Feb 03 2009
Hypoglycemia in Dogs
Today was the first time I have ever experienced hypoglycemia in one of my small Chihuahuas. Sparky, who is 10 weeks old, just didn’t seem like himself and when he was walking, he kept falling over.
Here are some of the signs/symptoms to watch for in your pet (from PetPlace.com & my own personal experience):
- Loss of appetite
- Extreme lethargy
- Uncoordinated
- Trembling
- Muscular twitching
- Weakness
- Seizures
- Unusual behavior
- Dilated pupils
- Apparent blindness
- Stupor or coma
One thing you can do to bring up your dogs sugar levels is to rub Karo syrup or honey on their gums or in my case, Sparkly was coherent enough to lick it off my fingers. This is fairly common in toy breeds and puppies less than three months old. In either case, you should make your veterinarian away of the episode as there may be another underlying cause.
I’ve included a link to an article that will provide you with even more information: http://www.petplace.com/dogs/hypoglycemia-in-dogs/page1.aspx
I definitely agree that your vet needs to know about this. As you mentioned, this is normally a problem only in small breed, young dogs. In mature dogs or larger puppies, the liver takes any excess calories, and converts it into stored energy. If the animal needs a sudden surge of blood glucose, it will be taken from the liver first. Young, small dogs don’t have a mature enough or large enough liver to allow this. It’s uncommon to be a true problem, but it can happen as you have seen. Small, frequent meals can help prevent this problem. However, there are other diseases and disorders that can predispose to hypoglycemia, which is why your vet needs to be involved with this.
Hope your puppy is doing better now!
http://avetsguidetolife.today.com/
It seems almost like a form of diabetes.