Cupcake’s photo courtesy of Hot Bows.
This is the first in a series of articles addressing medical problems of small-breed dogs.
Tiny, adorable, sweet—what’s not to love about itty-bitty dogs? Pocket pooches have become very popular, and they do make wonderful pets, but an understanding of the special needs of these fragile pets is very important. Nature never intended dogs to be so small, so be prepared for several common health problems.
Toy breed dogs are at risk of hypoglycemia, a dangerous drop in blood sugar. This can happen during the evening, when they are sleeping and not eating. Their immature livers are not able to cope with this lack of food for six to eight hours. They do not have the reserves needed, and their blood sugar can drop significantly, leading to hypoglycemia.
The hypoglycemic puppy can become weak, act lethargic, stare into space, or walk as if it were drunk. Hypoglycemia can progress to stupor, coma, seizures and on occasion, death.
Always have Karo Syrup or sugar water available in case you notice signs of hypoglycemia. Never give your dog anything orally if it is unconscious. If it does not respond to this treatment, it needs to be seen by one of our doctors immediately.
To remedy this propensity toward hypoglycemia, provide food round the clock when the dogs are puppies up to 6 months old. Provide tiny-bite kibbles constantly, and supplement with three to six small meals of canned puppy diet. Giving a twice-daily boost with oral NutriCal, a vitamin-energy supplement, also helps reduce the risk of hypoglycemia.
Blood glucose levels are checked in several different ways, depending on need. If a pet is not critically ill, the sample may be sent to an outside lab. This is advantageous because other tests are included in the panel for a good price.
Photo courtesy of LBAH.
If immediate results are needed, an in-house blood analyzer can be used. It can do a series of tests, including blood glucose.
Photo courtesy of LBAH.
In some situations, all that’s needed is a blood glucose level. A drop of blood is all that’s necessary to get an accurate result.