Hypoglycemia in Puppies

What is hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia is the technical term for low blood sugar.  Tissue, such as muscle, receives glucose from the blood to use as energy.  Animals that become hypoglycemic have used up all the glucose in their blood become weak, comatose, and may even die.  Hypoglycemia is not a disease, but simply the body’s response to a lack of glucose.

Which puppies are most likely to suffer from hypoglycemia?

Any puppy will become hypoglycemic if it quickly burns up more energy that it consumes.  The puppies that are most at risk are the miniature and toy breeds such as Chihuahua, Yorkshire terriers, Maltese, and toy poodles.  These breeds have small bodies have very small energy stores and cannot possibly eat enough in one meal to keep active all day long.  Puppies can also become hypoglycemic from stress in their lives.  When their environment is disrupted by moving, vacationing, travel, parties, marriage, or other stressors, a puppy stands a good chance of becoming hypoglycemic from the stress involved in such situations.

What are the symptoms of hypoglycemia?

At first, your puppy will become very weak and lethargic. Your puppy may stagger or lie down and not want to move.  Unless action is taken to correct the puppy’s low blood sugar, symptoms will become progressively worse.  Your puppy will have a vacant, staring expression and will become unresponsive to stimuli such as calling its name or loud sounds. Your puppy will feel cool to the touch as its body temperature begins to drop.  Without immediate action, the puppy will become comatose and die.

What should I do if I suspect my puppy is hypoglycemic?

If your puppy shows signs of weakness, it is appropriate to suspect hypoglycemia.  If your puppy is still alert and responsive, feed it a small meal and allow it to rest.  If your puppy is already staring or is unconscious:

1. Using the syringe provided in the Puppy Essentials Kit, feed your puppy 3cc of Nutradrops. You may have to rub the Nutradrops on your puppy’s gums. The puppy should become responsive.
2. Continue feeding the puppy 1cc of Nutradrops every hour for the next six hours. Do not exceed 9cc in a 24 hour period.
3. MAKE SURE YOUR PUPPY IS EATING. Your puppy needs to eat after a hypoglycemic attack to rebuild its blood sugar levels. If your puppy refuses to eat on its own, use the syringe to feed the puppy the baby food provided in the Puppy Essentials Kit.

Although is appropriate to take your puppy to the vet in the event of a hypoglycemic attack, remember that The Precious Puppy assumes no responsibility for veterinary bills associated with hypoglycemia after 24 hours of delivery. Also keep in mind, The Precious Puppy provides help in these situations via telephone. Call 1-888-201-9037, ext. 1.

How can I prevent my puppy from becoming hypoglycemic?

Puppies, like children, are very active and burn up a lot of energy.  Because a puppy is small, it cannot possibly eat enough in one meal to fuel its body for an entire day.  Puppies should be fed three to five small meals a day, preferably spread out evenly through the day.  This helps maintain their blood sugar level at a fairly consistent level.  In addition to the regular small meals, miniature and toy breed puppies should receive a small snack after a walk or play session. Do not encourage your puppy to over do it. Rest is equally important as exercise and play.

Hypoglycemia is a serious condition brought on by too much activity and too much stress. Left untreated, it can kill your puppy in a matter of hours.  Fortunately, hypoglycemia can be prevented by feeding your puppy frequent small meals and by not allowing the puppy to over-exercise. It is also a good idea to treat your new puppy as you would an infant. When you put your puppy to bed, it is a good idea to keep it confined to a small space, such as a crate.  Small breed puppies need never experience hypoglycemia if their owners are attentive and provide for the small puppy’s special needs.

All puppies must eat!

If your puppy is not eating, you must call The Precious Puppy as soon as possible to report the problem.  We’ve dealt with these problems in the past and we may have some suggestions for you.  If a problem occurs after business hours, please contact a veterinarian.