will only take it if you stick it up  on the roof of the mouth. If a puppy seems listless, a finger tip of Nutrical may make all the difference.
• Don't over play with your puppy. They needs lots of sleep and lots and lots of tiny meals. If you are playing with them for an extended period of time, they may not stop to eat and end up depleted. Until your puppy is 5 months old, don't give him the run of your home. Keep him confined with a puppy play pen in an area no bigger than 3 ft x 4 ft. A puppy does not know when to stop playing and may become over tired. Make sure your puppy gets his/her rest.

Symptoms:

• You may not see every symptom that is listed, so pay close attention to any distressed state.
• Low energy, listlessness, uncoordination, drowsiness, shivering, collapsing, disorientation, seizures, listlessness, depression, muscle weakness and tremors.
• In  extreme cases, the puppy becomes cold, loses consciousness and may even have seizures.  If this happens, rubbing a small amount of Karo Syrup (or Pancake syrup) into the gums is a good idea. Do this as you head for the emergency clinic. Hypoglycemia is an emergency. At the hospital, they will administer dextrose intravenously.